Lounge Hitchhikers

[clazman]

For any good looking european backpackers out there, pretending to be door lice, please PM me

You missed please include photos and measurements

 

[vitagen]

I've seen it happen alot in hotels...

 

[hedge]

It's a problem that will probably gradually get worse. There is a generation of predominantly "20 & 30 somethings" who have grown up with a sense of entitlement and little concept of privileges earned. The ones with rehearsed routines are really just seasoned bludgers who you can bet are on enough welfare to afford the plane fare to Byron Bay or Surfers. Freeloaders soliciting for guesting should never be accommodated IMHO because, as ozbeachbabe said, they are also the very ones who are likely be inconsiderate and abuse the system. Completely different scenario if you strike up a conversation with a stranger at the terminal and offer to guest them on your own initiative, which is simply a nice thing to do.

Cmon, we're not that bad

I've never seen it. I haven't had the opportunity to guest anyone in yet, but I would, assuming that they were genuine and I had met them in the airport and not at the door of the lounge.

 

[Ausbt]

I once came across a mother and adult daughter 'discussing' access with VA MEL lounge staff (I refuse to use terms such as 'dragons' and 'lice', and feel sorry for those that do) and clearly getting nowhere. I merely said to the VA staff member "oh, I will sign these ladies in". Was given a withering look by the VA team however in they went and no, I felt not the need to have a conversation with them again. I take the point of others, however, they perhaps I was responsible for their behaviour once in. They seemed a safe bet.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

You missed please include photos and measurements

Reminds me of this oldie but goodie!

 

[vetrade]

Cmon, we're not that bad

I've never seen it. I haven't had the opportunity to guest anyone in yet, but I would, assuming that they were genuine and I had met them in the airport and not at the door of the lounge.

You're quite right, Hedge. On re-reading my comments I realise they could be interpreted in a way I never intended due to my poor choice of phraseology. I was not intending to cast aspersions on "20 & 30 somethings" in general as the vast majority are certainly not freeloaders at all. The subset my comments were intended to refer to are those who hang in groups soliciting strangers for lounge entry when they are well aware such entry is not a privilege they are entitled to, and one which they have no hesitation in abusing.

I guess if we go back to the basics, the fact they are called "business lounges" is for good reason. They are not meant to be a free feeding trough for all-comers. Guesting is based on the premise that primarily it is a means whereby a business person can guest an associate or travelling companion so they can talk and get refreshments in comfortable surrounds. Obviously the privileges extend to family members for leisure travel.

 

[Brisbane Flyer]

Mate,
You're setting yourself up...we all travel...

Let me tell u about one night in Wanchai...lots of 'people' hanging about...

Cheers
BF

I've seen it happen alot in hotels...

 

[Ewing]

Worst instances I have had are at JFK and LAX.There you get access to the Flagship lounge through the AC.you are given a card key.Often people hang around and come through straight after you hoping the agent is too busy to notice.If they don't notice I point out the offender.

I've had someone follow me into the Flagship lounge in LAX.

The delightful agent waited until they had a seat and grabbed some food and a drink before going over and kicking them out.

We had a good chuckle before I left to board my flight

 

[boomy]

You're quite right, Hedge. On re-reading my comments I realise they could be interpreted in a way I never intended due to my poor choice of phraseology. I was not intending to cast aspersions on "20 & 30 somethings" in general as the vast majority are certainly not freeloaders at all. The subset my comments were intended to refer to are those who hang in groups soliciting strangers for lounge entry when they are well aware such entry is not a privilege they are entitled to, and one which they have no hesitation in abusing.

I think people that try this at airports are usually of younger age but those who sneak inside lounges at 5* hotels are usually older freeloaders.

I guess if we go back to the basics, the fact they are called "business lounges" is for good reason. They are not meant to be a free feeding trough for all-comers. Guesting is based on the premise that primarily it is a means whereby a business person can guest an associate or travelling companion so they can talk and get refreshments in comfortable surrounds. Obviously the privileges extend to family members for leisure travel.

The term "business lounge" has no connection with reality anymore. It's more of a pub with exclusive guest list.

 

[tuapekastar]

Never happened to me and never noticed this behaviour before. Will have to keep an eye out for it. And no, I would not guest them in.

 

[ermen]

hilarious.
i have never see these lounge hitchikers before...

 

[QPProletarian]

I mean would be useful if you're just short of your entitlement.. eg. allowed 1 guest but travelling with 2 friends.

 

[BadgerBoi]

I once came across a mother and adult daughter 'discussing' access with VA MEL lounge staff (I refuse to use terms such as 'dragons' and 'lice', and feel sorry for those that do) and clearly getting nowhere. I merely said to the VA staff member "oh, I will sign these ladies in". Was given a withering look by the VA team however in they went and no, I felt not the need to have a conversation with them again. I take the point of others, however, they perhaps I was responsible for their behaviour once in. They seemed a safe bet.

I dislike the people who have long discussions with the door staff, trying to get in when they're not eligible. I wouldn't have guested those scammers - if it's that important to them then they can buy or earn a membership.

 

[defurax]

I dislike the people who have long discussions with the door staff, trying to get in when they're not eligible. I wouldn't have guested those scammers - if it's that important to them then they can buy or earn a membership.

I also hate people having long discussions with lounge staff about eligibility, but I had to get into a 5-10 minutes argument last month at the Flagship lounge at ORD. The agent at the desk was convinced that lounge entry was only for international PAX flying outside of Canada, Mexico and Caribbean. I had to explain to her that this limitation only applies to AA and US top tier status, not other OW airlines. I felt really bad to create a "scene" at the desk and every time another PAX would show up at the desk I would ask the agent to take care of them and not have them wait. Finally, I brought the OW access rules on my phone, but she kept repeating "this is an international lounge". Eventually, when I told her "I come here all the time", she decided to call a supervisor. I could see in her tone she was 100% sure I was ineligible for entry...after 2 minutes on the phone she looked at me and said she was SO SORRY and that I could enter the lounge.
Not an experience I wish to repeat too often. How f#_%king complicated can lounge access rules be!

 

[opusman]

Not an experience I wish to repeat too often. How f#_%king complicated can lounge access rules be!

You only have to look at the various tables on the QF website to realise that it can be very complicated

I'm not surprised staff get it wrong occasionally, and they're probably so used to people "trying it on" that they're less prepared to double-check the rules than they should be. Maybe asking them to call a supervisor straight away is the best way to deal with this problem?

 

[defurax]

Maybe asking them to call a supervisor straight away is the best way to deal with this problem?

Agree, I just thought that agents somehow "graduated" from the J lounge to the F lounge, so I wasn't sure if there was a "lounge access mastermind" reachable by phone, apparently there is...

 

[TomVexille]

Agree, I just thought that agents somehow "graduated" from the J lounge to the F lounge, so I wasn't sure if there was a "lounge access mastermind" reachable by phone, apparently there is...

Not at all. At AA they rotate around as they are scheduled. For example at ORD, from the Club front desk, to the service desk inside, to the Flagship to the secondary Club over in the G concourse and back. It's completely random as to who works where.

As for the absolutely inane stories people tell to try and get in would get tiring quite quickly. They deal with dozens of DYKWIA types daily. But they should definitely know that a OWE is allowed in.

 

[Aggi]

I was approached outside the lounges last month in AKL by a young bloke asking if I was flying with Emirates. I said no as I was heading to the Qantas lounge first. Went to the Emirates Lounge shortly after and was asked by the lounge angel if I had been approached by someone downstairs. Told her I had and she called security to move him along, he had been standing there asking everyone after having been denied access on his own.

 

[seanpodge]

Haven't noticed this phenomenon myself, although I'm not all that frequent a flyer. I've no problem with people guesting strangers on a whim, but people hanging out the front hassling people to be guested in isn't on. Would probably report to the lounge staff if I observed that.

I've never done it and not sure I would either.

Wouldn't the rules about guest being on the same flight, etc pretty much prevent this from happening except in the rare circumstance that the lice was on the same flight as the random they ask to host them into the lounge?

For *G, anyone on a *A flight can be guested. No need for it to be the same flight, or even the same airline, as the *G status holder. Did it once at IST for a former workmate I happened to bump into coming off the plane from PEK connecting to DUB while I was heading to BUD (both on TK). Therefore, as long as the potential guest is flying *A, hanging out the front of a *A lounge is a worthwhile, if not particularly pleasant, strategy.

 

[juddles]

...... How f#_%king complicated can lounge access rules be!....

That should be the title of a thread all on its own