My "girlie" question

So for my first/last trip to the CH on Saturday Aug 20, on the 13.00 flight to SFO, looking at the cowshed "menu".
Now how does this work and how likely is it I'd get my treatment - thinking of the Bare Minerals make-up (either the freebie 15min one or, sod it, the full £15 30 min one).
My worry is having to arrive at LHR with no make-up on (OMG) then not getting the treatment in before I fly, so then having a mad run to the toilet to apply war paint.
How popular is this treatment and is it worth the risk?
Also, once through security, is there duty free close to the CH so I could say book my treatment, nip to the duty fee, the back in for them to work miracles on me? Also how much time do I need to factor in getting from CH to gate (am upstairs so want to get up there before econ board (ooh aren't I an UC snob!)
Finally, flying home on the nightflight from LAX two weeks later. Again is there similar treatments etc in ANZ CH, and is there shopping etc after security - ask because I was amazed at the lack of shops at JFK post-security.

Not sure show you mean 'how does this work' re treatments. You just go to the spa and ask what times they have. They will want to know which flight you are on before doing anything as they have a table of times after which they won't book you a treatment for a particular flight.

There is no guarentee of getting a treatment but Saturdays should be less busy.

Yes the DF is close to the CH - in fact you have to walk through it to get to the CH and there is no problem finding a spot to sit in the CH and booking a treatment and then nipping back to DF before returning to the CH (remember to take your passport and BP with you!)

As to going to the gate - you can go anytime you like and as to how long it will take to get there will be determined by the actual gate allocated on the day. The general feeling is that going on the 1st call is too early and 2nd call is about right.

There are no treatments in any VS CH other then LHR and LGW., I have not been to LAX but I imagine it is like most US airports - very little shopping post security and the DF being pre-security and you then collect at the gate.

Do you use Bare Minerals usually?
FWIW I think you're better off opting for another treatment- I use Bare Minerals (and have done for years buying it in the USA before it came to the UK) and would say you're going to get a quick application of the product that you're not going to be able to maintain (unless you buy some) and which you may not like. If you want to try it you're better off going to a Bare Escentuals store in the USA and trying the product out properly (or visiting one of the concessions in UK department stores)
DF shopping at LHR is good - buy everything DF you want here and not Stateside - LAX has a fairly good cosmetics DF by US standards (so that really means it's rubbish LOL !!! ).
The ANZ lounge is nice but it's no CH .
DL

The only places that are airside at LAX are:

Duty Free
I Love LA gift shop
Wolfgang Puck Express
Starbucks
Burger King
The Roadhouse Cafe

And that's pretty much it!

I think the treatments at the clubhouse are a waste of time myself. I've never been overly impressed with them as the time alotted just isn't enough for a 'proper' spa treatment or experience. It's a bit of a gimmick IMO.

I just read Daywalker`s comments and checked the avatar photo, had an evil little chuckle to myself, plenty to say about skin treatments, but no no NO will resist it`s a Sunday morning v(

I don't think the treatments are a waste of time - but maybe some are less effective than others, when you could book a haircut that was fab, and the mens' shave is great. I can't comment on the Bare Minerals treatment ii) . But, the morning period when you're likely to be there is a busy time, so do give yourself plenty of time to be flexible with booking a treatment ...

On LAX I would not plan on shopping at the airport - there are some excellent discount malls around LA that offer just about everything you could want from high end to low end, I'd head to those instead.

The ANZ Koru Club and LAX is a lovely place to spend some time, it has no treatments but a lovely bar full of NZ wines, showers, business centre, more salady / buffet like food, but I like it a lot.

:D I just read Daywalker`s comments and checked the avatar photo, had an evil little chuckle to myself, plenty to say about skin treatments, but no no NO will resist it`s a Sunday morning v(

?|

Nothing personal Daywalker. Just that you aren`t impressed with beauty treatments, and they`re a waste of time, then we look across and there`s a big hairy wookie looking back.

Nothing personal Daywalker. Just that you aren`t impressed with beauty treatments, and they`re a waste of time, then we look across and there`s a big hairy wookie looking back.

That's a cute little Ewok to me, that's why I never got the joke

I had that last Saturday. As I went for the £15 and as I hadn't had a free one I got 30% off it

It was really good, felt great and lasted for the whole flight, walking around a very hot and sweaty Washington until I went to bed that night.

I then treated myself on plane to the BM duty free as it really is fab. I also had enough time to look around the duty free at Heathrow, ,have breakfast and 3 glasses f champagne

[honey lamb]

I wouldn't go to the CH with a particular treatment in mind as it may not be available on the day for a variety of reasons; there may not be a time slot available for that treatment or there may not be a therapist in a position to be able to do it or you may not even feel like it on the day. I have gone with the idea of having a particular treatment in mind but because of various factors such as a difficult journey to the airport I really haven't felt like choosing something other than perhaps the facial or a massage. The other thing to remember with a make-up treatment is that you might not like it as obviously it will be different to your normal look and you will simply want to go into the Ladies to wipe it off and replace it with your normal look! A bit of a waste then.

With regard to your question about nipping into duty-free, don't lock yourself into a "timetable" of events. Get to the CH and book a treatment and then factor your plans around that. You won't be able to request a particular slot, you will be offered a time, or if you're lucky, a couple of times so once you know when that is you will then be able to decide when you will eat, visit duty-free etc.

When the call for boarding comes (the first call usually comes 50 minutes before departure and if the flight is delayed this will be announced and the boarding call factored in) you will be advised that the gate may be 10 or 15 minutes walk away. Unless you are elderly or a slow walker, it is usually much less but this information is given because it is entirely possible that you may be delayed en route to the aircraft by their having to close the passageway to the gate to allow passengers disembark from another aircraft. BAA will try to minimise the delay and it can be a bit of a "finger-nail moment" :0 but generally you still have plenty of time. At one stage I was held up thus and while waiting there was a "last and final call for VS19" When we got to the gate they hadn't even started boarding

Not worrying about eating in CH, as waiting for on-board, and prepared to rsik "not liking" the look - trying for a new me on this holiday for numerous personal reasons.
Hear what you're saying about the discount malls in LA - but problem then about packing booze in the hold. Did that coming back from Canada and spent 9 hours wondering if I'd be having to lick my clothes dry!
One more treatment question - is it cash only or do they take the plastic?
TIA

One more treatment question - is it cash only or do they take the plastic?
TIA

Cards only- no cash.
DL

Not worrying about eating in CH, as waiting for on-board
TIA

I'd seriously recommend doing it the other way around y)

Hear what you're saying about the discount malls in LA - but problem then about packing booze in the hold. Did that coming back from Canada and spent 9 hours wondering if I'd be having to lick my clothes dry!

If you wrap any bottles up well abd pack them in the middle of your case surounded by clothes then it's very unlikely that the bottles will break. The only time I had a broken bottle was when I packed a bottle at the side of the case but as it was wrapped in a t-shirt and plastic back the leakage was minimal.

100% eat in Clubhouse (very good) and don't bother on the Flight (not very good)

my opinion for what it is worth:)

[honey lamb]

Not worrying about eating in CH, as waiting for on-board, and prepared to rsik "not liking" the look - trying for a new me on this holiday for numerous personal reasons.
Hear what you're saying about the discount malls in LA - but problem then about packing booze in the hold. Did that coming back from Canada and spent 9 hours wondering if I'd be having to lick my clothes dry!
One more treatment question - is it cash only or do they take the plastic?
TIA

Do eat in the CH as it will be a couple of hours into the flight before you get served and there is a wide variety of food on the menu of both main courses and Light Bites as well as the Deli counter where you can select as much or as little as you want.

As for carting booze in the hold. On my trip via ferry to British Columbia last weekend my two travelling companions presented my with a 1.25litre of Tanqueray gin each since they had a vague idea I had a little liking for it :w the two bottles survived flights from SEA to SFO and thence to Cork intact. I rolled each in clothing and then into a plastic bag. I lined the base of the suitcase with one layer of clothes and then placed them there reckoning that the framework of the wheels handles would act as a protection and then wedged them with shoes. They survived all three flights.

When we flew to SFO, we arrived in the clubhouse at opening time, had breakfast and then ordered lunch as soon as orders opened (?11:30) and then ate the full menu on the plane too...

I really should just bite my tongue, but that's not me. I think its time to go back to being a silent lurker, as I'm obviously not suited to this forum.
Thank you for all your replies, but I get the feeling people are telling me what to do, rather than "here's what I'm doing - how best to go about it". Obviously people on here dont know me and my "goals" for this trip, but its a real life-changing experience this whole holiday.
So for instance I'm not eating in the CH, but on the plane.
Its always a chance you dont like a "makeover" but I'm going for it, and even try and squeeze in a free facial first as I'm make-up less on arrival. I've got my Jemma Kidd make-up ordered and waiting for me on-board.
As for comments like, "Not sure show you mean 'how does this work' re treatments", how else can I say it? Again I feel like I'm not speaking the right code on here, so will say thanks and goodbye.

[Neil]

People are offering their opinions, that is what the forum does, it's people pointing out, that from experience, there might be a different/better way that just *might* make your experience even better.

It doesn't harm to read, think about, investigate some more and take up or reject any of them. Nobody is forcing you to do anything, but you ask questions and just because the answers don't fit in with what you seem to have already decided to do anyway, you don't like it.

Unless you tell us your 'goals' then of course we don't know, but we don't have or talk in any code.

Georginac... for what it's worth, here's the view of another relative newcomer to this forum.

Having reread this thread, I suppose there are one or two comments that might sound a bit brusque if taken out of context (actually the wookie/ewok one was a classic, but not entirely on-topic, and not addressed to you anyway), but I'm struggling to find anything that one could really take offense to.

Clearly different people have different sensibilities, but my own view of the forum is that it's so far been a great place to go for advice - whether or not you chose to take it is your choice, and you have to make your own call around bias etc... but the reality is that there are lots of people on here that fly an awful lot - not just on VS but other airlines as well. So there is a lot of knowledge floating around if you want to tap into it.

I for one have found a much of the advice offered to be very helpful as I have started becoming a frequent virgin (or whatever the term ought to be) again. And I've yet to get seriously irritated or offended by anyone's comments back to me, despite some quite lively debate - e.g. a thread regarding the Y/UC split in the bubble that turned into a bit of a class war.

So... maybe I just have skin like an elephant (literally I fear), but I'm not sure that there is anything here that you ought to take exception to...

Happy lurking though, if that's your decision.

RC

Was you aim to by duty free or before the airport? If at the airport for the return then you'll find most things covered at LAX, but don't be surprised when you don't actually take them at the time of purchase, in the US many places will retain stuff until you actually board, when there's a pile of bags for you to locate your's and then get if your receipt matches up!

If you aim to buy before flying, then wrapping well and stuffing in the middle of your suitcase should work. However, if you want to buy more then last year I returned from LAX with twelve bottles of wine in a special travelling box (you can get these at most UPS stores or even in wine merchants), and that worked just fine.

Now technically you're allowed something silly like 4 2/3 bottles from the USA, and I used two people's allowance and still went through the red channel ... guess it wasn't worth the customs officer's time to process the excess, we were waived through!

I really should just bite my tongue, but that's not me. I think its time to go back to being a silent lurker, as I'm obviously not suited to this forum.
Thank you for all your replies, but I get the feeling people are telling me what to do, rather than "here's what I'm doing - how best to go about it". Obviously people on here dont know me and my "goals" for this trip, but its a real life-changing experience this whole holiday.
So for instance I'm not eating in the CH, but on the plane.
Its always a chance you dont like a "makeover" but I'm going for it, and even try and squeeze in a free facial first as I'm make-up less on arrival. I've got my Jemma Kidd make-up ordered and waiting for me on-board.
As for comments like, "Not sure show you mean 'how does this work' re treatments", how else can I say it? Again I feel like I'm not speaking the right code on here, so will say thanks and goodbye.

No, people are giving you advice and you have decided to take it the wrong way.
I'm guessing you just don't understand how to read an internet forum.
I've had my run ins with people on here but no one has given you anything but solid advice on this subject.
I think you've made the right decision running off if you don't like receiving helpful advice.

I'm absolutely amazed by your post, can't stop laughing )

Hi Georginac,

I am with ratechaser, daywalker and Neil on this.

I think that the reaction to your "Not worrying about eating in CH, as waiting for on-board" has been prompted by the fact that the food in the Clubhouse will almost certainly be significantly better than you are going to get on-board nevermind the rather different environment. y)

Those fortunate enough to visit the LHR Clubhouse generally regard it as one of the real positives of any trip. I think that the other posters have been trying to help you maximise your enjoyment of the experience. y)

As Slinky, I am unable to comment on beauty treatments, far far too late for me I am afraid - BOO HOO.

Whatever, I hope that you have a great trip y) y)