Increasingly the subject of askance in response to the populist swoon that seems to accompany financial crises, the ranks of English Peerage is both a European throwback and a uniquely modern British institution. (Is there a better euphemism with which one could label the font from whence Prince Charles issued forth?) In this connection, it will surprise few finem respice readers to find that British Airways' frequent flier program "The Executive Club" offers a literally daunting plethora of titles (including some Malay honorifics abolished by the British in 1891) for the discerning and frequently airborne applicant. The pull-down menu spans at least two pages. Personally, I think "Air Vice Marshal Equity Private" has a nice ring to it, don't you agree? Or perhaps "Reverend Mother Equity Private"?

The full list:

Air Vice Marshal, Alderman, Alhaji, Ambassador, Archbishop, Archdeacon, Baron, Barones, Baroness, Bay, Bayan, Bishop, Brig, Brig Gen, Brig General, Brigadier, Brigadier General, Brother, , Capt, Captain, Cardinal, Cdr, Chief, Cik, Cmdr, Col, Col Dr, Colonel, Commandant, Commander, Commissioner, Commodore, Comte, Comtessa, Congressman, Conseiller, Consul, Conte, Contessa, Corporal, Councillor, Count, Countess, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Dame, Datin, Dato, Datuk, Datuk Seri, Deacon, Deaconess, Dean, Dhr, Dipl Ing, Doctor, Dott, Dott sa, Dr, Dr Ing, Dra, Drs, Duchess, Duke, Earl, Embajador, Embajadora, En, Encik, Eng, Eur Ing, Exma Sra, Exmo Sr, F O, Father, First Lieutient, First Officer, Flt Lieut, Flying Officer, Fr, Frau, Fraulein, Fru, Gen, Generaal, General, Governor, Graaf, Gravin, Group Captain, Grp Capt, H E, H E Dr, H H, H M, H R H, Hajah, Haji, Hajim, Her Highness, Her Majesty, Herr, High Chief, His Excellency, His Holiness, His Majesty, Hon, Hr, Hra, Ing, Ir, Jonkheer, Judge, Justice, Khun Ying, Kolonel, Lady, Lcda, Lic, Lieut, Lieut Cdr, Lieut Col, Lieut Gen, Lord, M, M L, M R, Madame, Mademoiselle, Maj Gen, Major, Marchioness, Marquess, Marquis, Marquise, Marshall, Master, Mevrouw, Miss, Mlle, Mme, Monsieur, Monsignor, Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mstr, Nti, Pan, Pani, Pastor, President, Prince, Princess, Princesse, Prinses, Prof, Prof Dr, Prof Sir, Professor, Puan, Puan Sri, Rabbi, Rear Admiral, Rev, Rev , Rev Dr, Rev Mother, Reverend, Rva, Senator, Senhor, Senhora, Senhorita, Senor, Senora, Senorita, Sergeant, Sheikh, Sheikha, Sig, Sig na, Sig ra, Sir, Sister, Sqn Ldr, Sr, Sr D, Sra, Srta, Sultan, Tan Sri, Tan Sri Dato, Tengku, Teuku, Than Puying, The Hon Dr, The Hon Justice, The Hon Miss, The Hon Mr, The Hon Mrs, The Hon Ms, The Hon Sir, The RT Hon, The Very Rev, Toh Puan, Tun, Vice Admiral, Viscount, Viscountess, and Wg Cdr.

And yet... no "Dear Leader"? For shame.