Originally Posted by
jackal
It is not simple conjecture. I have several years of experience in the guesting threads both as a sponsor as well as a moderator. I am confident that my estimates of the number of people who gain access this way are accurate. And you have others here now attesting that it is pretty rare for someone to take up the offer of access.
The issue of someone approaching the Board Room concierge and asking if they have access because they are flying international coach or have a Costco Executive membership or because their father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate was an AS pilot is completely separate. That does not have any bearing at all on the FlyerTalk lounge meet-up thread. (And I rarely see this happening at the BR--I usually see this more at United Clubs, where people flying in paid F do not have access to the clubs but come in asking for access anyway.)
Again, we are not standing near the entrance saying, "Come on in! If you don't have access, I'll guest you in!" FlyerTalk may be a global community on the "world wide web," but first, people have to find the community, and then they have to join the community, and then they have to invest in the community, and finally they have to discover this thread and make an effort to post in it. Pretty high bar, there.
And once they come in, it's not like we just go sit on separate sides of the room. We sit and (over an Amber or something) talk about what FTers always talk about at FT events: miles and points. It is always good to put a face with a name, and just like we all enjoy meeting each other at DOs, it is also nice to meet each other en-route. The lounge just provides a convenient setting to do so; it could just as easily be at an airside restaurant or Starbucks or something.
Again, and this will be my last reply to this post, I was simply voicing an opinion, mine.
Exactly. For one, I have never seen the lounges outside of SEA crowded--ever. I've never, ever had trouble finding a seat in ANC, PDX, or LAX.
SEA is the only lounge that regularly gets crowded, and I would bet $100 that it is NOT because of FlyerTalk members guesting others in (or, for that matter, Board Room members accessing the club while not flying in years past). It is because the lounge is inadequately sized for AS's largest hub. At the very most--EVER--there may be one or two people in the club who are not there %
PDX which is my "home" lounge does get crowded at certain periods of time, especially with the Hawaiian and east coast flights leaving around the same time. And I have had to stand at times ! Mostly families which is fine with me as long as the kids are respectful, most are and the club management also does a great job.
Again, and this will be my last reply to this post, I was simply voicing an opinion, mine. I remember the "old days" when the club rooms were strickly invitation only and coveted. In those days Braniff had the best !!!! Pan Am was also pretty cool