I was tucked into a corner, and as it turns out not that far from Mr EY. I heard him on the phone telling three people that "I was going to pay bn the bloke behind me guested me in!".

Had a satisfied little chuckle to myself.

Definitely immoral...you're probably going to burn in an eternal lake of fire for your sinful transgression. :p

As long as it's an earned benefit, and you are not collecting revenue from the guest, then I can't see anything immoral about it.

He was grumpy.

Good for you. I'd of done the same thing! Ignore the sourpuss:-:

This situation is definitely inappropriate. However, if a nice fellow asked me to guest him, and he was polite, I would consider it. Depends on how I'm feeling that day I suppose.

If it was a pretty girl, I'd probably say yes anyhow ;) One time I was at the desk of an Admirals Club checking in about my flight, and this cute girl came up and asked if she got lounge access for flying F to LAX. Was told no; she was polite and took it gracefully, but I turned around and I told her I'd like her to be my guest today. Was thanked profusely, but nothing else came of it.

The word "immoral" is not applicable here. Nothing is free, someone has to provide it. I agree it's a nice intent on your part. :) However, I also think guesting a customer who would've otherwise paid for the lounge access impacts the business profit. Imagine your parents own the business. Imagine you yourself own the business. Imagine 20 FT'ers (I'm sure the number's higher around the world) guesting a day x $50 x 365 days = not an insignificant amount of profit lost. Certainly the business then takes this into consideration and builds this into the cost and increase later on. Or reduce the food offering. Or water down the drinks. Or something else...we just won't notice it so blatantly or even know it.

Anyway, I think a lot, maybe too much. My firm belief is that our actions all have consequences. It all depends on whether or not you care about the resulting consequence.

OK, I'll play. :D

If I accept that "nothing is free, someone has to provide it", the logical extension is that we (the travelers) are paying for lounge access in one form or another. Maybe I paid for it with today's J ticket or maybe I paid for it across the dozens of Y tickets I bought last year - the flights that made me *G. In either case, I paid for lounge access - or more precisely, two lounge passes along with today's flight.

Now, imagine if I own the airline or alliance. Perhaps I'm thrilled in a short-term sense that some of the people in the airport holding two virtual passes to the lounge either use zero or one of their passes. There are thousands of them every day - far more than the 20 FT'ers guesting in other people. But it also isn't the worst thing in the world if people *do* use their lounge access, increasing their sense of value and connection to the alliance and airline. I certainly wouldn't balk at the tiny percentage of people out there using the guest privileges. If it was that bad of a deal for the airline, why not just remove the benefit? Other types of lounge access *don't* include guests, so clearly they've determined that it's good business that *G access should.

Airlines *could* use their lounges as a way to have a positive brand interaction with their own fliers as well as people who might fly them in the future. Some outside the U.S. actually do. :)

Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

Good travel karma - good on you for making someone smile today. I think we could all appreciate it. The grumpy man wanted to sour your good day/deed, don't let him - if the rules allow a guest then all is good.

While I still have enough status to get into a lounge, I've walked around the gate where my flight is to see if anyone is interested in joining.

I don't think anyone here would say you did anything wrong. The gentlemen behind you in line should take that debate up with his pastor, not you.

Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

You did the right thing. Otherwise the rules for guesting may have said stuff like people need to be travelling together on the same airline or something. Or maybe have a redemption group for guesting. But since that's not the case, think you're on the right side here

I was thinking of a similar scenario when I read OP's post earlier today.

Suppose 40 FTers from the same company often fly together and half have the necessary status to allow a guest. Other than the common flights, these people rarely see each other outside of the flight. Would it not be a similar profit loss if those with club access guested their colleagues?

Were those without access going to pay to get into the lounge anyway?

What an absolute stroker for seeking you out and letting you know his opinion, I'd have probably told him to GTF, but I hate people who force themselves into other people's business.

If asked "How can I repay you for guesting me into the lounge" the standard answer is "you can get me a G&T from the bar" :). Well done.