bossreggie

[Reggie]

I'm shocked at your experience Bossreggie.

I am very careful with guesting due to an experience I had around seven years ago. I had been at a conference and I guested a guy who I had know for 5ish years and worked for another company I dealt with into the QP at BNE. I was stunned when he proceeded to collect one of every newspaper and stuff them into his bag even though I knew he had seen the stamp about remaining in the QP. I said to him, that they are not to be removed from the lounge, and he said, "there are plenty".

After that I have only guested two people in I haven't known, one was a guy who did me a big favour in CDG, when I was trying to get through security at to board my plane and there was a flight boarding at the same gate where everyone had carryon the size of checked in luggage. I guested him into the BA F lounge in LHR.

The second was a member of AFF, who I was unsure about as we had never met, but when we diid meet he was a perfect gentleman, who I have met several times since, (but haven't seen recently) and would guest him anywhere anytime, and offer him a place to stay in Perth, but he probably wouldn't be allowed in the QP or the MEL FLOUNGE anymore.

 

[amaroo]

It now means that I will NOT be guesting anyone I have not met into any lounge

My Advice: Tread carefully but remember MOST people are not like the "guests" I encountered.

What a bunch of d'heads - hope they have been banished for all time.

Since reading your post I'm starting to question if guesting is a good idea. I'm new to AFF & also FT - have received some fantastic assistance, learnt heaps & noticed that many people offer guesting to share the joy a little. We're a family of 5 & will be heading off on a family holiday with access to some pretty good lounges including SYD F, LHR CCR & a good few others.

I've been pretty keen to offer guests however, after reading your disgusting experience I'm starting to think it's a poor call particularly when travelling with kids.

Disturbing as your story is - it's better to be aware.

Thank you for sharing & I hope your solicitor has been successful in frightening the life out of those mongrels.

 

[serfty]

...

I've been pretty keen to offer guests however, after reading your disgusting experience I'm starting to think it's a poor call particularly when travelling with kids.

Disturbing as your story is - it's better to be aware. ...

Being aware is good.

I have guested people I have not met before quiet a few times. It's always been fine. I guess it's like the proverbial apple crate, there may be one or two bad ones but you have to eat them all to find out - in the mean time most of the apples are good.

Tomorrow am guesting a member into the SYD Lounge. I have not met them but look forward to lunch.

 

[thewinchester]

Since reading your post I'm starting to question if guesting is a good idea. I'm new to AFF & also FT - have received some fantastic assistance, learnt heaps & noticed that many people offer guesting to share the joy a little. We're a family of 5 & will be heading off on a family holiday with access to some pretty good lounges including SYD F, LHR CCR & a good few others.

I've been pretty keen to offer guests however, after reading your disgusting experience I'm starting to think it's a poor call particularly when travelling with kids.

I would hope bossregie's experience doesn't put you off guesting completely.

I have been both guested into, and guested others into lounges - all of these being people who I've previously known in username only here on AFF. All the people I've had the chance to meet and talk with on these occasions have been wonderful people, and some of whom I've become great friends with and keep in touch regularly.

As far as I know, the experiences of bossregie are an aberration in the extreme. I can't recall ever reading about an experience like this, let alone anything near as bad.

If you do offer to guest someone into a lounge, think of it as online dating (pardon the parlance everyone), but without the expectation of a kiss or something more afterwards (and on the basis of having met some AFF members, you'll be grateful for that)

My tips for guesting strangers:

1. Find out who they are before accepting or providing an offer to guest. Look at their posts on AFF, do they seem like the kind of person you'd be happy associating with? Have a chat with them by private message to get a feel for the person.
2. Set the standard, lead by example. If they're not a frequent lounge visitor, take the opportunity by private message to explain or point them towards the rules of the lounge around behaviour and dress standards. Make sure you embody these standards in how you act within the lounge
3. Meet outside the lounge first. Using the AFF PM system Set up a place to meet and chat with them as a meeting point, and walking to the lounge might give you enough time to say that you're not comfortable guesting them in. Also arrange how your guest easily identify you. You could be wearing a specific shirt, or have a bag which has AFF member tags or other forum tags clearly visible. And if they can't identify you by a certain time, tell them to go straight to the lounge entry and ask for them to page you.
4. Don't exchange contact details beforehand (if you can avoid it). If you've set up a meeting place, identified how to find you, and arranged a back-up plan, there should be no need to exchange contact details.

If you follow these tips and everything does go south, it'll hopefully grant you enough safety to keep most mundane stalkers away from you afterwards - and allow you to draw a line on it.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Thankyou for those suggestions

 

[casanovawa]

As mentioned earlier, i reckon it would be a tiny fragment of people who would do this (most people are decent) and certainly wouldn't put me off guesting as you do unto other's as you would like them to do to you... Well that is the motto i try to follow... If you would like someone to guest you one day then share the love a little and not get too excited about one or two bad experiences you may have heard about out of how many???

 

[amaroo]

My tips for guesting strangers:

1. Find out who they are before accepting or providing an offer to guest. Look at their posts on AFF, do they seem like the kind of person you'd be happy associating with? Have a chat with them by private message to get a feel for the person.
2. Set the standard, lead by example. If they're not a frequent lounge visitor, take the opportunity by private message to explain or point them towards the rules of the lounge around behaviour and dress standards. Make sure you embody these standards in how you act within the lounge
3. Meet outside the lounge first. Using the AFF PM system Set up a place to meet and chat with them as a meeting point, and walking to the lounge might give you enough time to say that you're not comfortable guesting them in. Also arrange how your guest easily identify you. You could be wearing a specific shirt, or have a bag which has AFF member tags or other forum tags clearly visible. And if they can't identify you by a certain time, tell them to go straight to the lounge entry and ask for them to page you.
4. Don't exchange contact details beforehand (if you can avoid it). If you've set up a meeting place, identified how to find you, and arranged a back-up plan, there should be no need to exchange contact details.

If you follow these tips and everything does go south, it'll hopefully grant you enough safety to keep most mundane stalkers away from you afterwards - and allow you to draw a line on it.

Great outline for guest tips - cheers.

When traveling by myself I'd have no issue however, I think my wife & kids would get the "Tom cough" if I went out to do a few meet and greets.

Is it rude to do a guest and then drop them at the top of escalator?

Is guesting more of a single travelling thing rather than family holiday flights?

I've notice a thread highlighting guesting - is this the best way to go about it?

I've been keen to guest and probably still will, so any additional advice is very much appreciated.

 

[samiam]

My tips for guesting strangers:

I momentarily thought I was reading a dating website

 

[dfcatch]

Lounge rules generally state that the member is responsible for the guests.

I've also been told very directly that my guests need to leave the lounge when I do (they were on a later flight than me).

 

[Must...Fly!]

Seems like I'm more than a little late to the party, but nevertheless, welcome back bossreggie.

I was not sure why you left but I generally think that if a long term member picks up the sticks it must be for a very good reason. I was absolutely shocked to read your story, and that's putting it mildly. Disgusting conduct on behalf of those whom you allowed in, and while I can believe some people are such cough in real life I cannot fathom how they would continue on with their crusade of hatred. Filth puts it mildly for me, whoever they were.

Guesting is definitely a privelige and it is disappointing that someone of your ilk has been reduced to making the choices you have - but that is your perogative and, frankly, I don't think anyone could blame you for that. My statusless self certainly does not.

Regardless, glad to have you back and posting again!

PS This thread has made me consider how anonymous I am to the AFF community at large (sans 1, whom I met, ironically, when guested into the Syd F lounge)...I should make an effort to get out more:!:

 

[futaris]

Welcome back bossreggie.

Terrible tale.

After I "aquired" my bounty in the "Everyday" promo I was hounded a bit by one person on Flyertalk that believed my bounty should be shared with him, and who turned nasty when I refused his offers to sell my points to him at bargain basement prices.

This tale sounds just as bad as bossreggie's tale. This is why there aren't many people bragging on the forums, but quietly taking advantage of promos etc and perhaps only sharing their exploits offline and or via PMs.

 

[parsonstrish]

As has been already stated, I too, missed your contributions and am very glad to see that you are back. I do hope that the incident that occurred won't stop you being you.

Also wanted to share what a hit your chocolate giving has been on my current trip. I've been asked by scm 'why', on yest. flt. from lhr to dfw I was almost embarressed by all the crew thanking me, even the pilot or co-pilot. Such a simple thing that appears to have made a great difference to others. Thanks for sharing.
cheers, trish

 

[yo yo ma]

I am now prepared to let people know what happened. Take what happened to me as a caution. However, please bear in mind that aside from this incident involving 2 specific AFF members, the most I have ever had to concern myself with on the forum is some differing points of view. EVERY other person I have met through AFF has been absolutely fine.

My Advice: Tread carefully but remember MOST people are not like the "guests" I encountered.

A belated welcome back... I just caught up with this thread. I think what we have in the AFF community is just a snapshot of society; over 99% of people are good, honest and hardworking people but there are a few bad apples in every bunch.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I haven't guested. My travel is erratic at times as is my MO.

However if I had to lay down a rule, no one under 200 posts would be a good threshold for me.

No punks, hi viz, kids, smelly people, cheap looking. General riff raff would be avoided at all costs.

My life is too short.

 

[jacfin]

I haven't guested. My travel is erratic at times as is my MO.

However if I had to lay down a rule, no one under 200 posts would be a good threshold for me.

No punks, hi viz, kids, smelly people, cheap looking. General riff raff would be avoided at all costs.

My life is too short.

Great guide Sprucegoose. As a newbie with erratic travel, I am making tentative steps in this forum, and guesting seems a wee bit out there for me at this stage.

Bossreggie's experience is shocking (hi BR, thanks for sharing and for coming back), but your suggested guidelines make a helluvalotta sense. Perhaps a bit harsh on the hi viz tho......some of the nicest people I know have the hi viz fashion obligation ex PER

 

[Sprucegoose]

Great guide Sprucegoose. As a newbie with erratic travel, I am making tentative steps in this forum, and guesting seems a wee bit out there for me at this stage.

Bossreggie's experience is shocking (hi BR, thanks for sharing and for coming back), but your suggested guidelines make a helluvalotta sense. Perhaps a bit harsh on the hi viz tho......some of the nicest people I know have the hi viz fashion obligation ex PER

I could negotiate on the hi viz but they would need to hide it somewhere. Anything else not negotiable.

 

[jacfin]

I could negotiate on the hi viz but they would need to hide it somewhere. Anything else not negotiable.

Haha Agreed

 

[Simo]

hi viz

So Sprucegoose will never guest in MKY, ROK, PER, TSV I believe there is a QP opening in Emerald or already has happened...