Stealing from Lounges/Planes
Nov 1, 2012, 9:50 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: NW Gold, '06. Good times.
Posts: 7,361
I've walked out of lounges with a couple of cookies tucked away for use as an in-flight snack, which is technically a violation of club rules. Is it stealing? That's debatable. I've never nicked cutlery, china, or anything else, though.
Nov 2, 2012, 2:15 am
#32
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: MEX
Programs: AC E75K
Posts: 4,171
While I doubt anyone will raise too much of an eyebrow for taking an apple or cookie from the lounge, I can't fathom the OP being serious about taking cutlery and glassware.
His only "rationale" for why it might be acceptable seems to be that the items are rather nice...I'd be speechless if this is not a troll.
His only "rationale" for why it might be acceptable seems to be that the items are rather nice...I'd be speechless if this is not a troll.
Nov 2, 2012, 10:55 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Adelphi, MD
Programs: Korean Air Skypass, ANA Skyweb, Amex Premier Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 745
When an airline has a large number of things that are free to take, like slippers, magazines, eye covers. They usually start labeling smilar things like blankets with "property of" " do not remove"
Nov 2, 2012, 11:02 am
#35
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: NW Gold, '06. Good times.
Posts: 7,361
Collecting amenity kits is fine. Fun, even. I know people on FT who habitually collect them and donate them to local homeless shelters. If the FA is okay with it, so am I.
Nov 2, 2012, 11:13 am
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
So this is probably a pretty obvious question but I wasn't finding much on google/here so I thought I'd post.
I haven't really been much of a flyer until the last year or so and now I fly a lot and have status and go into airline lounges all the time and noticed that the glasses/silverware is pretty cool. The not-quite-kleptomaniac in me wants to steal these items, but I'm sure that's pretty frowned upon so I haven't actually stolen anything. Thoughts?
I haven't really been much of a flyer until the last year or so and now I fly a lot and have status and go into airline lounges all the time and noticed that the glasses/silverware is pretty cool. The not-quite-kleptomaniac in me wants to steal these items, but I'm sure that's pretty frowned upon so I haven't actually stolen anything. Thoughts?
I hope you had a first class ticket, since I'll have a better chance for an upgrade when you are arrested and don't make your flight.
Nov 2, 2012, 12:51 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SBP
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 533
Like I said before, I don't actually take this stuff from the lounge, but wouldn't mind having some. I see it on eBay and wonder where these people get it. If they're just stealing it and then reselling it for a profit, it seems dumb to pay for it when someone could just steal it for themselves.
The other reason I mentioned this as if it was at least somewhat plausible is recently I was at a restaurant and only ate part of my food and got a to go box. When I asked the waitress for a little cup or something to put the sauce in, she insisted that I just take the container it came in because that was easier. This container was not some sort of disposable container and certainly not meant to be removed from the restaurant. I didn't really want the container, but the sauce was important for the meal and I didn't want to dump it all over everything so I ended up stealing the container. It now sits in my cupboard where it will almost certainly never be used.
The other reason I mentioned this as if it was at least somewhat plausible is recently I was at a restaurant and only ate part of my food and got a to go box. When I asked the waitress for a little cup or something to put the sauce in, she insisted that I just take the container it came in because that was easier. This container was not some sort of disposable container and certainly not meant to be removed from the restaurant. I didn't really want the container, but the sauce was important for the meal and I didn't want to dump it all over everything so I ended up stealing the container. It now sits in my cupboard where it will almost certainly never be used.
Nov 2, 2012, 1:07 pm
#38
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Capital of the Confederacy
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 105
Braniff's klepto old lady commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jfSyzH5z2M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jfSyzH5z2M
Nov 2, 2012, 1:13 pm
#39
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
Programs: UA Pt, Marriott Ti, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,091
Nov 2, 2012, 6:42 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: FLL -> Where The Boyars Are
Programs: AA EXP 1.7 M, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, AARP Sophomore, 14-time Croix de Candlestick
Posts: 18,669
So far as I know, the vast majority of these items for sale on ebay are not stolen. I know a couple of guys who worked for TWA for years and when the airline would switch out one style of cutlery and china for another every few years, the old stuff would be available to employees through the company store. And it wasn't just TWA either. Having worked in the industry myself over the years, I know this was common practice with most other major airlines as well, whenever they rebranded a service or the plates and glasses simply got old and needed to be replaced.
Nov 2, 2012, 8:19 pm
#42
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Central Texas
Programs: Many, slipping beneath the horizon
Posts: 9,859
I'm not sure if this is a related question, but I'm wondering if anyone has managed to score some minis of alcohol from the FAs? Or more specifically, would they give you alcohol if they knew you didn't intend to drink it onboard?
I've done it once on a 2.5 hour flight in domestic F, when the FA served my drink with 2 minis and I only finished one before dinner. I had some wine during dinner, and something else after. I pocketed the unopened mini and took it home.
I've done it once on a 2.5 hour flight in domestic F, when the FA served my drink with 2 minis and I only finished one before dinner. I had some wine during dinner, and something else after. I pocketed the unopened mini and took it home.
Then there was a return from reserve training, DL, SFO/DFW, the height of the Vietnam protests, when after a unpleasant experience at SFO witnessed by a couple of FAs, I, clad in dress blues with a couple of rows of mostly "gedunk" ribbons (the "been there, done that" class of decoration), was rewarded by 4 splits of domestic champagne to be tucked away in my flight bag. I suspect that, even after being bumped up to F, the FA (who told me her fiance was a Naval Aviator) felt my pain.
Mar 3, 2015, 12:40 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: OSL
Programs: SK Diamond, LH SEN, KL Ivory, AY Basic, OZ silver
Posts: 1,103
When I asked the waitress for a little cup or something to put the sauce in, she insisted that I just take the container it came in because that was easier. This container was not some sort of disposable container and certainly not meant to be removed from the restaurant. I didn't really want the container, but the sauce was important for the meal and I didn't want to dump it all over everything so I ended up stealing the container.
That being said: would you really risk a record for stealing $5 worth of IKEA cutlery from an airline lounge?
Mar 3, 2015, 1:03 pm
#45
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,220
Maybe simply ask? I used to fly Alaska Air a lot and when I was moving, on what was pretty much my last flight with that airline (for the forseeable future), I simply asked the FA if I could take a glass with AS markings on it as a keepsake. That wasn't an issue.