Geordie405

First visit to the SFO lounge on Sunday with my g/f. She trundles off to the bar to get us each a glass of Sauvignon Blanc but is rebuffed by the bar staff and told that it's one drink per person per visit to the bar - so she has to make two trips. I go to get the next round and I am told the same, and when I ask why I am told that the staff don't make the rules but they have them drummed into them when they are hired. The lounge Reception staff tell me it's because they wish to limit the number of drinks leaving the bar and because American Express is liable if a passenger misses a flight due to being intoxicated. Now I call BS to all of this and so wonder if anyone knows the real reasons why?

Of course, we could both have gone to the bar but that means leaving our seats and bags unattended and hence is a security risk (probably small, admittedly). The alternative is to leave the second drink at the bar (as the staff will pour multiple drinks at the same time) but that has the risk of someone spiking it or it being otherwise adulterated (again, a small risk but having had my drink spiked before it is not something I wish to experience again).

Given that there's no real limit to how many times you can be served at the bar, no obvious limits to the number of drinks you can consume, and no coupons or similar to be handed over it just seems a pointless policy. I equally don't see it being Health & Safety related as there's nothing similar enforced for people with hot drinks or bowls of soup etc.

Anyone got any ideas why, and also does this apply in all Centurion lounges as my only other lounge visit to date was at LAS where we sat at the bar and didn't have any issues getting two drinks at the same time!