Lounge chancers
#46
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *Gold
Posts: 887
I happened to see 3 people in 5 minutes turned away from the Philadelphia lounge earlier this week. One I didn’t hear, one was on a non-qualifying airline but the best was the guy who tried to blag his way in with a Bronze card!
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,728
Yes you would still have access based on your arrival in J on oneworld from a qualifying location and the onward flight being on oneworld (even if that flight doesn't qualify for access on it's own).
#48
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 563
I actually think these non-entitled attempts at lounge access by others are a fair tradeoff for the (frustratingly often) times that I've had to explain to the lounge attendants at my home airport (LAX) that yes I am allowed lounge entry as a BA Gold flying a non-premium AA domestic itinerary.
Seems like they'd cover that somewhere in the first 30 minutes of training for new lounge attendants, but if they do it doesn't always stick.
So at least they get to kick someone out.
Seems like they'd cover that somewhere in the first 30 minutes of training for new lounge attendants, but if they do it doesn't always stick.
So at least they get to kick someone out.
#49
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I actually think these non-entitled attempts at lounge access by others are a fair tradeoff for the (frustratingly often) times that I've had to explain to the lounge attendants at my home airport (LAX) that yes I am allowed lounge entry as a BA Gold flying a non-premium AA domestic itinerary.
Seems like they'd cover that somewhere in the first 30 minutes of training for new lounge attendants, but if they do it doesn't always stick.
So at least they get to kick someone out.
Seems like they'd cover that somewhere in the first 30 minutes of training for new lounge attendants, but if they do it doesn't always stick.
So at least they get to kick someone out.
#50
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I have been hit up for this by lukers before. They hang out near the lounge and ask to be guested. Reminds me of how teens will hang outside of a liquor store and ask adults to buy them beer
#51
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,207
What do you think my chances would be? If as a Blue, the next time I'm in GLA I sauntered up to the lounge agent and said ''I'm HIDDY from Flyertalk would you mind me popping in for a quick snifter?''
#52
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,276
Very odd, but there is at least one BA-branded credit card that can include lounge access (though not in all airports I believe), and he could have been (very) confused.
#53
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 759
I've heard of it happening a lot at lounges however have yet to see it yet. I've seen it many a time in Check in. Lady with 2 very disruptive children in a long economy bag drop queue skipped in front of me and believed that because she had 2 young children had the powers to skip me in the queue without even asking me or explaining why she was doing it
It did put a smile on my face when the excellent lady at check-in explained that I was in front of her and this is the CW and OW Sapphires/Emerald queue
It did put a smile on my face when the excellent lady at check-in explained that I was in front of her and this is the CW and OW Sapphires/Emerald queue
#54
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
I am reminded of an occasion some years ago when I had landed at LHR on a CX flight and was going into the AA Arrivals Lounge. A middle-aged gentleman was moaning and complaining about multiple issues on his flight (clearly AA economy from somewhere in the US) and explaining that because of all these things and his multiple health issues and god knows what else he should be allowed in. The lounge attendants were having none of it but the more they politely tried to rebuff him the more strident he became - and all this time a growing queue of pax who were entitled to access was growing behind him, unable to get in because he was arguing with both the attendants. Eventually one of the pax spoke to him quite sharply and he stood aside to let others in, but then tried arguing again at such a volume he could be heard throughout the lounge. Extremely tiresome.
Last edited by Prospero; Jan 19, 2019 at 7:49 am Reason: clean up in preparation of reopening thread
#55
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Stockholm, Sweden.
Programs: BA, JAL
Posts: 689
I really don't like these chancers. They sound like vagrants looking for scraps and handouts.
If it were within human rights, it would be nice if they could be provided with a mild unharmful electric charge each time they tried this 'silly business'.
just because corbyn has been unleashed doesn't mean that the world can lose its sense of order. keep the trouble out!
If it were within human rights, it would be nice if they could be provided with a mild unharmful electric charge each time they tried this 'silly business'.
just because corbyn has been unleashed doesn't mean that the world can lose its sense of order. keep the trouble out!
#56
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,667
Hopefully zero chance. The lounges do need to maintain some minimum standards of clientele
#57
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 192
Just one point of defence to some chances. The BA manage my booking page is so often wrong about which lounge groups have access to that trying to guest more people in than allowed can be an easy mistake. I have a CW booking for five people to JNB in April. I am gold but other than that there is one silver and the rest are blue or bronze. BA, however displays to everyone that we can use Galaries First for the flight. I know that I can only guest in one person but if it was anyone else on that booking (we may well arrive separately) they would see that they have access as per MMB even though they don't. Maybe fixing these longstanding issues in MMB would at least reduce the number of people that genuinely think they have access because of the information BA provide.
#58
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,603
I'd love to know how BA manage to work that out...
#59
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
I've seen it many a time in Check in. Lady with 2 very disruptive children in a long economy bag drop queue skipped in front of me and believed that because she had 2 young children had the powers to skip me in the queue without even asking me or explaining why she was doing it