Acceptable amount to steal from the Galleries Lounge
Jan 1, 2016, 5:08 am
#181
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: *A
Posts: 1,390
And I guess, to me the basic test would be one of reasonableness: if I want to take something, would I feel comfortable doing it openly in front of the lounge staff and consider that they would probably consider it ok? If yes that's fine, if not, I wouldn't do it. Would I feel comfortable taking a paper in front of a lounge staff and if asked, explain that I'd rather read the Times on my flight than the Daily Mail or Independent likely to be there? Yes. Would I be comfortable taking a can of bitter lemon or a bag of crisps with me saying that I'd rather eat/drink that than the ones served on board? Yes. Would I feel comfortable refilling my small plastic bottle with water in full view of the staff and explain that I like to keep a bottle of water with me during the flight? Absolutely and I do it almost every time. Would I feel comfortable taking 5 cans of bitter lemon or a bottle of whisky in full view of the staff and feel that I could convincingly explain that this is for my flight? Absolutely not, so I will not do it.
The world would be a better place if this moral test was used. If one wouldn't do an act in public, then it requires thinking if it is correct or not.
Jan 1, 2016, 5:38 am
#182
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,175
Another funny incident;
was in LHR T5GC on Saturday and there was an elegant (?) & obviously well-off British extended family heading for ski holiday in Switzerland - a party of 10 (gramma; grpapa; 2xwifes; 2xhusbands; 4xkids). Wearing Prada & LV and so on - so unless those were fake they looked quite well-off.
They were having pre-flight drinks. During the tenure the 2 husbands (sons of GM/GP) started loading their bags with some 20-25 cans of tonic water. They were about to buy 2 liters of taxfree gin in duty free for apres-ski drinks.
Would have loved to see the lounge personnel offload those tonic cans. Instead kept my mouth shut and moved on.
...(wish I would have had the courage to say something)...
was in LHR T5GC on Saturday and there was an elegant (?) & obviously well-off British extended family heading for ski holiday in Switzerland - a party of 10 (gramma; grpapa; 2xwifes; 2xhusbands; 4xkids). Wearing Prada & LV and so on - so unless those were fake they looked quite well-off.
They were having pre-flight drinks. During the tenure the 2 husbands (sons of GM/GP) started loading their bags with some 20-25 cans of tonic water. They were about to buy 2 liters of taxfree gin in duty free for apres-ski drinks.
Would have loved to see the lounge personnel offload those tonic cans. Instead kept my mouth shut and moved on.
...(wish I would have had the courage to say something)...
In all my flying years, the worst and most horrible people that we ever had to serve were the skiers on charter flights. People like this may have money, but they have no class. I hope that one of them burst and went all over their cases.
Funnily enough I thought of my Mum, Lord rest her, who was invited to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. She had long emptied chocolates, which had been served with coffee in restaurants, into her handbag (for later, I couldn't possibly manage one now). Terrified that she might apply the same at Buckingham Palace, I told her that her handbag would be inspected on departure as well as arrival.
"I suppose that's to stop people stealing the teaspoons. Shocking! Fancy stealing from the Queen!"" she reasoned.
Jan 1, 2016, 6:24 am
#183
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,526
Jul 3, 2019, 10:28 am
#184
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 547
I took a Guinness out of the lounge in Amsterdam because there were no seats so wanted to drink it at the gate and the lady started running after me down the stairs. I made a sharp left and escaped. A bit extreme I thought.
Last edited by u01sss3; Jul 3, 2019 at 10:43 am
Jul 3, 2019, 10:39 am
#185
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Most facilities have rules that food and drink are only for consumption in the lounge.
Jul 3, 2019, 10:45 am
#186
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 547
Jul 3, 2019, 10:49 am
#187
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Perhaps you should have mentioned the seating problem to the lady chasing you?
Jul 3, 2019, 10:52 am
#188
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Presumably you ‘escaped’ because you felt you had acted inappropriately ?
But if you believe you had done no wrong, then why not stop, listen calmly to what the staffer had to say to you, and defend your actions ?
Jul 3, 2019, 11:17 am
#190
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 547
I chose the word escaped because I was being pursued. The inner child in me was the reason I ran away. I think the lounge staff were aware there was no seating because quite a few people were stood by the entrance.
I don't feel particularly guilty as I could have stood and consumed more in the remaining time but would rather be more comfortable at the gate.
I don't feel particularly guilty as I could have stood and consumed more in the remaining time but would rather be more comfortable at the gate.
Jul 3, 2019, 11:30 am
#191
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA GGLfL, WoH Lifetime Globalist, HH Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 711
Doc Copper
Jul 3, 2019, 12:16 pm
#192
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,718
When you are in charge of free food and drink and surrounded by Dutch people, you need to be on top of your game at all times.
Jul 3, 2019, 12:40 pm
#193
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
@ u01sss3 - appreciate your honest response, thanks.
Can’t say I support your ‘inner child’ behaviour. In a similar overcrowded lounge scenario I would be happier to sit in comfort at one of the many F&B outlets in AMS and simply pay for a drink.
Can’t say I support your ‘inner child’ behaviour. In a similar overcrowded lounge scenario I would be happier to sit in comfort at one of the many F&B outlets in AMS and simply pay for a drink.
Jul 3, 2019, 1:17 pm
#194
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: BA Silver, UA 1K, DL Platinum
Posts: 696
Great thread. I remember a cartoon once following a story about a person becoming deceased during the flight the. being stored in first class. The gist was the corpse was praised as being a real first class passenger for not having gone to town on champagne like an ‘upgrader’.
I was recently praised by BA staff in F as being ‘cheap as chips and easy to please’ when I declined most of the service having just connected from another long haul. I wear it as a badge of pride and rarely consume anything in the lounge.
Except when I don’t of course but I have lots of good reasons then.
I was recently praised by BA staff in F as being ‘cheap as chips and easy to please’ when I declined most of the service having just connected from another long haul. I wear it as a badge of pride and rarely consume anything in the lounge.
Except when I don’t of course but I have lots of good reasons then.
Jul 3, 2019, 1:56 pm
#195
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: BA exec, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 556
Never knew there was such a thread as this here, learn something every day.