"Unused" ticket re: lounges

[Egg Centric]

Is a first class ticket unused if it's been used to get into a lounge? Or put another way, can a ticket that was purchased and used solely for using a first class lounge be subsequently legitimately refunded?

Seems an unlikely thing to happen given the relative poverty of station lounges compared to (the majority of) airport or ferry ones, the obvious comparators, but I'm sure someone somewhere might - at most it'll cost a tenner. And I can't see anything saying you couldn't do it.

 

[gray1404]

I think a ticket is considered unused if no travel has taken place using it, so that would not include accessing a lounge. Likewise if one was to access a lounge and then their train was to be delayed or cancelled and they decided not to travel they would be legitimately entitled to a refund as I don't think a use of a lounge would even come into the equation.

 

[stuartl]

I used a 1st class ticket to access the LNER lounge at Kings Cross on Sunday, it was scanned at the entrance, but once I got in and checked I found my train had been cancelled. I abandoned the journey, and claimed a refund which has been accepted. Presumably the scan just checks the ticket type from the Aztec barcode without contacting the back end system that records ticket usage.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I used a 1st class ticket to access the LNER lounge at Kings Cross on Sunday, it was scanned at the entrance, but once I got in and checked I found my train had been cancelled. I abandoned the journey, and claimed a refund which has been accepted. Presumably the scan just checks the ticket type from the Aztec barcode without contacting the back end system that records ticket usage.

If you want to send me a message with your eTicket UTN I'll see what the record says

 

[mad_rich]

Or put another way, can a ticket that was purchased and used solely for using a first class lounge be subsequently legitimately refunded?

This can be read two ways!

• a ticket that was purchased and used solely for using a first class lounge
• a ticket that was purchased, and used solely for using a first class lounge

I remember stories of people buying fully-refundable first class flights from international airports, spending all day wining and dining in the lounge, then getting an 'urgent phone call from work' which meant that their trio had regrettably to be cancelled at the last minute.

I think it died down a little after a few people were arrested for infractions of important local laws.

 

[Egg Centric]

This can be read two ways!

• a ticket that was purchased and used solely for using a first class lounge
• a ticket that was purchased, and used solely for using a first class lounge

I remember stories of people buying fully-refundable first class flights from international airports, spending all day wining and dining in the lounge, then getting an 'urgent phone call from work' which meant that their trio had regrettably to be cancelled at the last minute.

I think it died down a little after a few people were arrested for infractions of important local laws.

Someone in China did that for a whole year - https://nypost.com/2014/01/29/man-uses-first-class-plane-ticket-to-eat-free-for-a-year/

A man in China purchased a first-class plane ticket — and used it to eat a year’s worth of free meals at the VIP lounge at Xi’an International Airport.
The frequent diner purchased a first-class, fully refundable ticket aboard Eastern China Airline.
He used the ticket to gain access to the airport’s VIP lounge, where high-rolling travelers dine for free, according to a report last week in the Chinese-language newspaper Kwong Wah Yit Poh in Malaysia.
The man re-booked his first-class ticket over and over again and kept the gravy train rolling.
Eastern China Airlines officials only recently figured out the man’s scheme after noticing his single ticket being re-booked 300 times over one year, according to the newspaper report.
Airline officials admitted there was nothing they could do to stop the frequent diner.
A spokeswoman for the carrier called the man’s free-meal scheme a “rare act.”
Still, Eastern China Airlines officials confronted him, and the human meal ticket stopped chowing down.
The freeloader ended up cashing in his fully refundable ticket and getting back all his money.
Representatives for the Chinese air carrier could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.

 

[stuartl]

Someone in China did that for a whole year - https://nypost.com/2014/01/29/man-uses-first-class-plane-ticket-to-eat-free-for-a-year/

You couldn't do that here on railway as usually it's only valid for an hour after arrival or two hours before.

 

[xotGD]

If your entire diet consisted of the complementary crisps and biscuits in the King's Cross lounge you would soon be in need of medical attention.

 

[Howardh]

I think the chinese guy deserves free food after going through security 365 times a year!

Often wondered why - in off-peak hours, the TOC's don't allow lounge access for, say, a fiver or tenner to those holding standard tickets. I'm sure a few pax with standard long-distance advance tickets (say London - Glasgow) have also bought a short distance advance first (eg London - Milton Keynes) just to use the lounge/showers etc on that day?

But yes, if you use the lounge and then your train's cancelled, full refund regardless of lounge use, but if it's a late train and you decide to sleep over and use the ticket the following day - free use of the lounge with the same ticket I suppose?? Would the pax have to go to the ticket office and change tickets (without extra cost of course) in order to do that?

 

[redreni]

It's hard enough for people who buy train tickets with every intention of travelling to get fee-free refunds if their plans change.

I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to buy a ticket without any intention to travel just to get a free cuppa and a few crisps. It will just make those retailers who currently offer fee-free refunds more likely to introduce admin fees.

 

[hkstudent]

If your entire diet consisted of the complementary crisps and biscuits in the King's Cross lounge you would soon be in need of medical attention.

Think it would be healthier diet if using Avanti lounge at Euston with fruits available.