Interesting situations call for interesting solutions. I’m doing a weekend in Vegas / Palm Springs with my girlfriend, and we’re meeting here at the Las Vegas airport. We’re flying in from different locations, and while I was able to snag a $49 Southwest LAX-LAS fare at 8:30AM, she was not able to fly out until after work. That gives me a long wait for her at the airport. I really like the Las Vegas Presidents Club lounge so I don’t mind spending the day working in there. The issue, however, is that Southwest flies into the C gates, which do not have any sort of connection to the D gates, where the Presidents Club is.
There are two possible solutions. First, I could go down to the ticket counter and ask for a lounge pass. I have heard that people have had varying success with this, and that they sometimes get one… and sometimes not. The other solution is far more failsafe. Buy a refundable ticket. Check-in. Go to the lounge. Un-check-in. Refund. Enjoy.
It was a hassle free process, and now I’m able to get work done in the Presidents Club, rather than having to spend time over in the other side of the airport. Woot!