i was thinking about some sort of priority membership

immediately before i read your last paragragh. Glad i was right, not discrimination. :))

My family actually had very good experience at airports in Japan. One time, we nearly missed a flight back to US because we got off at a wrong train station between cities.  By the time we arrived the airport, the boarding was almost done. The staff escorted my family rushed through all gates without a min. delay, directly to the plane.  The plane actually had waited for us. There was no way we could catch that flight without such special help. We didn't have a special membership either at that time. :))