RichieMc

I've seen this mentioned before. And I've also seen a few funny stories about agents seeing the sponsor leave and then booting out the guest, which seems a bit petty. I only remember doing this once when my flight left eariler and thankfully, my ma didn't act up. I assume that there are realtively few cases of guests being left in lounges by their sponsor who actually go full Keith Moon, throwing TVs off the terrace and trashing the place. And I also assume that there are pricisely 0 cases of the sponsor suffering any kegal or financial penalties in such cases. Have there in fact been any?

Oxon Flyer

Could you clarify what you mean by "legitimate" ?

Legitimate by FTs rules ? Legitimate on other forums or Facebook groups ? Legitimate by BA's T&Cs ? Morally legitimate ?

NWIFlyer

The OP didn't quote that post and start a new thread. If you take a look at the original thread, you'll see that the mod team rightly took the decision to open this up as a separate discussion to avoid thread drift in its original home.

Lefly

I guested a well mannered* lady that had troubles with her Priority Pass phone app (it logged her out and she had difficulties in retrieving her password) in a third party lounge while entering on a BA boarding pass.
The lounge desk agent thanked me too.

BA gives the option to guest someone without specifying relationship limits. In the end it comes down to the status holder's (better) judgment who to invite.
Personally, the episode above was my first - and only - time "guesting" a stranger.


*when the problem came up, she didn't complain rudely, she didn't raise her voice nor acted childishly.

sigma421

Similarly I’ve also guested someone sitting next to me on an LAX to LHR flight who was also connecting up to MAN. We’d got chatting during the flight so it felt reasonable enough (I imagine we’d have stayed together and gone to a cafe if I hadn’t had lounge access).

BlueThroughCrimp

Indeed there was. Only guested once from it, to a rando who was one short of their own guesting privileges for the whole family to use the silver lounge.

I can understand why the thread was closed, especially if pressure was applied, as it was a large thread with quite a following.

ttama

Keep up

the810

Personally I'd draw a line on whether the member plans to spend their time in a lounge with the person they're guesting. If they do, it's the intended use of the guesting benefit and completely fine in my book, no matter how long they've known each other.

PUCCI GALORE

I think that a simple Yes or No would have sufficed - nevertheless you raised a point of interest to me. You ask if the practice is "legitimate". I was unable to define the word so I checked what it means exactly. It means conforming to the law or to rules or valid.

To broker is defined as negotiating a contracts of sale (as of real estate or securities) or other agreements (as insurance contracts or mortgages) between the parties for a fee or commission compare dealer, finder. This implies to me that money is to change hands. The others here are far more able to quote the rules - all I can contribute is on the English and what I have been told. A very dear friend of mine who works at the First Wing told me that BA are very aware that this sort of thing goes on. I will say no more as it may be outside the rules of FT - but suffice to say that the invitation of strangers into a Lounge is a very risky practice. You the Guester take responsibility for the Guest during all the time that they are in the Lounge. If you leave and the Guest should stay and there were problems - it would come back on you. I think also that there is a world of difference between guesting and asking to be guested. There is a Blog on Facebook were all these people try and wheedle their way into CCR or FL - I am sure that this is not brokered but to me it is extending a benefit to someone who is only entitled to it by the level of their elite status. It is, in my view not comforming to BA's rules and theirfore is not legitimate.

SW7London

BA does not dictate who you can invite into the lounge as your guest, however as mentioned you cant sell access or exchange it with somebody. The OP use of the word "brokered" implies some form of payment/commission which I think has hares running.

What could BA do though? Send me a bill for any damage ? Deny me from the CCR lounge next time I buy a F ticket? I guess they could revoke any FF status if it was found you were selling access, but if a guest ruined the lounge thats between them and BA.

PUCCI GALORE

No. I gather that as far as BA is concerned since they are not entitled to be in the Lounge in their own right - the member who guested that person is - they have all your details. I understand that they can confiscate your Avios maybe even cancel your membership. Suffice to say that I would not guest in anyone with whom I was not personally aquainted which translates into "I rarely guest in".

DeathSlam

This is only one usage of the word. It is also commonly used to refer to an unpaid and or impartial mediator. Since I don't have much to do with stocks or real estate, that was my first reading of OPs post and I had to be reminded of the origins.
It's etymology is from 'breaking a cask' broaching.So originally it meant a wine retailer, someone who bought casks and sold servings. Thence any commercial middleman.
OED 2nd ed
1. retailer 1393-
2. dealer in the second hand (pawnbroker) 1393-
3. middleman in transactions 1377-
4. a go between in love affairs 1377-
5. Any intermediary 1530-
6. licensed furniture seller
7. as a general prefix
So I think many people assumed meaning 3. from the previous context of the thread, but I assumed meaning 5.
Perhaps the OP meant 4?

GM1985

To the OP's question, I'd say it's legitimate in so far as a strict reading of BA's T&Cs allows it, or at least doesn't prohibit it. BA chose not to put any definitonal criteria around a guest (such as same surname, same address, same flight), no doubt for good reason. BA and its staff probably don't want to be arbitrating the validity of each individual guest presented in the lounge.

There's a valid argument to be made that it goes against the spirit of the rules, which I think is a moral judgment for each individual to make.

For my own part, while I'm glad to be able to guest in friends, family or colleagues I'm travelling with on occasion, I wouldn't generally look for or extend an invitation to a random stranger on an internet forum. And have never done so. But I can also imagine times there may be an exception to that - such as the poster in the thread last week looking for advice on travelling with their autistic son - where I'd happily help out with lounge access if I had the opportunity to.

KARFA

I am still none the wiser. It would be a shame if the OP is unwilling to clarify as it would help the discussion.

BOH

There is a very active BA lounge guesting thread on another social media site with strangers guested in most days. However, unless my memory is starting to fade, I recall that any person you guest in to a BA lounge has to be on the same flight as you? Has this changed....or am i "misremembering"?