HIDDY

I used to enjoy socialising with my work colleagues so I'd rather be with them than be on my own.

stu1985

I'd go b. But if you can't be bothered socializing with them then just say you are having a wander round the airport and will meet them at the gate (while going to GF). Some people don't want to spend any more time with their work colleagues than is necessary!

hcuk94

For me it would depend on the colleagues :-)

A lot of my work colleagues, spending time travelling with them would just make me miss my own company - nothing against them but I just wouldn't feel able to lounge around and do whatever.
The 2 colleagues I normally travel with though, we get drunk and just muck around every time we fly - so that is very enjoyable

Geordie405

I agree with hcuk94 on this one. There are some colleagues I would never wish to fly with let alone be sat next to, and some that are great fun to be around

If it were me I'd probably head to GF first, invite the first colleague to arrive to join me, and then when the others arrive offer to move to GC.

Tiffywren

I'm with London_traveller; go to GF when you arrive then ask your colleagues to text you when they arrive in GC. I like my team enough to like sitting with them on the flight but if I got an Op Up it'd be every man for himself!

mlafqtv

Hey Silonic, Be sure to let us know which course of action you've decided to take - and whether you feel guilty Trust us; we won't tell anyone

silonic

Ha ha - I will do.

I've already been told, which suits me fine, that everyone has tried to ensure they are sitting away from each other. 3 of us are UD (but I believe row 60, 62 & 64), with the other 2 in main cabin.

I'm tempted to just go straight to the lounges in the B terminal and claim ignorance but I'll see how the flow goes. My main issue is it's 1.25am here in Amsterdam, my flights is at 7.10am to LHR, so alarm will be going off in about 4 hours time. I'm just not the greatest company with that kind of sleep...but might need to be around them so I don't fall asleep and miss my flight!!

MSPeconomist

Initially go to GF by yourself. Later, at a time when you're pretty certain they're in GC, join them there. Don't mention your use of the GF lounge and don't ask someone to text you when they arrive as this could lead to questions about what you were doing in the airport before then. Definitely don't invite one to join you; offering the guest the first one will just emphasize to everyone that you have GF privileges.

LTN Phobia

1) During working hours or work paying for your trip? Then a).

2) Not during working hours and trip is self-funded, and you don't like your colleagues enough to spend your personal time with them, and you don't mind potentially seeming like a non-team-player? Then b)

3) c) is to be avoided. That will make you look like a bit of a dick, unless you want to run it as a social experiment of your workplace - but let them know in advance you're doing this, and see if anyone turns up absurdly early to gain access to GF. Invite that person to FlyerTalk.

4) If you feel like causing an interesting situation as part of a social experiment, pick your favourite colleague and drag him/her to GF, leave the rest in GC, and make it obvious that others weren't selected by you as your GF companion

5) Don't bother with any lounges. Go shopping.

dylanks

Option d) tell your coworkers about all the great Pokeman Go spots in T5 and tell them you'll see them on the airplane.

Note: based on a true story on Monday when 9 of us arrived at DEN and I could only guest one into the United lounge.

silonic

So this is how it went down:

I arrived st the GF lounge around 7.35am. First sms from colleague to the group came in at 9.15am. Thought I'd sit tight until one other colleague arrived. That sms came through at 10am with colleague 1 explaining he was now having a massage at the Elemis spa. So waited for either colleague 3 to arrive or colleague 1 to go back to the lounge. Colleague 1 sms at 10.30am, so I then went upstairs to find all 4 of them wandering around looking for somewhere to sit together as other 2 colleagues just arrived. Perfect!! Apparently long queues for checking in luggage with a lot of Team GB athletes and camera crews taking up a lot of the desks.

We chatted for 20 mins and then headed to the gate together. Now sat on plane waiting for pushback with a slight delay due to plane being too hot and needing cooling down.

LondonElite

I would have gone to GF, then seen them at the gate, hoping to be seated apart. There is such a thing as over-familiarisation with work colleagues.

Yachtman

Agree with this! As frequent travellers most of my colleagues have no expectation to sit together or even drink together in the lounge, we all respect we need private time to chat with family or relax, particularly as we work very close together on projects overseas.

simons1

I wonder how I would feel if it was the other way around.

It probably wouldn't do much for team building and I'm sure my colleagues would think I was a bit of a knob if I headed off to a different lounge rather than have a beer with them.

UKtravelbear

I think in this day and age people aren't that bothered really especially as the OP wrote

So they obviously know the lay of the land re lounges and guesting etc. If the OP does more travel than colleagues then they may already know he's Gold so entitled to different things.

It looks like the OP got the balance right - GF as he was there earlier and then joined them in GC when his colleagues arrived.