Gold Card Fiddle

[denis555]

I used to work with a someone who one day found a BA Gold Card luggage tag going round and round on an empty carousel. He pocketed it thinking this would get him in to lounges throughout the world if he just briefly flashed it at reception ( and covered up the slot at the top ).

Balderdsah said I - you might be lucky once or twice but sooner or later you will look like a fool and a swindler...

He swears it worked - I doubt it - what do you think?

[manintheback]

In Madrid and JoBurg I have been waved into lounges when they saw my carry on with tag and asked for no more. In the UK they always ask for it.

[apaddyinuk]

Silver Cards may get away with it a bit more but generally at the key BA stations the staff are aware of how many gold cards should be passing through and would generally cop it. Also most lounges expect you to register at the counter!

[denis555]

Thanks - thought so! Very dodgy:=

However about 10 years ago my company ran a stand at an exhibition and one of the freebies was a BMI Diamond Club Card which gave a one off entry to a BM Diamond lounge.

When the event was over we had hundreds of these left and we all took some home. I carried one around for years and when I finally got to use it BMI had changed it's name and logo...

Anyway I swiped in through the electronic door got myself a coffee and bun and watched as the receptionists started whispering and glancing in my direction. A moment later the more senior looking receptionist came over and asked me for my ticket (sweetly) - I showed her my card and she told me I was welcome to stay but these cards were invalid. I fought the urge to say "But we (my company ) paid good money for them!" and left feeling a liitle bit like a freeloader...:sad:

[PAXboy]

In Europe EVERY lounge I've been into now requires the card, with increasing numbers overseas. The reason is simple - Marketing.

They want to know who has been in so that they can target their advertising. Yes, they want to make sure that you are entitled to be there, but swiping your card to capture the details is vital.

[ZFT]

Most carriers print your FF status and No. on the boarding card which has to be produced at the lounge so can't see how one would gain access with a 'rogue' card.

[radeng]

The only places they ask for my BA Gold card are:

Fairly often at Heathrow

When taking advantage of somebody else's lounge - like American's flagship lounge or Admiral's Club, and not always then.

[PAXboy]

I wonder if, radeng, that means that one of the 'keys' to entry is looking the part of a gold card holder? Perhaps the staff have learnt when the face does not quite fit the usual gold carder.

[Haven't a clue]

Whenever I presented my boarding pass to the then T1 First Class lounge desk I was asked for my gold card. Each time I pointed out my boarding pass said I was travelling First. Each time there was an embarressed apology. Perhaps the staff have been alerted to the scam and react accordingly?

Thus far no such problem at T5 - but then again pax in F have been a rare breed.....

[radeng]

PAXboy,

I think they have started to look at the boarding pass. Don't know why they should need to look at the card when the info is on the boarding pass. Parhaps the other point is travelling so much that on occasion, they actually recognise you. If you like flying.......

The 'First' lounges of BA are really Gold Card holders at LHR: if you're actually travelling First, you get the Concord Room.

Anybody know what the Qantas First class lounge in Sydney is like?

[PAXboy]

radengPerhaps the other point is travelling so much that on occasion, they actually recognise you. If you like flying......Ah yes - I remember those days - because I do like flying. :sad:

[ZFT]

PAXboy,

Ah yes - I remember those days - because I do like flying. :sad:

I do envy you. These days I can find nothing remotely enjoyable about being an SLF and unfortunately I'm one every week.

[radeng]

ZFT,

I know what you mean. I've done 45 flights so far this year......The great thing about July is that I didn't fly!

It's the queues for security and so on that irritate, especially when the security people just walk away and leave the queue hanging for 10 minutes or so.

[PAXboy]

ZFT I take your point. My really regular flying days were in the late 80s and then various bursts (job dependent) in the 90s with the last group of weekly flights being 2001, with the contract ending before 9/11.

Nowadays, my trips are all for leisure (bar once every two years or so to Europe for work) and so relatively few as I am doing a completely different job. This is what makes it possible to tolerate the bad airports and all the pointless DfT/BAA regs, as I do not go through them so very often now.

My local field is LTN and it's new terminal is dismal but I shall not have to face it so often now as my mother is leaving the IOM and that takes out three round trips a year. So I do sympathise with the regulars.

[strake]

Do some of you people actually fly?

When you go to the lounge, the receptionist takes your boarding card and swipes or enters details. That shows exactly who you are.

It's been that way with Virgin and BA for years.

radeng do you enjoy being T100?

[The Real Slim Shady]

I had Mrs Snotty at the reception of the Northwest business lounge in MSP.

Fact that 3 of us were travelling in Business to LGW and had boarding cards without FF cards seemed to upset her.

Often wonder how they dealt with my 18 yr old step daughter ( with attitude) who had flown back a few days earlier on her own.

[radeng]

Strake

T100?

Sorry, don't understand - I know, I'm stupid.

FYI, off to Oz and Kiwi on holiday from 1600 UTC Tuesday Aug 12 so off PPrune until after Sept 10.

[denis555]

I still have about 40 BM Diamond Lounge complimentary swipe cards left (issued circa 1997 ) - kids have been using them as play credit-cards in shopping games.

I reckon that if I did try to use them BMI would call out the SAS and shoot me on sight.

Not worth it for a free coffee and bun really...:eek:

[Rush2112]

SQ print the details on the boarding pass and at Changi they just look at it, no swiping or checking anything. The pretty PPS card they give me every year is largely redundant!

CGK give you a paper invite to the lounge, so does NRT, IIRC.