I like to think I know most of the lounge admittance rules, but would welcome feedback on the experience I had last week.

I was a business trip in India with some colleagues and one them was on the same inbound DEL-LHR flight as me. I was in WT+, she was in WT. I was then heading back to EDI 75 minutes after landing at LHR and she was on her way back to SAN, but had a 6 hour layover at LHR. All flights were on BA metal, no codeshares.

I'm Gold, she's a lowly blue so I said I'd guest her into the lounge so she'd have somewhere comfortable to sit/work during her layover.

Since I had a relatively tight connection, I said I'd not wait for her off the plane but would go ahead and meet her outside the North lounge, but if she wasn't through in time I'd have to leave her there.

She got through around 30 minutes before my flight so I said I'd guest her in and then head to my gate.

Inside, I passed by boarding card over and said I'd like to guest a colleague in. The lounge guardian scanned by BP and said my flight was "just about to close". He then took my colleagues BP and saw it was for a different flight and then got all surly.

He said that BA were trying to "clamp down on this sort of thing".

"What sort of thing?", I asked.

"Guesting people on different flights", he answered, "The guesting policy is meant for people travelling on the same flight and people are abusing it by guesting people on other flights". He also made some mention of me guest her then leaving for my flight and said, by the rules, she should really leave at the same time.

"But I thought that was part of the scheme, so long as both people were flying on BA". I then added that we'd flown in from DEL on the same flight,

He checked the computer and seemed to get confused, murmuring something about us getting upgraded, then one of us getting upgraded. I wasn't clear what he was getting at so I simply asked if there was a problem.

"I'll let you in this once" was his answer as he handed back the BPs. I absolutely hate that "I'm doing you a favour" line when I don't believe that is the case, but didn't have time to argue, so went inside with my colleague, showed her about for a minute then left for my gate. My comment to her was it felt like we'd just been reprimanded by the school teacher.

So, who was right here? I guess there's two things:

1) Is the BA policy that when the "guestor" leaves the lounge for their flight, the "guest" should have to leave at the same time?

2) Was inviting her into the lounge for 6 hours when I spent no more than 5 minutes there morally wrong?