Originally Posted by
SFO777
I can't imagine that one could have ever invited anyone from any other class to dine with someone in La Première. And no, it's not at all a safety concern. Your partner didn't pay for LP so why should you expect that he/she would be allowed to eat LP meals, consume LP champagne, etc. The presence of any non-LP guest would inevitably annoy paying P pax and diminish the service they receive. As I paying P pax, I would immediately complain to the purser.
Platinums are no longer restricted to booking just one seat as long as F award inventory is available.
While I understand your concern, it was certainly a policy of AF, at least in the past, to allow LP passengers to invite any other passenger over. This does not mean they would consumer LP meals. In fact there's a full FT thread on this:
La Premiere Guest Access - FlyerTalk Forums
There seems to be a similar practice allowed by LH and LX in F, but there I have never seen it myself:
Guest from Y in empty J seat on continental flight? - Page 2 - FlyerTalk Forums
This things must be approached with a reasonable attitude, as
burg_rtw mentions: if the cabin is full, of course having a guest if a no-go. But if the seat next to you, or the whole cabin, is empty, there can be no question of "diminishing the service" or annoying other Pax. A guest from J will not be more annoying than two passengers in LP sharing a conversation over dinner, or things you cannot control, like children or pets which are both allowed in P. As a passenger you must show some good sense, but with empty seats, it's up to airline policy and the purser's decision - and it seems both from FT and my own past observations that J passengers not-so-rarely join some travel companions in LP for a certain amount of time.
But happy to see the limitation of 1 seat was lifted! It kind of solves my problem, of course if award space is available...
Apart from the discussion whether we agree with this practice or not, the big advantage of old LP was the possibility to eat dinner face-to-face - also desirable for two LP pax. The table was very large, and the ottoman had a seatbelt. Not many products offer this - I know LX also has a larger table and a second seatbelt in F. So my question is whether with the new design, face-to-face dining is now impossible, or just a bit less comfortable?