mattp1987

Wow, congrats to you and thanks for reporting back. Sounds like I need to plan a trip to HKG now.

tentseller

Do not plan a trip to HKG just for the VS clubhouse.

It is nice and better than anything DL/NW has offered in HKG;
BUT
If you really want the full VS Clubhouse treatment do LHR.

mattp1987

Yeah, I was just kidding about that part. I am considering booking my next trip to Europe through LHR in at least one direction for the Clubhouse. I usually go through AMS which has pretty nice lounges but nothing compared to the Clubhouses from what I've read.

tentseller

After the "purchase" of 49% in VS LHR VS clubhouse would be my #1 choice for layover to Europe over AMS.
I use to transit in AMS unless I am flying directly to LHR.

lamont2718

A word of caution -- if connecting at LHR from VS (T3) to SkyTeam (mostly T4), you won't be able to access the VS Clubhouse or Revivals Lounge unless you have a very long layover and can afford to take a roundabout transfer route.

CarmenOM

Another word of warning or clarification: There have been some references in this thread to VS Clubhouse access for SkyTeam Elite+. While HKG may be a special case (I don't know), the access in the US and LHR is only for PM, DM, and BE and Upper Class (VS equivalent to BE) passengers. Even though GM are ST Elite+ they do not have access to the Clubhouses when flying in economy on DL or VS.

RobertH

Of course since VS is not a member of Skyteam it matters not if you are Skyteam Elite + or Skyteam Elite - or whatever. Skyteam status makes NO difference at VS.

RealHJ

Right, and access is only provided if you are flying on one of four eligible VS routes, but 98%+ of time it is not provided at all (if you are flying one of the many others - the vast majority of - VS flights), regardless if you are PM or DM.

lamont2718

There are only 4 eligible routes? J passengers and DM/PM passengers get access to at least one Clubhouse on all of the flights below:

DL LHR-JFK
DL LHR-BOS
DL LHR-SEA
DL LHR-ATL (beginning 10/26/2014)
DL LHR-LAX (beginning 10/26/2014)
VS LHR-JFK
VS LHR-EWR
VS LHR-BOS
VS LHR-LAX
VS LHR-SFO
VS LHR-IAD
VS LHR-ORD
VS LHR-MIA
VS LHR-YVR
VS LHR-ATL (beginning 10/26/2014)
VS LGW-MCO
VS LGW-LAS
VS LGW-CUN
VS LGW-ANU
VS LGW-BGI
VS LGW-GND
VS LGW-HAV
VS LGW-MBJ
VS LGW-UVG
VS LGW-TAB

RealHJ

Nope, not according to Delta (or to VS). According to DL it's only on routes from LHR to JFK, BOS & SEA (and vice versa), and not on any others.

This is what DL has said on this recently:
That's word by word exactly what DL said, after a few back and forths and investigating internally, why Clubhouse access for a DL Platinum was denied both ways on a VS flight connecting to DL (US to UK/LHR and then return LHR to US).

Granted, it's more than three flights (if VS has more than one flight LHR-JFK), but only three routes.

lamont2718

It sounds like you've encountered some woefully misinformed agents. Per http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...ntic-faqs.html, "Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge access is available to BusinessElite® or Upper Class passengers and Diamond or Platinum Medallion® members on same-day travel when flying on a Virgin Atlantic- or Delta-operated transatlantic flight to or from the U.K. Plus, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members are allowed to bring one guest. Clubhouses are located at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, New York-JFK, Newark, Washington, Boston and San Francisco airports."

From your earlier posts, it sounds like the Clubhouse agents did not allow access at NRT while connecting to/from a TPAC flight. That does seem consistent with the policy on delta.com, unless I am missing something?

RealHJ

That is what I think may be the case here. I was surprised that the access is so limited to only three routes between LHR and US, but that is what DL specifically said, that it is only those routes, after "checking internally" on that.

Likewise Clubhouse agents at LHR also denied access on the return, as it wasn't a direct VS flight to one of the few select locations, but rather a connection to a DL flight.

Both VS and DL stated (I'm paraphrasing here) that it's only "for a few direct flights to/from the US."

mikepa

Was granted access as a PM to the VS lounge at LHR while flying LHR-MIA in PE a few weeks ago. No fuss at all with the lounge, but there was some confusion about whether I was allowed to check-in upstairs in the Upper Class check-in area, but they accommodated me.

bgriff

Technically you were not supposed to check in for a VS flight at the upstairs check-in area at LHR, and neither are VS elites nor even Upper Class passengers, unless they are using the VS chauffeur drive service and getting dropped off at the Upper Class Wing. Upper Class, VS Gold and DL PM/DM passengers not eligible for chauffeur drive service or making their own way to the airport are supposed to check in downstairs at the Upper Class desks and then take the elevator upstairs to the private security channel.

Confusingly, DL's only BE check-in desk at LHR T3 is in the Upper Class Wing, so DL BE customers (and maybe DL PM/DM traveling in DL Y, not sure) are supposed to check in upstairs when making their own way to the airport, even though VS's own business class passengers aren't supposed to do so.

However glad to hear the VS agents were appropriately accommodating and helped you out anyway.

bgriff

I think the reason those three flights are highlighted in some communications is that those three flights are the only DL routes currently operated out of LHR T3 -- so for DL flights LHR-ATL, LHR-DTW and LHR-MSP, you can't access the VS Clubhouse not because of a rule, but simply because you fly out of the wrong building. (And obviously, on the US-to-London legs of those trips, there is no Clubhouse available.)

The communications from DL and VS have consistently been clear that flying VS in coach across the Atlantic between the US and UK as a DL PM or DM entitles you to lounge access, though it is possible some agents have not been enforcing that rule correctly.

There are lots of itineraries you could construct to test the boundaries of the Clubhouse access rules -- for example if you flew JFK-ATL-MAN on DL metal, would you be entitled to access in JFK? The rules seem to say yes, but I suspect the VS agents at JFK would be confused (not to mention it might not be possible to construct that connection during hours when the Clubhouse is open). I think in most stations DL provides VS with a list of people who are entitled to access, and that list would typically focus on "obvious" candidates (i.e. those on direct flights to/from LHR), so someone on an unusual routing would not be captured on the list.

For the most part VS agents are very helpful and would likely work through the issue with you, and let you in if you were entitled to access, though it sounds like someone had a bad experience in NRT, which is unfortunate. (Of course, since the rule specifies that access is for transatlantic travel, not just any US-UK travel, someone flying LHR-NRT-US would not be entitled to Clubhouse access at NRT anyway.)


And in any case it is great to hear that DL is using the VS Clubhouse as their departure lounge in HKG, which appears to just be a matter of selecting a lounge to use at that airport, and has nothing to do with the other Clubhouse access rules. It is also nice that elites appear to be granted access in HKG -- which makes some sense, since elites would be granted access to SkyTeam partner lounges, and VS is a partner (though a non-SkyTeam one). One could easily imagine an alternative world where DL took the (accurate) position that the VS HKG Clubhouse was a contract lounge and thus elites were not given access.