Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - Flying Upper Class to LAX then stopover

Hi
I am flying from Heathrow into Los Angeles, Upper Class. This comes into Terminal 2. I then have some hours to kill before flying Qantas to Papeete from the Tom Bradley terminal. Will I be able to book the luggage straight through or must I go throgh US Immigration and pick up the luggage? Also, is there a way of using the VA shared lounge with Air New Zealand which is in Terminal 2 before switching terminals for the later flight? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Is it all on one PNR or two? You could ask at LHR check-in. The worst they can do is say no.

In anycase at LAX you still have to clear Immigration then pick up your luggage and clear US customs before rechecking it in.

There is no VS arrivals lounge at LAX and as you don't have an onward VS or NZ ticket they won't let you in.

And in any case the Koru Club is airside in T2 so you won't have a BP to get you through security.

How long is your stopover? Are you flying business with QF?

Stop over is nine hours and we are just flying economy class from LAX. Virgin usually allow you to use their lounge when you arrive at an airport. In LA they share with Air New Zealand but it looks like it may be difficult. Thanks your help guys.

Hi Mike Lane,

Welcome to flyertalk and the Virgin Atlantic forum!:)

As slinky09 said as the ANZ lounge that Virgin uses at LAX is airside at T2, and your boarding pass is for a TBIT flight security will not let you through T2 security.

There may be a pay per entry lounge at TBIT or you could get a day room at one of the nearby airport hotels ( Hilton, Marriott,Sheraton and Westin are close by)

Enjoy Papeete!^

Regards

TBS

Stop over is nine hours and we are just flying economy class from LAX. Virgin usually allow you to use their lounge when you arrive at an airport. In LA they share with Air New Zealand but it looks like it may be difficult. Thanks your help guys.

It's not difficult, it's impossible, you're not flying from T2 and it is airside, i,e, through security, also Virgin only allows you to use its Arrivals lounge at LHR and the HKG Clubhouse only when flying on to SYD (or LHR on the way back) - it has no other lounges for arriving passengers (can't remember if there's still a shared one at LGW).

LAX has no left luggage facility sadly. You could post in the TravelBuzz forum for wider readership and hope someone can provide options for you?

There are also paid lounges at LAX, there's a nice one in the TBIT that I recall.

[QUOTE=slinky09;18045277] it has no other lounges for arriving passengers (can't remember if there's still a shared one at LGW).

QUOTE]

Hi slinky09,

Virgin used to share the US airways arrivals lounge at LGW but that was closed several years ago with no replacement ( i asked when returning from MCO in October.

It was not too bad for me as I had BA lounge access for my flight to EDI so i used the BA showers.

Regards

TBS

Hi
I am flying from Heathrow into Los Angeles, Upper Class. This comes into Terminal 2. I then have some hours to kill before flying Qantas to Papeete from the Tom Bradley terminal. Will I be able to book the luggage straight through or must I go throgh US Immigration and pick up the luggage? Also, is there a way of using the VA shared lounge with Air New Zealand which is in Terminal 2 before switching terminals for the later flight? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to Flyertalk. ^

Presumably this is an Air Tahiti Nui codeshare?

Which flight to LAX are you travelling on? Can you travel on the later VS023 to minimise your connection time?

I flew AF, LHR-CDG-LAX-PPT in Y last year. Arranged it so I had approx 6 hr stopover @ LAX. Caught the free shuttle to Raddison Lax dumped bags quick shower cab to Santa Monica, shopping & dinner cab back to hotel grabbed bags free shuttle back to TBIT terminal...slept almost whole way to PPT. My longest day flying ever Fantastic destination have great time. Envious :)

Btw have you considered side trip to Easter Island....amazing.

Btw have you considered side trip to Easter Island....amazing.

Hi,

Seconded for a trip to Easter Island ( it was beautiful over there on my trip ( Jan 2010)

Regards

TBS

I flew AF, LHR-CDG-LAX-PPT in Y last year. Arranged it so I had approx 6 hr stopover @ LAX. Caught the free shuttle to Raddison Lax dumped bags quick shower cab to Santa Monica, shopping & dinner cab back to hotel grabbed bags free shuttle back to TBIT terminal...slept almost whole way to PPT. My longest day flying ever Fantastic destination have great time. Envious :)

Btw have you considered side trip to Easter Island....amazing.

Now that's an interesting idea as I have a cousin in Santa Monica who I haven't seen for years. We are actually embarking on a cruise in Papeete which doesn't actually go to Easter Island but does visit Christmas Island (not the famous one). I have read that it was used for nuclear tests in the 50s!

Welcome to Flyertalk. ^

Presumably this is an Air Tahiti Nui codeshare?

Which flight to LAX are you travelling on? Can you travel on the later VS023 to minimise your connection time?

It is QF3828 which leaves at 23:50 - much cheaper than going Air Tahiti. Interesting thought about the later Virgin flight which I see arrives at 18:55. On the face of it, plenty of time for the connection but guess that my wife would be having kittens about whether we would make the connection. Not sure if Virgin would make the change as I am using points the flight but many thanks for the suggestion.

It is QF3828 which leaves at 23:50 - much cheaper than going Air Tahiti. Interesting thought about the later Virgin flight which I see arrives at 18:55. On the face of it, plenty of time for the connection but guess that my wife would be having kittens about whether we would make the connection. Not sure if Virgin would make the change as I am using points the flight but many thanks for the suggestion.

If you are using FC miles for the flight VS will change it if there is availability on the VS023 for a fee of £25 I believe. That'll leave plenty of time for the connection.

It is QF3828 which leaves at 23:50 - much cheaper than going Air Tahiti. Interesting thought about the later Virgin flight which I see arrives at 18:55. On the face of it, plenty of time for the connection but guess that my wife would be having kittens about whether we would make the connection. Not sure if Virgin would make the change as I am using points the flight but many thanks for the suggestion.

I believe that flight is operated by Air Tahiti (but could be wrong).

If there's availabity it should be easy to change the flight as slinky09 says but you'd have to weigh up the shorter connection time against marital harmony. :p

http://www.relaxloungelax.com/

Current rates: effective Jan 2011

1 hour $15.00
3 hours $30.00
All day $50.00

If it were me I would get an all day pass at this lounge. LAX is horrible for layovers and a lounge is the only way to go as there is no public transport to speak of... LAX is my home airport.

Steve

Hi
I am flying from Heathrow into Los Angeles, Upper Class. This comes into Terminal 2. I then have some hours to kill before flying Qantas to Papeete from the Tom Bradley terminal. Will I be able to book the luggage straight through or must I go throgh US Immigration and pick up the luggage? Also, is there a way of using the VA shared lounge with Air New Zealand which is in Terminal 2 before switching terminals for the later flight? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thinking about this, your flight to Tahiti leaves at about 8am UK time so you will be shattered even before flying halfway across the Pacific.

Maybe you should stick with the VS007, get a dayroom at a hotel and get a few hours of sleep between yourbflights.

It is QF3828 which leaves at 23:50 - much cheaper than going Air Tahiti.

The only metal that flies LAX->PPT is AF and Air Tahiti. I assume you're on the Air Tahiti as a codeshare.

I'm intending to do PPT from LHR next year. I'll be going via LAX & HNL (both stopovers), as its the best use of the miles that I have. Be using VS miles for Hawaiian on the HNL->PPT->HNL legs. All I have to figure out now is it VS's charges are significant for an economy reward on HA.