Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - Guests in UC Lounge?

My wife and I have CO BF codeshare tickets on VS, which puts us in UC. We have been told by both CO and VS that we can use the VS departure lounge. A couple of our friends are flying PE class. Are we allowed a guest?

None of us have any status with either CO or VS.

Can't help you directly with your question (have never taken a guest into a lounge), but have a piece of related advice.

If you are flying from Heathrow you should be given an invitation to the Virgin Clubhouse (that's okay).

Of you are flying from Gatwick (or from another airport and are given a pass for a different lounge), then don't ask the check-in agent for a pass to the Virgin Lounge instead...!

I did this at Gatwick (whilst flying with a Continental BF ticket on a Virgin codeshare) - they gave me a pass to the President's Club instead - and got a long (not too quite), embarrassing lecture from the check-in agent. I did ask very politely and nicely. If I didn't feel so embarrassed and like a criminal (that's how the agent made me feel), I would have been very angry at being spoken to like that. Don't know what the people in the neighbouring lines thought, it was very embarrassing...

Still, happy ending, we went to the Virgin Clubhouse and were welcomed in without a question or a comment.

So moral or the story: don't ask nicely at check-in, just go to the lounge and smile sweetly there. You live and learn.

Boo

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Boo Boo Too:

Of you are flying from Gatwick (or from another airport and are given a pass for a different lounge), then don't ask the check-in agent for a pass to the Virgin Lounge instead...!

I did this at Gatwick (whilst flying with a Continental BF ticket on a Virgin codeshare) - they gave me a pass to the President's Club instead - and got a long (not too quite), embarrassing lecture from the check-in agent. Boo</font>


What's a President's club? We are flying IAD-LHR-IAD by the way.

UC Passengers can take one guest each into a VS Clubhouse.

When I am back in UK at the end of week I will be posting more on LHR Clubhoouse as it gets worse.....

Did get to witness the new 600 Airbus firsthand on my flight to SFO on Saturday, will report on that one too....

Thanks,
Richard

President's Club is Continental's own business class lounge: nothing particularly special (or so I have heard) - you are better off going to the Virgin Clubhouse.

Will be interested to see Richard's report on the LHR clubhouse (since I will be using it again in a couple of weeks).

I was a bit disappointed last time I used the LHR Clubhouse: not nearly (in my mind) as impressive as the LGW Clubhouse, the Conservatory was closed and the service was pretty dire (the people going round taking food and drinks orders were very unattentive - very unlike those at the LGW Clubhouse) - they just didn't seem interested in looking after you... (whereas at Gatwick they are amazing). This is wierd, since I thought LHR was supposed to be their flagship lounge.

Still, all complaints are relative: I will be flying UC and using a Virgin Clubhouse (so have no right to complain - I will have a great time :-)).

Boo

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by slawecki:

What's a President's club?</font>

Presidents Club (http://www.continental.com/travel/airport/lounge/default.asp?)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dsimon:
Presidents Club (http://www.continental.com/travel/airport/lounge/default.asp?)</font>


OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH Continental President's Club. CO was very clear that with my tickets, I would NOT be allowed in there!

Would be nice for us amorphus travelers if they named them "the CO business class lounge" and "the VS first class lounge" and stuff like that.

Last week saw the label on the closed door at the RCC(UA Biz Class) lounge "First class". Knew how to handle that situation.

I was in the President's Club last week - they let lowly Priority Club members in!!
It was okay - but it isn't a Clubhouse.

Given a choice, Clubhouse wins hands down - even if standards have slipped recently, it is still a great way to start your flying day.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardMannion:
When I am back in UK at the end of week I will be posting more on LHR Clubhoouse as it gets worse.....</font>

I would be interested in your account of the sizing-down in service at the Clubhouse. What would be different from, say, six months ago?

Oh no! VS has upset Richard again http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Time to defect... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

dnw

Simple, fly out of Gatwick instead - much nicer Clubhouse (although I suppose that restricts your destination...).

Will be posting a long haul (lhr-syd return) Club World trip report (on the trip report forum) soon. My first experience of Club World was VERY favourable (especially the seats) - Virgin has some serious competition there. Still, I get my Virgin flights (Continental tickets) so cheaply, I don't think I will be taking too many Club World flights soon.

I hope that Virgin take some lesson from the new Club World seats next time they redesign the UC cabin.

Boo

Boo Boo Too - If you dont mind starting your journey in AMS/CDG you can get Club World tickets at very attractive prices, with full miles/points and flexibility.

VS' seat is on a par with all the other supposed J 'sleeper' seats (CO, DL etc) but none of them come close to BA. Strange really as you'd expect it to be the other way around given that BA offers F and the others don't.

dnw

dmw

Any web site/contact for BA CW fares out of AMS/CDG?

Its probably still quite a bit more than I pay for CO tickets, but it is definitely worth looking at next time I am looking to book long haul flights (have already booked CO/VS flights for Christmas).

I don't know, were BA bed seats developed later than VS's and other's? Maybe BA learnt from other carrier's experiences...

Boo

Hi,

I was in the LHR clubhouse on 5th December while awaiting VS21 to IAD.
I personally could not notice a difference from previous times ( last year access was with the UK Amex Plat card- but since April 2002 no longer able to access the clubhouses) apart from it being slightly busier- there were passengers awaiting the departure of the delayed 0930 VS 45 to NYC.

The staff were as friendly as usual, the continental breakfast buffet was good, the bacon roll was good too.
I got an appointment for a haircut at 10am (arrived just after 9am). The vtouch salon is different now as I saw some beauty therapist stuff in the conservatory while the bathroom and showers were combined into one area.
I did notice the skiing game was not working and the worldmap showing which areas of the world were in daylight/nighttime was not working (minor points).

It will be interesting to read Richard's comments but I found the lounge to be very good as usual.

Regards
TBS


[This message has been edited by The _Banking_Scot (edited 12-13-2002).]

Boo Boo- ebookers.fr/.nl is good for CDG/AMS fares and BA's own DE booking engine will show you those from Germany/Austria. In fact I was researching the other day and VIE is the cheapest place to originate a business class ticket at the moment- you wouldn't believe the savings.

BA was the first airline to put beds in business class, the rest are poorer imitations http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

dnw

My trip report regarding BA Club World is now posted on Trip Report board:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/003301.html

It is a bit long and rambling, but - at the end - includes my opinion about differenced between Virgin UC and BA Club World.

Boo

Hello Banking Scot, you referred to your AmEx Plat card as getting you into the Virgin clubhouse. I have AmEx Plat; could I use it to gain access to the clubhouse even if I am flying PE?

My next Virgin flights are UC but I'd like to know for reference.

Thanks.

Hi KatW,

Sorry, but they discontinued the access in April this year so no longer can you use the UK Plat Amex for access to the clubhouse (Only UK Amex Centurions can( ie the Black Amex)). I do not think US Plat Amex could access the lounge anyway ( the front desk staff check the card number)

Sorry for any confusion- I have edited my post to clarify it.

Regards
TBS



[This message has been edited by The _Banking_Scot (edited 12-14-2002).]

TBS, you may want to edit your last post as its still confusing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Only people carrying a Black Centurion AmEx Card from the UK can use the CLubhouses. If its not Black, you are not getting in, i.e Platinum coloured cards on a Centurion account (you can have upto 4) are NOT allowed in. 1 Black Centruion Card equals 1 person in the Clubhouse, NO GUESTS.

I am just about to start a new topic about the LHR Clubhouse.

Thanks,
Richard

Hi Richard,

Oopps!! Too much friday evening alcohol while typing!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks for the correction http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Regards
TBS

As to bringing in guests to the Clubhouse using AMEX Centurion -- how about accompanied children?

Not sure about unaccompanied children with a Centurion Card, I would really say no.

I took my younger brother (11 then) into the LGW CHouse last November but I was flyign J so was allowed a guest. Parents got in using their Platinum AmEx cards.

This has reminded me about another moment of stupidity by Virgin - LGW Clubhouse is considering gettign a Childrens co-ordinator in the lounge (lawsuits abound http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif), but say there is no money for the Shoeshine facility. What level of dumbness are they trying to reach. For those who have ever met Jack the Shoeshine guy, you will know exactly what I mean, he is what all Clubhouse staff should be like.

Not bad going really:-

LHR Clubhouse on a busy Saturday
- 3 bar staff
- 2 beauticians
- 2 receptionists
- 1 unsympathetic supervisor
- 1 shoeshine man

LGW Clubhouse
- Childrens' Co-ordinator!

Wait till jongar sees this about children in the Clubhouse!

Richard

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Wait till jongar sees this about children in the Clubhouse!
</font>

Dunno about Jongar but if Virgin start having loads of kids in their clubhouses I will be switching to another airline.

BC

Kids are okay, providing they are quiet and well behaved (I was, most of the time, so it can be done ;-)). Kids that run around, screeching and bumping into people require a well placed foot in their path...

That being said, last time I was in the LGW Clubhouse, the library/reading/quiet room was taken over by a rather large family and managed to look like your average play school. Still, I just grabbed a couple of magazines and went to another bit of the lounge (they were "contained" and didn't bother anyone).

Boo

BA has had a kiddie section in their Terraces Lounge for a while now. It's s separate section (and different floor at LHR)--so, unless you choose to go there, you won't be bumping into them.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Babu:
BA has had a kiddie section in their Terraces Lounge for a while now. It's s separate section (and different floor at LHR)--so, unless you choose to go there, you won't be bumping into them.</font>

Yep, I know. Club World beckons if the Virgin lounges become overrun with children.

BC

[This message has been edited by BlackCat (edited 12-18-2002).]