VS Clubhouse - Possible New Locations

Hi All,

After coming back from Miami last week (trip report in the making!) and experiencing the absolutely rubbish Club America lounge, it got me thinking why don't VS have a Clubhouse in MIA?

The flights are from LHR, have a ~45 seat UC cabin with the A340's or LHR 747's. It's not like MCO where the UC cabin is only 14 seats big. Also, it has one flight per day very much like SFO which does have a clubhouse. UC was packed each way and has been the last 2 times I've flown to MIA (not sure about actual documented revenue/loads, can someone else comment?). So with my reasoning, MIA deserves a Clubhouse!

Does anyone else have any locations on the network that deserves a Clubhouse but doesn't have one? Wishlist's are also acceptable!

I would imagine that one of the biggest issues when it comes to adding clubhouses is the space available in the airport. If all of the current lounges and spaces are occupied, Virgin has no option but to use other airlines lounges. Take LAX for example, two very busy flights every day but has to share a lounge with Air New Zealand. There was talk last year of the three Virgin airlines at LAX (Atlantic/America/Australia) joining forces and developing a new lounge, but not heard much of it since.

Miami definitely deserves a lounge, as does Orlando.

It may not just be the space needed being available but the cost of that space as well as the costs of building and furnishing and staffing a lounge that need to be considered.

Yes there maybe space at an airport but if the cost of that space makes it uneconomic for VS to rent then they won't.

i agree the club america lounge at miami isn't great, it gets very busy & at peak times they regularly run out of food, which to start with is only sandwiches & soup.

Miami airport generally is very run down & lacking in any facilities, as a gateway to a major holiday area its a very poor facility. Thankfully i've never had to wait in the main departure lounge but i imagine its a desperate place to have to spend a few hours. i would think installation of a clubhouse would be dependant on an overall airport re-vamp.

FWIW I always thought having a CH at boston and when they did it kind of odd when Miami badly needs one too, Miami surely carries more pax than Boston as bourne out by the 343 running that route for a long time, ofcourse i dont know the reasons behind that decision?

alex

BGI badly needs a clubhouse, daily flights, and most of the time in the LHR config so plenty of UC passengers. Also with a lot of passengers coming from hotels they will get to the airport extra early a lot of the time, and the the current CH that pax have to use is awful, I actually prefer to sit in the standard departure lounge. Furthermore there is definitely space for VS to put a CH airside, given that the BGI route is one of their cash cows, I would hope to see something in the pipeline soon.

Aurely it's economics?

BGI for example - one flight per day, probably few oportunities to share with other airlines - that's a big cost for a very few people and will the numbers stack up?

[Darren Wheeler]

Not only is availability a space issue, but also (and probably more importantly) how much money do the airport operators charge.

I've looked around Airside 4 at MCO a bit, both when in the airport and from the outside on Google Earth etc (yes, sad I know!) Given that the Delta Sky Club has decreased in size in the past year or two, there is - in theory - space available on the upper level. Also, the space that the security screening area for arriving international passengers used to occupy (next to Duty Free) was atill vacant on my last visit.

Sadly, until things really start to pick-up on the economy front, I cannot see VS rushing to rollout new Clubhouses. If anything, I would expect to see the next V-Room installation at MCO (even though this is a Virgin Holidays venture, as opposed to VS).

I've looked around Airside 4 at MCO a bit, both when in the airport and from the outside on Google Earth etc (yes, sad I know!) Given that the Delta Sky Club has decreased in size in the past year or two, there is - in theory - space available on the upper level. Also, the space that the security screening area for arriving international passengers used to occupy (next to Duty Free) was atill vacant on my last visit.

I think the area for arriving international passengers will be preserved for the time being. It does seem a very strange area but knowing the odd way America and in particular the TSA operate I bet there is some security reason for it remaining empty. IIRC there is actually a staircase and set of escalators up into this area from just behind the conveyor belts where you placed your luggage to go over to the terminal (roughly where VS crew now wait for their airside pick up).

Sadly, until things really start to pick-up on the economy front, I cannot see VS rushing to rollout new Clubhouses. If anything, I would expect to see the next V-Room installation at MCO (even though this is a Virgin Holidays venture, as opposed to VS).

I hear your points regarding the V Room it does seem like a very obvious candidate. However I think there are a couple of pluses to a CH at MCO not least the ever increasing opportunity to lease the lounge out to other carriers, MCO is becoming more and more popular with international airlines and so there would be scope for JJ and LH to use a CH. Having said all that with AF now operating into MCO and KLM looking at it very seriously once again for next season I would not be surprised if the Delta lounge sees either an upgrade or some sort of agreement is reached for it to become a 'Skyteam' lounge!