gengar

No need to play semantics to read something that isn't there.

Flying Machine

Some flights board approximately 45 minutes or so before departure. I wish the three-hour rule was amended from departure time to boarding time. Sometimes we have a long layover we would like to use the club for an extended period of time…

mia

Starting March 29:

Flying Machine

joe_miami

Well, not “unlimited,” but not limited to three hours before departure.

gengar

Also, note that the policy mentions "proof of connecting flight", not specifically a boarding pass. Obviously no one knows yet how this will work in practice, but hopefully this will alleviate issues with not being able to obtain BPs in advance due to check-in conformance issues.

joe_miami

Seems like the “proof of a connecting flight” refers to the inbound flight and not the outbound. Otherwise, anyone could screenshot a bogus outbound reservation and claim to be connecting. (Obviously, people could actually book a refundable outbound, but that’s more involved and carries more risk.)

gengar

If not a BP from the inbound flight, then anyone originating from the airport could easily produce a fake inbound itinerary as well.

joe_miami

Indeed, which is why it’s hard to imagine anything other than BPs will be allowed. The percentage of connecting pax who are airside* but unable to obtain and show a BP has to be minuscule.


(I know one or more lounges are landside.)

Steve M

That was not my intention.

Someone could present a fake ID and also claim that they "forgot" their Platinum card and borrow the identity of a friend and gain access. Should they not have an ID requirement because of this potential for abuse? If the mode of abuse is such that it's widespread and flagrant, with few people following the rules, then your argument follows. But in other cases, just because there are a small percentage of people that cheat and work around the rule doesn't mean that the rule isn't worthwhile.

To this specific example, consider the case of someone that from time to time would benefit from entering the lounge more than 3 hours prior to departure. Although it may be inconvenient to them on those occasions, they don't always "get screwed." Consider that for the times that they do enter the lounge within the new time parameters, they will benefit from less crowding.

gengar

Then best not to make assumptions in order to accuse me of making false assumptions. I acknowledge my colloquial use of a rather subjective term, but even if you are going to play semantics, it's still better to inquire as to my meaning rather than to leap to assume things that aren't written.

But that wasn't my argument. What I've been pointing out a few times in this thread is that a rule better have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the customerbase as a whole if it is also going to negatively impact some customers. That's why I brought up BP abuse vs standby abuse, because it has to be taken in the context of refusing entry to legitimate standby passengers. In a vacuum, it doesn't matter the percentage of abusers or the percentage of legitimate standby passengers; only that the improvement in lounge crowding better overwhelmingly be of benefit versus the legitimate standby passengers who are now refused access. Specifically in the post you responded to, I pointed out how easily the new rules can be abused. That's why I'm not convinced the rules will have that overwhelmingly positive impact.

I have certainly never made the argument that because a rule can be abused, it should not exist.

Gig103

While I thought the changes to arrival-access being limited in late March, SEA denied me entry today pointing to their sign.

SP03

The rule has been in place on an as needed basis. However, it will be a fixed rule regardless of crowding starting on 3/22

krazykanuck

My unscientific observation is that they seem to magically get crowded enough to need the sign around 11am regardless of how busy they are.

Last week I used IAH on arrival and was let in without issue at about 10:35 am and by the time I left at 11:10 the sign was out.

dhuey

In the off chance that a cardholder has tossed the BP for the inbound flight, the rep could verify the inbound flight by pulling up the itinerary using the record locator, or the cardholder could do the same on a smartphone and show it to the lounge agent. Better yet, don't toss the inbound flight boarding pass if you have a long connection and want to use the Centurion Lounge.