(SFO) PC Shenanigans?
 

A friend of mine is on her way back From Australia with two of her friends. They are all in the SFO PC as we speak waiting for the redeye to IAH. The problem is, none of them are over 21 years of age. So I asked my friend how they got in, she says that her friend is a member and showed the representative her passport and PC card and they were allowed entrance. This alleged member is only 17! How is this possible? I can understand if the agent didn't look at the year on the passport, but how is this girl a member of the Presidents Club?

probably just lied about her age when she filled out the application, or maybe it's her mom's card and their names are similar or the same, or maybe she has an amex platinum card with her name on it and it really wasn't a p-club membership card, or maybe she had a fake id and was using her grandmother's neighbor's p club card, or maybe it was her sister's membership card and her sister's passport, and they look alike. i was under 21 not too long ago and could go on and on........

I'm not sure how accurate the information is my friend is relaying to me, but she says her friend handed over her passport and her PC card. My assumption is she has the same name as her mother, but I'm not certain.

Sometimes when you are under 21, you have things that say you are 21 or over. Don't blame the SFO PC, which is a fabulous club.

Oh no, I don't blame the SFO PC staff at all. I do not think it's a fake passport though. That seems too hard to fake. I've just got word she has the same name as her mother, so I'm assuming that's how she got the card and got in.

The rules are:

- Membership cards are not transferable and may not be loaned to others.
- You must be at least 21 years of age to qualify for membership.
- Continental reserves the right to revoke membership privileges of those who fail to comply with the above guidelines and/or disrupt other members.

Sounds like fraud to me. If she is using her mother's card, that violates the rules and her mother could have her membership revoked - with no refund - and she could be held criminally liable if her daughter drank.

The agent only verifies that the name on the ID agrees with the name on the card. They do not check your age.

... for a closet. :D

Interesting. I suppose if CO Insider would like to know more, he can PM me and I can provide all of the details. It definitely sounds like she's using her mother's card.

There are rules to everything. Sometimes, people do things to circumvent the rules. The young ladies in question may be entitled to P Club via BF tix or similar. They may have ID with them that shows them to be "of age".

They are coming in from Australia and are in Y the entire way so no chance of BF access.

:confused: come on. This is a job for CO Insider? Some people in the US need to lighten up - a lot - when it comes to alcohol rules ;)

Great front desk people; great bartenders. I don't care that it's small. Quality over quantity.

Same name; she could have lifted mom's card and if she has ID that says she is who card says, and shows she's of age . . . not Co's fault. Why would you PM CO Insider?

The drinking age is Australia is 18; maybe they are confused :)

My husband

The OP posting says she entered with a membership card. Fraud, fraud, fraud. The mother should have her card revoked. And there could be legal consequences as well.

I never said I was PM'ing CO Insider, I said if he would like to know more he could PM me. If I was to PM him, it would'nt be to get the PC agents in trouble, it would be because the member is violating the rules. Like I said, there is no way this girl forged a passport. I suspect the agent looked at the name on the passport and it matched the name on the PC card (as she has the same name as her mother) and the agent let them in. This is fine, perhaps the agent thought she looked like she was 21, I'm not contesting this part.

Even if the mother has no clue?

Unless she stole it from her mother which I doubt. Her mother likely gave it to her to use since they had the same or similar name.

+1 The girl in question is my neighbor and I believe her mother loaned it to her.

Do you really live in the Valley and not know what happens to squealers?

Loaning your membership card is in violation of the rules and makes her mother subject to having her membership revoked, without refund.

This is (in my view) the same as making alcohol available to minors. If there is an accident or some other event, then the parent can be legally and criminally liable. There is a reason you need to be 21 to buy a membership.

I do not think we want CO to stop serving liquor so they can lower the membership age.

Why is there a mention of drinking? Is the assumption that she went in the PC to drink? Maybe mom wanted them to have a nice place to relax instead of hanging around in the terminal...

And I know, I'm no high elite person, heck, I made Silver only because of the promo, and I've been in a PC all of 2 times, but if I had a son or daughter and could get them into a PC after a long flight to relax, and they caused no problems and did nothing wrong while in there, what's the harm? I'd take the chance. If I didn't trust them enough to give them the opportunity (or chance) to hang in the club, I wouldn't even offer the option.

:D

I would like to add that I in no way think these girls are in their to consume alcohol. The bartender would certainly ID them.

Slow night in McAllen?
 

No cat to kick around tonight? What's the big deal? Totally agree with unkfrank... "I had a son or daughter and could get them into a PC after a long flight to relax, and they caused no problems and did nothing wrong while in there, what's the harm?"

If you're that exercised about it, I'm sure SFPD has a bicycle cop nearby that they could send over. :rolleyes:

Not so sure about that. You serve liquor to a minor, you lose you liquor license in that jurisdiction. No license, no PC. I'm pretty sure they are supposed to check age, just in case.

I doubt this is the first instance of a minor using their father's or mother's pclub card.

How about drawing & quartering?

Why does any of this matter? :confused:

At best, the OP seems to have sketchy, second hand information.

It matters because as was posted up-thread the CO PC is licensed to serve alcohol. If minors are present without adult supervision, regardless if they are served alcohol or not, CO could incur an infraction on said license and pay fines. If the bartender assuming they were properly "carded" at the reception desk serves them alcohol the bartender could be charged with a felony and fined. I'm not mistaken but wouldn't one who is convicted of a felony, even a minor one, lose their airport access credentials and therefore their job?

Yeah, it's all just a trivial matter all right! :rolleyes:

To the OP - when you discovered there may be "shenanigans" why didn't you phone the SFO PC to alert them of this possibility? I'm sure it would have been handled with discretion and tact.

When I was under 21, I was very rarely denied PC access with an AmEx. The only two instances I can remember both came on one trip, first at the C-1 club at EWR one morning a few months before my 21st birthday, and again on the return before CO1803 out of LAX. Incidentally, that was the first trip where I had worn a backpack, and I believe my decidedly un-businesslike appearrance led the agents to scrutinize me more extensively than usual, perhaps to find a reason to deny me entry. When they found the birthday, it was an easy kill. Needless to say, the backpack has not flown with me since.

However, on that outbound trip, I was ultimately admitted after successfully arguing that since it was very early in the AM at EWR, no alcohol was even being served at that time, and in the absence of booze, there were no other grounds for me to be denied. Despite the rules clearly stating a minimum age policy of 21, she relented, much to my delight!

My point is that I do not believe most agents carefully check the ID (including DOB) of every guest that enters the PC.

It depends on the agent. I'm 23 and have had some PC agents carefully scrutinize my ID to look for the DOB. I didn't join the Crown Room until I was 21 though, so never tried to get into a PC before then.

Considering that the bar at SFO PC is not self service, I dont see any liquor violations arising (directly) from letting minors into the PC unattended.

Ive been carded numerous times in PCs.

No assumptions of age are made my the bartender based on your presense in the lounge. Theyre frequently not even direct employees of CO

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Hmm... :p

I'm a 21 year old and yup... took a flight on my birthday to celebrate and bought my AS BR membership @ the first airport with one open (PDX) that day...

Used the CO PC in SEA's B concourse several times... very nice bar compared to AS & NW... even if its a bit cramped... and no cap on beverages :cool:

Usually no issue getting in... but one day I brought my mom by, and had a slight issue- again- probably scrutinizing me since I was an AS BR member... (after all, CO wants to be sure it gets paid :rolleyes:)

The issue I encountered was the "Do Not Serve unless born on this day in 1986" sign... problem was I was born in 1987! But I was 21... CO just never updated the sign... I explained this to the agent (I also never updated my ID from the under 21 variety) and after a bit of back and forth... I was ultimately admitted... but kind of embarrassing to have this in front of my Mother-!

I'll join the chorus: WHO CARES?!? :rolleyes:

To answer a few questions:

1. No it is not a slow night in McAllen. I posted this not to get anyone in trouble but to see how they got in. I had no clue if it was PC shenanigans, SFO PC shenanigans, or shenanigans on the part of the girl. Hence the question mark in the thread title. I put no blame on any of the SFO PC agents.

2. I did not call the SFO PC because it really isn't my job to do so. Like I said earlier, if CO wants to know more they can contact me. I'm sure there is a record of recorded visits for this particular member and it would be easy to catch them, but like I said that is not my motive.

3. I have no concern for the alcohol/bartender idea. These girls would never drink in the PC for fear of being caught.

4. I talked to my friend today, whose currently waiting in IAH for the flight home to MFE. The PC card is her friend's mother's card and that was how they were let in.

5. Why would I call SFPD? What do they have to do with anything?

I used my parents' Chase Visa card to get one free checked bag during my trip last week. I should probably be banned from CO for such shenanigans. COInsider can PM for more details.

I'm :confused: here -- what is the issue again?

Yeep. ^

This matters - because it is possibly stealing from CO. We have had other discussions on stealing from CO - taking FC seat when in coach etc.

The rules state that you cannot loan your PC card. Loaning your card to someone else to circumvent the rules and payment is stealing. Once this person is 21, then loaning the card would be avoiding payment.

Perhaps we should ask Alex what to do next, she will know @:-)

Which PC is the better closet - SEA or SFO? :cool:

David

SEA for me.

Put the glass back, J Edward, no shenanigans. False alarm.