Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

So, just now I arrived at the Aspire lounge in MAN T1 and the guy in front of me (who had just held the elevator for me) was about to enter. He was on a Y ticket with EY with no status so he was preparing to pay to enter the lounge. I'm TK*G, so I asked if I could guest him in given that he was not flying with me or on a *A airline and was told that I could. He thanked me, shook my hand and is now enjoying a G&T somewhere out of my sight. So, I did a nice thing and made someone happy, right?

Well the guy behind me in the queue came over to me to admonish me while I was ordering a beer. Apparently I'm "immoral" for guesting someone I don't know who isn't flying on my alliance into the lounge when my *G issuer has to pay for it and isn't getting any revenue. Furthermore, I and people like me are "the reason that ticket prices are sky high"!

Anyone care to either agree with or flame me? Please show your working and extra marks for humour.

Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

Don't listen to that sour puss. You did a nice thing and made someone happy.
Ticket prices sky high because one person out of 100 don't pay his 50 to get into he lounge? Yeah right

Having been the recipient of a gracious fellow FTer guesting me into a lounge, I see nothing wrong with it. :)

Also, it is a published benefit of your membership to be allowed to guest in people. Rather than the "*G issuer has to pay for it and isn't getting any revenue" I prefer to look at it as they have already paid the price to get you and your guest(s) in, not using it would be simply making them pay for a service that is going to waste. :cool:

Wish I'd thought of that! The grouchy sod has left the lounge now.

Your card is valid for lounge access for two people... which would suggest that the airline is willing to pay for two people. Their "lounge facility budget" is probably based on some formula - like "x per cent of lounge visits include an extra guest".

And really - what's the difference between guesting a family member or colleague, and guesting someone whom you've just met?

I don't guest strangers on a regular basis, but have done it a couple of times (and wouldn't hesitate to do it again in similar circumstances)

The first time - many years ago - was just after KLM had stopped allowing Silver members into the lounge. I was sitting in the lounge at NWI, near the door, when a Silver member tried to get in. The attendant explained that the rules had changed and that she could no longer let him in - he took in good grace, and was about to walk off, when - very much on the spur of the moment - I decided to ask the lounge attendant if she would let him in on my card. He was suitably grateful, and I felt I'd done a good deed! (I must confess I never thought about how much it would cost KLM...)

The second time we had got talking to a young couple at the gate at AMS when KLM announced a two-hour delay to our flight. We decided to go back to the lounge and invited the young couple to come with us. It seemed a natural thing to do!

Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

Great stuff by the OP.

I was once also on the receiving end. Waited in front of the *A lounge in LHR and politely asked a traveller if he could take me into the lounge. This was before I had my *G card.

Standard answer - MYOFB.

Immoral? Absolutely not.

However....I assume that the "lounge" business is a separate profit center from the "airline" business, that the lounge business is held accountable for how well it performs financially, and ultimately the better the business does financially the more amenities and better facilities it is allowed to provide. Therefore, as a member it is in your best interest to help it succeed. Admittedly $50 isn't much, but every little bit helps.

Lounge guesting - immoral?
 

Good work OP! I've done this quite a bit in my travels... And I've copped a ton of grief from other PAX as well as FTers here for doing it in the past. I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with using the privileges that are available to you for having status. We get to bring a guest in... So we bring a guest in. To me any argument that you are doing something wrong to affect the airline,ticket prices, or FF program is moot.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...t=guest+lounge

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...t=guest+lounge

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...light=guesting

If you bought a membership that allows you to bring a guest, then you should never feel guilty for taking advantage of the benefit you paid for. As I understand it, the guidelines do not say you have to be friends with the person you guest into the club.

And you are NOT responsible for making their business a "Profit Center".

You did a good deed and should feel good about that.

Now, if you took $40 from the person... that would be a different issue! :)

HHHHmmm... now THAT could be a personal profit center!

My response to the fellow: GFY.

Nice jesture on the OP's part. Now if I am entering the lounge and I am approached/asked to be guested in then that is inappropriate to me and I would so no. I used the BA lounge thread to guest someone in LHR once.

Immoral?

That's harsh. Unethical would be a better choice of words, IMHO.

And no. It is not unethical.

Thanks, Pulley! I'm with you on the asking-to-be-guested thing too. There was once a guy who hung around the stairs to the MAN T1 lounges who claimed he'd left his gold card at home and would ask people to guest him in. He asked me twice, and both times he had an EasyJet BP. I believe that he has been "dealt with".