Acceptable amount to steal from the Galleries Lounge
Jun 7, 2015, 8:26 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Jun 7, 2015, 8:44 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
I've had Admirals Clubs actively encourage me to take food and drinks on occasions where I only have a few minutes in the lounge. Smaller outstation BA lounges will also often ask if you want to take any water or small snacks for the flight.
The BA lounge in PHX gives everyone a small Toblerone upon exiting the lounge.
Otherwise I don't take anything, other than perhaps a half finished bottle of water.
The BA lounge in PHX gives everyone a small Toblerone upon exiting the lounge.
Otherwise I don't take anything, other than perhaps a half finished bottle of water.
Clearly the intention was that you only take single use items intended for one person's consumption - not bottles of Champagne or JW Blue Label.
Similarly, when newspapers, and before that magazines, stopped being provided in CE, BA advised passengers to take these from the lounge.
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect. For instance, at JER there is a sign in the Terraces lounge which says that food and drink are for consumption in the lounge only and the newspapers and magazines are stamped to say that they should not be removed.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
... And no, I don't think everything you cannot do needs to be written down, but if you expressly state that you can do something, it is hard for someone to understand that they can no longer do that if you never inform them!
BA have said to me that I should take these items from their lounges, and until such time as they say otherwise, I will have no qualms about taking food or drink for my flight.
Jun 7, 2015, 9:20 pm
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,602
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
If the airline wanted small items taken, it would put that as a modifier
Jun 7, 2015, 9:25 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
I would take no more than could reasonably be consumed on the flight I am about to board, which may not otherwise be provided. For example, I have taken a banana to have in flight, since those are not carried on a shorthaul to Europe.
Jun 7, 2015, 9:50 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA (GGL G4L), AA (Gold), HH (Diamond); Marriott (Gold)
Posts: 3,011
BA's stated position at both LGW and LHR is that you can take food and drinks away for your flight. They put up signs stating this when they reduced the SH Y and DOM catering. At the time they even put out boxes and bags to help you carry these items.
Clearly the intention was that you only take single use items intended for one person's consumption - not bottles of Champagne or JW Blue Label.
Similarly, when newspapers, and before that magazines, stopped being provided in CE, BA advised passengers to take these from the lounge.
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect. For instance, at JER there is a sign in the Terraces lounge which says that food and drink are for consumption in the lounge only and the newspapers and magazines are stamped to say that they should not be removed.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
... And no, I don't think everything you cannot do needs to be written down, but if you expressly state that you can do something, it is hard for someone to understand that they can no longer do that if you never inform them!
BA have said to me that I should take these items from their lounges, and until such time as they say otherwise, I will have no qualms about taking food or drink for my flight.
Clearly the intention was that you only take single use items intended for one person's consumption - not bottles of Champagne or JW Blue Label.
Similarly, when newspapers, and before that magazines, stopped being provided in CE, BA advised passengers to take these from the lounge.
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect. For instance, at JER there is a sign in the Terraces lounge which says that food and drink are for consumption in the lounge only and the newspapers and magazines are stamped to say that they should not be removed.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
... And no, I don't think everything you cannot do needs to be written down, but if you expressly state that you can do something, it is hard for someone to understand that they can no longer do that if you never inform them!
BA have said to me that I should take these items from their lounges, and until such time as they say otherwise, I will have no qualms about taking food or drink for my flight.
Jun 7, 2015, 11:37 pm
#21
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,477
It surely must need only a very tiny smidgeon of morality to understand just how dishonest this is. Obviously it's rather more of a slippery slope from a packet of crisps than I thought!
Jun 8, 2015, 12:27 am
#22
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Club Carlson Gold, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond Select, BA Blue
Posts: 1,335
IMHO, stuffing your bags with food and drink items taken from a BA lounge is so chav. I'm sure it's not the kind of behaviour that BA want to see or fellow BA lounge passengers want to see. It cheapens the image of BA and its passengers.
Obviously taking the odd item, where permitted, to consume on board a BA flight isn't an issue.
But four cans of booze? Seriously?
Obviously taking the odd item, where permitted, to consume on board a BA flight isn't an issue.
But four cans of booze? Seriously?
Jun 8, 2015, 12:28 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Sounds as though she was going equipped: 4 cans is quite a volume, and a considerable weight.
I can never get more than a single can in my bag. Any more and it crushes the crisps.
Jun 8, 2015, 12:33 am
#24
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,286
Easy solution - ask one of the staff if you can take [a packet of crisps and a drink] for the flight. I sincerely doubt any of them would say no. I haven't done this in a BA lounge but regularly grab a pack of something and a bottle of water from the AA flagship lounges in the US. Staff are always very happy to consent to me taking them.
Jun 8, 2015, 12:34 am
#25
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Morality aside, it is surely rather demeaning to oneself to be pinching* food, drink or anything else from the lounge (or anywhere else for that matter)?
*if it is expressly permitted, then it doesn't count as pinching.
*if it is expressly permitted, then it doesn't count as pinching.
Jun 8, 2015, 1:25 am
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
These threads (and there are lots of them) quickly polarise into the dour 'theft is theft" and my own laissez faire approach.
In between there'll be an awful lot of guff on the lines of "what I take is fine, but what he takes is theft": these lines will be peppered with words such as "small", "modest", "consume on board"
As usual, LTN has nailed it. It's deeply tacky to nick food and drink. Unless, of course, it's just the odd can and bag of crisps
It's also tacky to snitch on lounge looters, but that opens another question for our ethics panel.
In between there'll be an awful lot of guff on the lines of "what I take is fine, but what he takes is theft": these lines will be peppered with words such as "small", "modest", "consume on board"
As usual, LTN has nailed it. It's deeply tacky to nick food and drink. Unless, of course, it's just the odd can and bag of crisps
It's also tacky to snitch on lounge looters, but that opens another question for our ethics panel.
Jun 8, 2015, 1:33 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,839
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 8_3 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/600.1.4 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/8.0 Mobile/12F70 Safari/600.1.4)
As usual, a FT thread focuses on the legal position, which is pretty much irrelevant due to self policing and lack of enforcement.
Surely the issue here is simple greed? Like the guy at Saturday's Open Day who literally filled his arms with First amenity kids without any shame,
As usual, a FT thread focuses on the legal position, which is pretty much irrelevant due to self policing and lack of enforcement.
Surely the issue here is simple greed? Like the guy at Saturday's Open Day who literally filled his arms with First amenity kids without any shame,
Jun 8, 2015, 1:48 am
#29
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
BA's stated position at both LGW and LHR is that you can take food and drinks away for your flight. They put up signs stating this when they reduced the SH Y and DOM catering. At the time they even put out boxes and bags to help you carry these items.
Clearly the intention was that you only take single use items intended for one person's consumption - not bottles of Champagne or JW Blue Label.
Similarly, when newspapers, and before that magazines, stopped being provided in CE, BA advised passengers to take these from the lounge.
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect. For instance, at JER there is a sign in the Terraces lounge which says that food and drink are for consumption in the lounge only and the newspapers and magazines are stamped to say that they should not be removed.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
... And no, I don't think everything you cannot do needs to be written down, but if you expressly state that you can do something, it is hard for someone to understand that they can no longer do that if you never inform them!
BA have said to me that I should take these items from their lounges, and until such time as they say otherwise, I will have no qualms about taking food or drink for my flight.
Clearly the intention was that you only take single use items intended for one person's consumption - not bottles of Champagne or JW Blue Label.
Similarly, when newspapers, and before that magazines, stopped being provided in CE, BA advised passengers to take these from the lounge.
Where BA do not want this to happen, there are clear signs to that effect. For instance, at JER there is a sign in the Terraces lounge which says that food and drink are for consumption in the lounge only and the newspapers and magazines are stamped to say that they should not be removed.
Don't let anyone on here kid you that removing small items of food and drink is theft. It is not - BA told you (in fact encouraged you) to do it. We will have someone along to say I am wrong. To which I say where, when and how have BA communicated any change from the policy they set out above very publically and in writing.
... And no, I don't think everything you cannot do needs to be written down, but if you expressly state that you can do something, it is hard for someone to understand that they can no longer do that if you never inform them!
BA have said to me that I should take these items from their lounges, and until such time as they say otherwise, I will have no qualms about taking food or drink for my flight.
Would the fact those signs and bags have long since been removed from the lounges suggest BA have communicated that you should no longer take these items???
Jun 8, 2015, 1:56 am
#30
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
I remember this being done to death on another thread recently.
Surely it all comes down to a matter if judgement. I doubt BA care about a drink and a packet of crisps but 4 cans of beer seems a bit excessive even if there are signs inviting you to take a drink (which I don't recall seeing, either).
Eventually there will be a crack down and the airline will take the rap for a few people who have gone OTT.
I thknk taking the headsets at the BA open day is different, and in my view that is theft.
Surely it all comes down to a matter if judgement. I doubt BA care about a drink and a packet of crisps but 4 cans of beer seems a bit excessive even if there are signs inviting you to take a drink (which I don't recall seeing, either).
Eventually there will be a crack down and the airline will take the rap for a few people who have gone OTT.
I thknk taking the headsets at the BA open day is different, and in my view that is theft.