LGW lounge use
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 48
LGW lounge use
I have a flight coming up on Norwegian out of LGW South. Could I book a fully flex ticket to a BA destination to use the lounge and then cancel it later?
Besides the legality (or not) of the situation, my question is a practical one - if I have come through security on my Norwegian BP, will I be able to use my BA BP to use the lounge, or will the lounge agents be able to somehow tell that I haven't cleared security?
Besides the legality (or not) of the situation, my question is a practical one - if I have come through security on my Norwegian BP, will I be able to use my BA BP to use the lounge, or will the lounge agents be able to somehow tell that I haven't cleared security?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,203
This is certainly unethical.
just pay for one of the commercial lounges or grab a meal in one of the other bars and restaurants in the terminal.
just pay for one of the commercial lounges or grab a meal in one of the other bars and restaurants in the terminal.
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Not just ethics, a very clear violation of OP's contract with BA. Do this once and it's unlikely that you will be caught. Cancel last minute refundable tickets with any regularity and it is a good way to see your Gold status go away.
Just as easy to use one of the commercial lounges and if one is short of cash, perhaps ask friends and family to help out.
Just as easy to use one of the commercial lounges and if one is short of cash, perhaps ask friends and family to help out.
#6
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,382
I have a flight coming up on Norwegian out of LGW South. Could I book a fully flex ticket to a BA destination to use the lounge and then cancel it later?
Besides the legality (or not) of the situation, my question is a practical one - if I have come through security on my Norwegian BP, will I be able to use my BA BP to use the lounge, or will the lounge agents be able to somehow tell that I haven't cleared security?
Besides the legality (or not) of the situation, my question is a practical one - if I have come through security on my Norwegian BP, will I be able to use my BA BP to use the lounge, or will the lounge agents be able to somehow tell that I haven't cleared security?
Just a thought when you say say you aren’t travelling you will possibly have to wait up to an hour and then be escorted back landslide so how will you catch your Norwegian flight.
As as others have said plenty of pay lounges, plus the wait for a refund could be a while.
#8
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,130
Where are you flying to? Could you not get there on BA?
Just a thought when you say say you aren’t travelling you will possibly have to wait up to an hour and then be escorted back landslide so how will you catch your Norwegian flight.
As as others have said plenty of pay lounges, plus the wait for a refund could be a while.
I can't see how it's unethical. But I can't see how booking a paid for lounge would be more expensive than another BA ticket.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Brighton UK
Programs: BAEC-Silver, AMEX-BA Prem' Plus & Standard, Accor Gold, HH-Silver, IHG,IBIS On Business
Posts: 955
Any future complaints by the OP about lounges being overcrowded for any reason I presume will never exist based on the thread.
#10
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,851
The easiest thing to do is pay the £32 admission fee for the No. 1 Lounge underneath the BA lounge. If the OP has Priority Pass and is travelling in the morning or at the start of school holidays they should pre-reserve entry for £5.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 847
Didn't BA used to have an 'open access' lounge policy for golds at Gatwick, i.e. fly with another airline and use the BA lounge? It's a shame in some ways that they removed this (it would have solved the OP's problem also), but the benefit of course is quieter lounges.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
Some suggested I did the same when I wished to surprise my parents at the airport and take them into the lounge, it is as people point not only completely unethical, it is illegal as fraudulent and may well result in loss of your status loss of any unused Avios, cancellation of future Avios based travel or indeed a ban on future travel with BA.
Certainly not worth it and I paid for a quick RFs trip to PRG in order that I could guest my folks in, which they absolutely loved.
Certainly not worth it and I paid for a quick RFs trip to PRG in order that I could guest my folks in, which they absolutely loved.
#13
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
@ volar - I don’t know how often you make use of the various BA J or F lounges, but can assure you that there are many periods when they are far from the quiet haven one might wish them to be.
I simply dread to think just what sort of atmosphere would result if access were (officially) widened yet further, so as to include non-BA flyers.
I simply dread to think just what sort of atmosphere would result if access were (officially) widened yet further, so as to include non-BA flyers.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,203
@subject2load a while ago BA used to allow Golds to access BA lounges when flying on other airlines. I think it was called ‘open access’
It it turned out there were an awful lot of BA Golds flying EasyJet and ryan air out of Gatwick so they soon stopped the benefit.
It it turned out there were an awful lot of BA Golds flying EasyJet and ryan air out of Gatwick so they soon stopped the benefit.
#15
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 847
@subject2load I'm in there weekly at the moment, mostly Gatwick Flounge but sometimes Heathrow T5 Flounge or T3 CX FLouge and whilst I agree they can all be busier than one might like at times (especially the T5 Flounge can be a zoo), my point was that the Gatwick lounge is quieter than it would be if the open access benefit referred to above was still available. Anyone know how long that lasted? I never used it myself and it's not something I'd like to see reinstated!