Are we referring to asking online here in FT, or standing outside the lounge door asking strangers to be hosted?

Obviously, the latter is tacky.

I've sat next to a retired teacher on her first overseas trip (and we both transit in NRT) and "wondered" what the lounge was like since she has never been into one. I invited her to come along as my guest. This was the regular RCC and not the "upstairs" first class lounge in NRT.

If a stranger passenger stands around and asks everyone making their way into the lounge entrance until they get someone to guest them in, then I do consider it tacky. But if it is someone asking politely in advance through a discussion board or through private messaging, then no I don't find it tacky.

last Christmas, my wife and I got to the airport really, really late. Couldn't do online check-in because we lost power the night before in a snowstorm. The agent managed to put us on the last flight out, which meant we'd miss our family gathering... we were on the standby list for a flight that was scheduled to leave two hours earlier. another couple overheard us and offered to swap with us, taking the later flight. We took them to AC and they really like that. When we left the AC to board our flight, they stayed at the AC for another couple hours to relax....

I believe that to ask a travelling companion (who you knew before arriving at the airport) to guest you into the lounge is ok. but to ask a stranger or new acquaintance is certainly tacky.

I'm assuming you're kidding. Exclusive? $50 for a day pass or $275-500 for an annual pass is all that makes an airline lounge 'exclusive'.

Now if you were talking LH's FCT that would be different

Cheers.

Depends on the circumstances. In general, I'd agree with NM - someone you know, it's cool. Someone you don't, not cool.

Although I am surprised nobody has chimed in with the "theft of services" argument yet...

Depends on my mood and the level of hottness. I subscribe to the Ladder Theory.

Yup...that's not too far removed from standing at freeway on/off-ramps and begging with a cardboard sign.

Hey, it's at least as exclusive as standing on the red carpet or getting an F upgrade on US.

Is she hot?

If not, then yes, it is tacky.

You are in J so you get lounge access as it is, so yes I would view it as tacky to try and tag along into the first class lounge like you are asking.

That said, there's really no big deal about the 'regular' lounges so if you weren't flying in J and asked a fellow FT'er to guest into the regular lounge, then no big deal, happens all the time.

I let my RCC membership lapse when travel was cut back & 1/2 my flights were int'l, which meant being *Gold I'd get access anyway.

The one day I was going to ask anyone who was entering the ORD RCC to guest me in was on 10/31. I had 48 drink chits to use before they expired that day & was willing to share/spread the wealth, and figured that would be a good trade for anyone who was guesting. I figure in that instance it wouldn't be tacky.

Alas, I cut it too close to flight time to detour & hang out outside the door w/ the drink chits. The good news is that I had made plans to meet some FTers at the RCC in LGA for the pre-kick off of SMD2, and we managed to get through a few of the drink chits before heading into the city

Cheers.

Or like a teenager hanging around in a convenience store parking lot asking adults to buy them beer or cigarettes?

"Exclusivity" has nothing to do with price. It has to do with it excluding most people from access. It is therefore quieter, far from crowds, and provides decent service for a select few. It could cost 2pence and still be exclusive, depending only on the requirements of access.

Someone who needs to beg strangers to be buddied in is obviously excluded from access.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the 'exclusiveness' of it - given that anyone can join an airline lounge for a cheap price. My guess is even infrequent flyers would do it if they knew they were facing a long delay.

And truthfully I've been in airline lounges that are so crowded & noisy that it's a toss-up on which is better, the concourse or the club. So again I'm in disagreement w/ you.

BTW - I do belong to some private clubs. Those require letters of recommendation amongst other criteria & have long waiting lists for admittance. So in those cases I'll go w/ the exclusiveness angle. Note - none of them are airline lounges

But on a simple airline lounge that every Joe/Jane Schmoe can get into based on anteing up a few bucks, eh, not so much. (shrug)

The OP was flying J & therefore had entry into the appropriate J club of whichever airline s/he was flying. Not into F.

Whether inquiring on a BB if it's appropriate to ask someone who has legit access to J but would like access to F doesn't constitute begging to me, but to each their own on interpretation. If the OP held a sign to his/her chest outside the F lounge saying only J, please let me in I might agree

Cheers.

Depends on if my wife is flying with me, of course!