If you sit on a table in an airline lounge, you could be docked miles or even have your status lowered. I like it.
Ethiopia will deduct miles or status for bad behavior.
Sean M. passes on a sign in the lounge at the ADD. There is a sign that states basic terms and conditions for lounge use.
Taking out food is not allowed.
Food leftovers, beverages, and periodicals can't be removed from the lounge.
Commercial items are not allowed in the lounges.
Laying down on the floor, sofas or resting your feet on the tables is not allowed for the sake of other customers and the lounge and furniture therein as well.
This is where the fun begins. The sign says that there are possible corrective actions to be taken in violation of the terms and conditions. The corrective action does not involve getting kicked out of the lounge. It is worse than that, because Ethiopian Airlines is after your miles and status.
You will have 2,000 miles deducted for your first offense.
You will have 5,000 miles deducted for your second offense.
You will have your elite tier reduced to Silver status for six months for your third offense.
The lounge rules of the airline.
This is amazing.
There is so much to like about this policy.
I would have liked to be in the board room when they came up with this punishment, but someone else said we should just dock them more miles and then downgrade them.
If you are a member of the Star Alliance Gold program, you can get into the lounge through Ethiopian Airlines, which is docking miles and downgrading status.
If this policy existed in the Admirals Clubs at DFW and MIA, what would you think? SimplyMiles could be undone by American AAdvantage in one day.
Aeroflot has threatened to take away elite status from disruptive passengers, and other airlines have done the same.
The bottom line.
The rules of conduct for lounge visitors are reasonable, but what is interesting is the punishment for bad behavior. The airline is threatening to deduct 2,000 miles for the first instance of misbehavior, 5,000 miles for the second instance of misbehavior, and a downgrade to Silver status for the third instance of misbehavior.
I like where the airline is coming from, I don't know if this will be enforced, but I think it will.
What do you think about the lounge rules of the airline?
Ben is the founder of OMAAT.
