Let me rephrase the question. You really really want to go in the lounge. You're not allowed in. Would you approach a random stranger headed that way, and ask them to take you in as their guest? This would also get you free admission. If you would, why do you feel it's ok? If not, why not? Your answer to that one answers your cancelled-credit-card question also.

I would lounge-panhandle if I had to :-)

I'd hover outside the lounge and ask people as they went in if I could be their "guest". I'd pay them $20 - even if there was no guest fee for their type of membership.

However, I don't think this answer applies for the cancelled credit card question. The other is fraud. This one is simply making quick friendships.

A lot of the discussion here has been "do they/will they check ?" - which is irrelevant. Something wrong does not become right just because the probability of getting caught is low.

cut up the card.

You may be right, but the last time I decided to re-activate my Amex Gold card, they had to send me one which was tight timing. They suggested (verbally) that if I re-cancelled it, I hang onto it because they could re-activate without sending another piece of plastic.

=aw

Since I reach E (Aug. 05) I always use my Elite card to access the lounge. I also found $499 to steep to pay just for the extra 35% points (25 +10 charter member). I will be cancelling next week. I've got the gold card (7,500 points to boot) which is at $120 a better deal. I would not be comfortable using the cancelled card to enter the MLL.

Think of the Fuel Surcharge on your ticket and then think of the $30 you had to pay them because you could not book the ticket you wanted online because of the crappy IT....

and smile as you walk in the lounge....

MCM.

last 3 times in YYZ T1 they never swiped my AMEX

Once A/C implements a card scanner to get in to the lounge we will have a clear answer to this moral debate. Obviously A/C knows of these loopholes and is working to correct them.

Would these "swipers" actually be connected to a database that would authorize entry...scan Amex's data base for valid cards? I doubt it does anything more than record the account number for billing. Any properly encoded card would register properly, even an Amex card that was encoded with an expiry date in the far future.

I just use my boarding pass that has the last three digits of my AP account followed by an "E" to show my status.

Should they actually be asking for my card?

In YVR, I get asked about 10% of the time for my card. In YYZ, it's about 90% of the time.

I've been told yes, as they claimed the "E" could be inserted there by your travel agent... strange. Of course, then there's the LH matrons who insist on seeing the *G card - no luggage tags, no boarding passes!

Any experiece with the check-in agents in the business class line when using the AMEX Plat. Aeroplan card?

Before AC worries about these loopholes lets hope they do something like worry about,..... how slow the refit is going... or some new IT systems..... or how we can prebook an exit seat..... or its time to reduce Fuel Surcharge...
maybe bring back KK ........:D
AC has lots of important things to do lets hope they don't bother with unimportant stuff.

This says it all,IMHO :)