OMAAT reader Isobel shared a frustrating experience with me, about getting kicked out of the SWISS First Lounge in Geneva (GVA). She asked for my take, and I think it makes for an interesting discussion, as it raises a more fundamental question about providing good customer service, rather than just following the rules to a “T.”
Manager kicks guest out of SWISS First Lounge
Isobel is traveling on a (revenue) first class ticket from Brussels (BRU) to Seoul Incheon (ICN), via Geneva (GVA) and Zurich (ZRH). The Brussels to Geneva to Zurich segments were on one day, while the Zurich to Seoul Incheon segment was on the next day.
During her connection at Geneva Airport, Isobel proceeded to the Senator Lounge, which she was entitled to access on account of her Star Alliance Gold status. The SWISS Senator Lounge shares an entrance with the SWISS First Lounge, and she was proactively invited to use the first class section, and was even escorted into it.
The lounge has no bathrooms, so she went to use the public bathrooms, and then returned to the lounge. She placed her bags down and proceeded to get food from the buffet. While doing this, the lounge manager called her name and came up to her.
She pointed out that Isobel was only flying first class the following day, and said she wasn’t eligible to use the lounge. She instructed her to leave the lounge, and told her to go use the business lounge (despite her having Star Alliance Gold status, and actually being entitled to use the SWISS Senator Lounge).
Isobel describes this as a mortifying experience, and has filed a complaint with SWISS. She also points out how the SWISS app claimed that she’d be entitled to a limousine transfer in Geneva, when clearly that’s not accurate. She asked the lounge manager about this, and she said she’d only get a transfer in Zurich.
How out of line was the SWISS lounge manager?
There are a couple of different factors at play here. The lounge manager was correct that she wasn’t entitled to use the first class section of the lounge. At the same time, she was proactively invited into the lounge after presenting her boarding passes.
It seems highly unprofessional to invite someone into a space, and then kick them out a while later, and make them feel uncomfortable. It seems like an obsession with following the rules, rather than applying logic to a situation, which I guess isn’t too surprising for a Swiss subsidiary of a German company. 😉
It’s not like she was an economy passenger who was snuck into a first class lounge. Instead, she was a paid first class passenger, who just didn’t get access over a technicality. The professional thing to do here would’ve been to either just let it slide without saying anything, or for the lounge manager to politely explain the situation, but offer access this time as a courtesy.
Honestly, what’s the incremental cost of allowing one person in the lounge? No one — literally no one — is going to have a favorable impression when they’re kicked out of a lounge, and do you really want to actively give a first class passenger a negative impression?
I think there’s another element here that some people will likely dismiss, but that I consider to be pretty significant. Isobel describes herself as a young woman, and says she’s often profiled when flying. At check-in on this same itinerary, a Brussels Airlines staff member at the premium check-in area pointed her to the bag drop for economy without even verifying her credentials, and obviously just made an assumption.
That’s only one of many examples. The reality is that there’s a ton of profiling that happens in the airline industry. I’m not really young anymore, but when I got started in miles & points around 20 years ago, I was constantly profiled based on my age.
My point is, I can’t help but wonder to what extent this might have factored in here. Whether conscious or subconscious, there’s no denying that profiling contributes to how people are treated. Would an older German-speaking man in a suit have been treated the same way? We’ll never know, but it can’t be ruled out.
Bottom line
SWISS kicked a first class passenger out of the SWISS First Lounge Geneva. The passenger technically wasn’t entitled to access (she was on a first class ticket, but the long haul segment was only the following day), but she was also proactively invited into the lounge based on presenting her boarding pass.
Kicking someone out of a lounge isn’t a good look, if you ask me. You’d hope that lounge managers would be trained in a way where they can apply logic to a situation, and I don’t think this was the right way to handle something like this. I also can’t say I’m surprised that’s how it went down, though.
What do you make of this SWISS lounge situation?
