Originally Posted by
joshua362
Congrats on making it the right way (BIB), i.e Butt in Bed. Lounges and upgrades would be a lot better if they didn't hand it out like candy through other means.
But what is your point otherwise? If you are paying for it personally and not for your own business reasons, contrats again as you must be well off $$ and have time for travelling - color me jealous.
I think the real issue is earning it BIB style, not whom pays. I sacrificed and missed out on a lot of family & life & wear plus tear traveling for 30 years earning LTP BIB because of my corporate job. Now when I need to travel for personal reasons, the lounges and upgrades have turned to crap...
IMO, being granted Plat while being a few nights short isn't a whole lot different than a LTP that hasn't come close to earning it "the right way" in 10+ years or whatever (especially since most of the stories of people being granted Plat despite not fulfilling the BIB night requirement are only a few nights short and typically had been Plat for a few years prior, and thus would have still at least qualified for Gold which of course still has Lounge access. Unless your argument is that Gold should not have lounge access).
The fact that LT status exists is likely just as guilty of clogging up lounges as some of the other reasons. I mean it's common sense...as more time goes on, there will be more and more people with LT status. And thus likely more and more people using the lounges.