I thought this was a pretty unprofessional thing to witness. I’m currently sitting at the YVR Maple Leaf Lounge near the reception area, and a husband, wife, and their two kids came up to the reception and said, “Hi can we come in?” The receptionist said, “Perhaps – let me see your boarding pass.” She then paused, and said, “I’m sorry, Sir. This lounge is reserved for Air Canada elite members and business class passengers only.” He said, “Oh I know, but we’ve had a long day of travel . . .” and yadda yadda yadda. She said, “I can sell you a day-pass, sir.” He said, “Yeah, but we can’t afford to buy that. We’d really like you to make a one-time exception.” They went back and forth for a while, and I was very impressed by the Air Canada receptionist’s ability to push back, while being completely polite at the same time.
Then, all of a sudden, she gave in. “Okay, sir. This is a one-time exception.” Whaaaaat? Really? Now does it affect me that they’re in here? Not really, but if they were to do this with everyone, the lounge would be overrun. Actually, it does affect me. Since I first started writing this post, the family plopped down next to me, started making a lot of noise, and has already shattered one ceramic mug. Hah. Nice.
