C W

Over on the AA forum oaken started a great thread: Guesting People into Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge Stories ...

I figured that it would also be fun to have this over in Delta land.

Personally I have only done so once. I was already in the Atlanta E Sky Club and was waiting in line to ask some sort of itinerary-related question. An absolutely exhausted-looking young (older than me, but still young ) woman was in front of me and asks to buy a day pass. After finding out that the pass is $59 she sighs but says she needs really needs a shower and start to look for her credit card. I jump in and ask if I can guest her. The agent had no problem with it, even though it was clear that I didn't know her. The woman was really happy, I think even more about the random gesture of kindness than the saved money. We talked for a few minutes before she went off to shower and it turns out that she has already flown 3 flights that day and had one more to go, coming back from doing charitable work somewhere in Africa.

Normally I wouldn't be inclined to guest somebody in who was already going to pay for a day pass, but in this case she looked and sounded like she really needed it and it was clearly the first time she'd ever tried to access a lounge, I think the fee really was surprising. I was happy that I helped somebody in the end who both needed and deserved it.

Widgets

I sat next to a nonrev who went to my school one morning when I was pretty new to flying. I guested him into the MSP C club. We immediately got kicked out after he loudly said it's cool that they don't check IDs. We were both under 21 at the time.

caliform

Haha, that's both stupid and unfortunate.

Grouchy

While waiting at G6(a) and (b) for a TATL flight i got into a converstation with a lovely older lady (non status & non business elite pax).
We board together and said goodbye (at least we thought so).
Long story short: flaps extension and no retraction and overheated brakes and one hour later we return to the gate for a plane switch which would take some time to get ready.
After deplaning i guested her in the MSP F/G club. During our conversation at G6 she was friendly, charming & had class. Was pretty sure she would behave

KDCAflyer

Thankfully I never had any issues getting into the self-serve clubs before I was 21. I'm sure it helped that I was using the Reserve card vs a one-day pass or something.

An agent at MSP C did say to me one time that I was to keep away from the booze.

TheMadBrewer

I've guested my seatmate a couple of times over the years, that is about it as far as people I don't know.

Thinking about it, I think I did guest somebody once or twice from the FT lounge thread - probably both NW and DL. I'm am not sure that counts because even if I didn't know them they were FT brothers/sisters

MEMLawGuy

Lawyer in me coming out: Are there consequences to the member that does the guesting if the guest gets drunk and starts causing a scene or otherwise not following the rules? That would be my biggest worry. They get in and do something stupid and then I get in trouble --- because if you truly don't know them, you're probably not going to be sitting with them and then make sure they leave when you leave.

I'm considering upgrading my membership to the executive version because I've got some travel with family and coworkers this year. As part of that, I considered the exact topic of this thread --- maybe I'd be nice and just guest in random strangers that I met along the way to make me feel like I'm getting better "value" out of the upgrade. But it is the worry I detailed above that gives me pause in doing that.

vishalgupta22

A smart enemy is better than a dumb friend.

qukslvr619

I'm of the general rule of Want Club Access, Buy Club Access mainly because the clubs are overcrowded as it is but I think its just downright tacky to solicit it from other people.

It's one thing to strike up with a conversation with someone and guest them in.....its another for someone to routinely solicit club access just because they don't want to pay an annual fee.

I flew transatlantic Business last weekend and my seatmate asked if I could guest her in because she had a long layover. While we had been talking and had the same connecting flight, I politely pointed out that she would have club access on the account of being in Business Class.

Quinlanty

I guest people in all the time. FT members, seatmates, or even sometimes people who don't know there is a charge to enter the SC or can't use Amex for family

SuperG1955

Did it this afternoon. A nice lady held the elevator for me at JFK T2. I let her go ahead of me and she was told that she didn't have free access so I guested her in. Used my DM card since I was non-rev and that always results in an interesting chat with the Club Agent.

pgh234

Five years back, I was playing the VDB game from DTW-PIT (3 VDB's that day...still my record. Overbooked CRJ-200's all day to PIT on a holiday weekend.) As a newly minted GM on my way home from Europe, I was curious to use my newfound powers.

While awaiting my first VDB of the day, I witnessed my first and only IDB, plus a bunch of sad standbys. One girl a few years younger than me looked miserable and terribly bored. I offered to guest her into the club since it was a few hours before the next PIT flight. It came across as terribly shady I suppose, then I mentioned why my fiance at the time was not with me that day...she lightened up and accepted.

We went into the empty B/C club and killed 8 hours and nearly two handles of Jack. haha We ended the day both getting a VDB on the last flight out (she was confirmed on that one). She asked the gate agents three times..."we both get separate hotel rooms...correct?" This poor wanna-be grad student was very appreciative for the fun and conversation all day...but not that appreciative.

HomerJ

....I used it to try and pick up girls (sometimes it worked).
Since I am a fine upstanding married guy, I will do it if there is a delay of the flight and it will be a 45+ minutes or if someone is denied at the lounge desk.

apodo77

That's funny.

Guested in a girl I was sitting next to at lunch. Scored a phone number and all but the timing never worked out for a date.

apodo77

Do the agents ever object guesting in those who are denied? Have wanted to do this a few times but wasn't sure of the outcome.