How long before lounge buffets are closed down? [Impacts on airline lounges]
Mar 8, 2020, 4:49 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
How long before lounge buffets are closed down? [Impacts on airline lounges]
I'm in an AA Flagship lounge at the moment, where people are helping themselves to all manner of fresh food and drinks. It gets a bit messy, and I'm sure people touch things they shouldn't be touching. By contrast, on my inbound flight, the business class snack station was all wrapped up and stacked in a trolley. I imagine it can't be long until there's pressure to close down lounge buffets as well, or at least restock them with wrapped items. Which may be appreciated by certain passengers and end up in carry-on bags as inflight snacks...
Mar 8, 2020, 6:32 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2002
Programs: MTD pass holder
Posts: 1,142
No more free food at Costco!
Mar 8, 2020, 6:51 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
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Mar 8, 2020, 8:05 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 133
These food vendors aren't thinking. Though it's primarily an airborne illness, coronavirus lives about a day on plastic surfaces, more than long enough to infect somebody. SARS lasted several days on surfaces. I'm much more bothered by jerks who wash their hands and don't dry them before handling bathroom door handles. Wet surfaces like that are much more friendly to bacteria and viruses, not to mention the ick factor.
Mar 8, 2020, 8:33 pm
#7
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Join Date: May 2001
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Buffet food is always a risk. A lot of places do not have a separate holder for the utensils. Some places do but people still put them on top of the food after use. Then occasionally you have people who either use their hands to get the food or put the food on their hands.
Now, there is the added risk of the SARS-CoV-2 on the utensils.
Now, there is the added risk of the SARS-CoV-2 on the utensils.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:04 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Posts: 193
Setting the current coronavirus hysteria aside, self serve buffets in general are disgusting. I just got back from RC Club level chicago and was shocked by how many people taste food off their plates while in line, lick their fingers and proceed to touch the serving utensils for the next item. God knows what else or where else they have touched prior to coming into the lounge!!
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
Mar 9, 2020, 1:31 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Setting the current coronavirus hysteria aside, self serve buffets in general are disgusting. I just got back from RC Club level chicago and was shocked by how many people taste food off their plates while in line, lick their fingers and proceed to touch the serving utensils for the next item. God knows what else or where else they have touched prior to coming into the lounge!!
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
Mar 9, 2020, 3:59 pm
#10
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
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Posts: 193
It's more a matter of hygeine for me. Knowingly touching things that could potentially have someone else's filth on it is just plain gross. I'm way more concerned with snot, spit, feces and pubic hair being on the handle of the tongs rather than COVID19.
Mar 9, 2020, 4:15 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2017
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I'm in an AA Flagship lounge at the moment, where people are helping themselves to all manner of fresh food and drinks. It gets a bit messy, and I'm sure people touch things they shouldn't be touching. By contrast, on my inbound flight, the business class snack station was all wrapped up and stacked in a trolley. I imagine it can't be long until there's pressure to close down lounge buffets as well, or at least restock them with wrapped items. Which may be appreciated by certain passengers and end up in carry-on bags as inflight snacks...
Mar 9, 2020, 4:19 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: Eurobonus, Hyatt
Posts: 46
Passed by the ANA Lounge at Narita two weeks ago. They only served bottled water, canned beer and packaged rice balls.
To my joy though, the Noodle Bar was still in operation.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:08 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
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Funny my lobby check-in and restaurants had hand sanitizer all over the place for convenience and health. So what about the care for their best customers?
The lounge nothing at all, and some elites were eating the tasty nuggets and fries with their fingers. Maybe this is a plot by Marriott at my hotel to trim us, LOL
The lounge nothing at all, and some elites were eating the tasty nuggets and fries with their fingers. Maybe this is a plot by Marriott at my hotel to trim us, LOL
Mar 9, 2020, 10:19 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
This mimics my observation/experience, although the concerns were there long before this current threat. What is it about people that makes them want to start eating while standing at a buffet? It’s genuinely feral behaviour, and quite repulsive.
IMO, you are wise to take these precautions.
IMO, you are wise to take these precautions.
Setting the current coronavirus hysteria aside, self serve buffets in general are disgusting. I just got back from RC Club level chicago and was shocked by how many people taste food off their plates while in line, lick their fingers and proceed to touch the serving utensils for the next item. God knows what else or where else they have touched prior to coming into the lounge!!
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
I started using napkins prior to handling any ladles, tongs, etc.
Mar 10, 2020, 1:52 pm
#15
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Im surprised by this, too, and have been using a napkin to touch all lounge utensils and self-serve wine/drinks. I also appreciate the sanitizer stations found in most lounges and airports (if only just a pump bottle on the check-in/help desk).