V-Flyer

This is my first post and I hope I am posting in the correct forum. I have been reading the forums for some time and have found them very useful and informative. My wife and I have been flying with Virgin for 7 years but mainly out of Manchester.

I am hoping to book UC flights to LAX next September travelling by Little Red from Manchester. If we return on VS008 we arrive in LHR around lunchtime but then have a layover of about 5 hours. After we have passed through Immigration etc will we be able to utilise the facilities in the LHR clubhouse until the Little Red flight or will there be a separate lounge ?

I realise this is a little early to ask but it would help to know what sort of facilities we will have available to us.

You will be able to access the lounge in LHR terminal 2 before your little red flight.
They currently use the serviceair lounge in T1 but your flight will be after the move to T2 so it will be whichever lounge is in use then.

Hello and welcome!

To clarify: the main Virgin Clubhouse in Terminal 3 is only available to departing long-haul passengers, so you would have access to it on your outbound journey once you arrive at Heathrow from Manchester. As a connecting UC passenger you would also have access to the Escape lounge in Manchester prior to your Little Red flight.

On your return, you would have access to the Heathrow Revivals lounge in T3 arrivals as long as the VS8 arrives before it closes at 1.30pm. You would then need to transfer to T1, where Little Red operates from, where you'd have access to the Servisair lounge prior to your flight back to MAN. However you would NOT be able to use the main Clubhouse at this point as it is beyond security in T3 departures, where you wouldn't have access.

Sadly, although Heathrow's new T2 is due to open in June, it looks like Little Red will be one of the last airlines to move in - not till November at the earliest, so you'd be stuck with the rather basic Servisair lounge at T1. Not a place I'd like to spend 5 hours so you might want to consider another way to kill time - maybe a quick trip into London on the Heathrow Express for a nice lunch somewhere?

Many thanks for the advice it will be a shame that we will still be going into Terminal 1 I had hoped we would be saved the need to change terminals as we have in the past. Have to make sure we have a good book with us!!

i've spent many hours in the t1 servisair lounge, usually working on the laptop but it soon gets tedious, the staff are nice but it's very basic and a bit cramped, it also gets crowded at times, i think the coffee machine was out of order the last couple of times i was there

once in the main t1, the champagne seafood bar is good for an hour (longer if you can handle a second bottle), it's a bit off the main pathway so feels a little more peaceful than most areas of t1

for domestic flights you still have to go through a separate security check to get to the gates, once past that the facilities are extremely limited, there's a small wh smiths with limited opening hours and a coffee shop (there's also a ba lounge, but no use for va flights), upside is it's usually quiet with loads of seats, again more peaceful than the main t1 area, ok if you just want to veg out and savour memories of uc

David1946 wrote:Many thanks for the advice it will be a shame that we will still be going into Terminal 1 I had hoped we would be saved the need to change terminals as we have in the past. Have to make sure we have a good book with us!!

At least on your outbound journey you wouldn't need to reclear security at Heathrow, as VS lay on a bus to take you from the steps of the Little Red plane direct to the departure lounge at Terminal 3.

On the return leg, though, you'd need to clear customs & immigration at T3 and use the general Heathrow flight connections bus to get over to T1, which does involve another security check.

Even if Little Red was in T2 you would stil need to change terminals, to and from T3.

Thanks again all we now need is to book the flights using points. Luckily as we are retired we can be very flexible.

If possible leave as much time between your MAN-LHR and your LHR-LAX as possible - the Clubhouse at T3 is a real treat and if you limit yourself to only 2 hours you'll regret it.

We recently flew to Miami, at 11:35, but arrived at the Clubhouse at 06:45, and they opened at 06:55.
We loved every minute and only wished our flight was delayed.

Tip: Get the pool cues from the concierge desk

Success at first attempt. Checked on line and flights were available so spoke to very helpful lady in Upper Class Reservations and bagged 2 G class returns to LAX for next August returning early October with connecting Little Red flights from Manchester. It will be good to experience the Clubhouse and turn left on way out, only done it on return so far.

One further question. Can we reserve Little Red seats at 90 days or is this only for long haul? Not bothered if we can't but just dotting the i's and still smiling

Once again thanks for all the advice.

The reason little red flights can't operate from T3 is that there are no facilities in that terminal for handling domestic flights.

Just for future info on T2 lounges- it appears that VS will be using the contract lounge there when they move over. It will be run by Plaza Premium, they have released some artist impressions, and it looks miles better than the Servisair lounge at T1.

FYI the other lounges at T2 will be Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, United Club Lounge and a Star Alliance generic lounge.

David1946 wrote:Can we reserve Little Red seats at 90 days or is this only for long haul?

Well done!

Yes you can. Not that you really need to - Little Red flights are rarely busy and more often than not you can get a whole row to yourself.

But yes you can request seats as usual apart from row 1 which only becomes available at around T-24 and the exit rows 12 & 13 which are only available at the airport.

willd wrote:Just for future info on T2 lounges- it appears that VS will be using the contract lounge there when they move over. It will be run by Plaza Premium, they have released some artist impressions, and it looks miles better than the Servisair lounge at T1.

Very much liking the sound of that! Shame it's at least another year before LR move across ....

willd wrote:Just for future info on T2 lounges- it appears that VS will be using the contract lounge there when they move over. It will be run by Plaza Premium, they have released some artist impressions, and it looks miles better than the Servisair lounge at T1.

That it does... I see a bar stool with my name on it if VS do indeed use them for LR 8D

willd wrote:Just for future info on T2 lounges- it appears that VS will be using the contract lounge there when they move over. It will be run by Plaza Premium, they have released some artist impressions, and it looks miles better than the Servisair lounge at T1.

FYI the other lounges at T2 will be Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, United Club Lounge and a Star Alliance generic lounge.

Hmmmmmm...I'm not so sure. I would not be surprised if LR passengers use the Aer Lingus lounge.....but honestly, I'm not sure it has been fully agreed yet.

Jon

Correct... It's not confirmed yet.

I was in the Aer Lingus lounge-to-be in T2 a couple of weeks ago, on a tour, and it looks very good.. huge space they have, with good views. Would be quite happy in there..!

Where was the aer lingus lounge? I only been told about United, air canada, star aliance and the premium plaza?

Next to the Lufthansa lounge.
Departure lounge, right hand side as you enter from security.

Fit-out manager told me it was the biggest Aer Lingus lounge outside Ireland.

And same for the LH lounge.. The biggest outside of Germany.