Sircaptain

Hi all,

Thanks in advance for the advice. I’m a GM who is going to be doing some flying through Heathrow and Johannesburg on Virgin Atlantic in Premium Economy with some pretty decent length layovers. I’m just trying to figure out which lounges I have access to and am finding it pretty confusing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Also curious if anyone has used any of the various nap pods.

Regards

UVAhoo06

Here's the full text of the T&C on DL.com (https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...tml/#clubhouse):

"Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge access is available at select locations to Delta One® passengers, Upper Class passengers, and Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion Members with a same-day nonstop transatlantic flight between North America and the U.K. that is operated by Delta or Virgin Atlantic. Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members may access Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses in London-Gatwick, New York-JFK, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco Airports. Gold Medallion Members may only access Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses within the U.S. (New York-JFK, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco Airports). Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion Members are allowed to bring one guest. While access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in London-Heathrow is not available to Gold Medallion Members, these Members may enjoy access to No1 Lounges, Heathrow opens in a new window at LHR’s Terminal 3. Please travel with and be prepared to show proof of your Medallion status to the Virgin Atlantic representative to receive these benefits."

You will be be able to access the VS Lounge (as a GM) or DL lounge at your point of origin in the US. On the outbound, when you arrive in LHR, however, my understanding is that you're not able to access the VS Lounge or No1 Lounge because your flight from LHR to JNB isn't a transatlantic journey (between N.A. and the UK). Of course, if you have PP, I think you can access the No1 Lounge using those credentials. At JNB, you won't have access to the VS Lounge or to any Skyteam lounges with your GM credentials. Again, if you have PP or some other membership, you should be able to get into a different lounge. When you're transiting through LHR on the way back to the US, you will be able to access the No1 Lounge as a GM.

Hope this helps!

xliioper

I have the $95/year Hilton Amex Surpass card which comes with 10 free PP visits annually. Comes in handy when in situations like this (there are a couple PP lounges at JNB -- one of them has showers).

Sircaptain

Thanks--that does help. My kingdom for a skyclub!

Sircaptain

Yeah, sounds like it would. I don't want to add another credit card, but I might consider wasting some money on a PP membership. I can probably make use of it for a year and then cancel.

Duke787

Will you become a PM during this trip (I know this can be a popular MQM/MQD run that's why I ask)?

If so, the only thing to add is that as a PM you would have access to the VS Arrivals lounge so depending on layover length you could clear customs and visit that lounge before your onward journey.

On PP front what CC do you have? A lot of them come with some form of PP (either free visits or reduced price visits) -- you may already have one that gets you in

Sircaptain

Not quite. I'll hit PM after the last leg, sadly. None of my cards have PP. My main card is the Delta Reserve which doesn't do me a whole lot of good here unfortunately. My wife has PP access but she's not joining me on this trip. I'll manage. I've been reading more and it looks like there are at least PP lounges that allow day passes. Better than nothing.

danielvdm

This is incorrect. As long as you have a same-day transatlantic journey you qualify. I just used the Clubhouse at LHR going from JFK -> LHR -> JNB as a PM. So assuming the rules are the same for the No1 lounge (just for .GMs), he should be able to use the No1 lounge on his LHR -> JNB leg. The only leg in which you don't get lounge access is the JNB -> LHR one.

From the DL website (previously quoted above):

TTT

Have you looked at the KLM options via AMS? IMO, they are better timed to reduce the layover. In addition you would get lounge access at all airports as a GM.

No true Premium Economy though (AF would have PE and lounge access but I think the scheduling isn't ideal).

Sircaptain

Yeah, I did look at those. Definitely would have been easier and with KLM lounge access as you say. I went with Virgin Atlantic cause I got a great deal on premium economy and those flights to South Africa are long enough that I felt that was worth it for the hard product. I prefer Virgin's PE to AF's too, at least on the 787s. The A330s are getting a little long in the tooth IMO.

flyerCO

You will have access to the No 1 lounge at LHR. You are coming from a same day US->UK DL or VS flight and connecting onward. You will not have access to a lounge at JNB on the return. However you will again have access at LHR to the No.1 lounge.

Sircaptain

Yeah, that seems right. Thanks for your help.

ijgordon

So pretty sure there was a recent data point from a PM/DM who arrived in LHR on VS from a US TATL but then was connecting on another SkyTeam airline and was denied access to the Clubhouse at LHR.
I think the question is - what is considered a "same-day" transatlantic? If it's based on the departure or arrival day, then certainly it would qualify per the entry rules. If it's based only on the departure day (which is the only date on your boarding pass*), then technically it shouldn't qualify. And obviously the onward connecting flight (that is not a nonstop transatlantic) should have no bearing on lounge access.

I'm not arguing that OP will or will not get access, because there is no further clarification of "same-day", but just pointing out that there are varying data points.

Also, I can understand the VS Clubhouse agents being particularly strict about entry, but on the other hand, the No 1 lounge might also be strict if they see an opportunity to charge you full price for a day pass.

Maybe it's worth trying to clarify the policy with Delta via Twitter, to at least get something in writing. That way if they insist on charging you for the No 1 lounge, you can potentially ask DL to reimburse you.

* If you get a VS PDF boarding pass via OLCI, it will only list the date of departure, but it will list both the day of departure and arrival (e.g., Departs Mon 9pm, Arrives Tues 9am).

flyerCO

The policy when connecting to DL/VS flights is clear. The post you refer to involved connecting to Alitalia.

ijgordon

Where is there any language about the connection? It's not in the VS-specific language quoted above. Is it part of a separate policy?
IIRC you were doubly-wrong about that situation - I think your position was you could use the lounge but you can't get to it.