1.   And credit-card companies like American Express sometimes reserve blocks of the best seats to sell to preferred customers.

2.   But Bulger considered himself a preferred customer, and he expected faster service.

3.   D.H. Blair also created artificial profit in some securities by allowing preferred customers of a senior manager to sell stock back to the firm, the NASD alleged.

4.   Its borrower has to be a preferred customer, someone worth millions, whose savings can be taken if the speculation goes wrong.

5.   One exception is Southwest Airlines, which does not hold out certain seats for preferred customers because it has no frequent flier program and does not have reserved seating.

6.   Preferred customers can also redeem frequent flier miles on line on proprietary reservation systems with software from the airlines.

7.   Possibly, but only if I were a preferred customer deserving of a lot of time and attention.

8.   Shop early, earliest preferred customers only, rush now.

9.   The company could make special joint marketing arrangements with preferred customers, or give them special terms in technical-support contracts.

10.   The cuts are for preferred customers only.