V-Flyer

I saw a post on Twitter saying you can buy clubhouse entry for £60 even if in economy! Is that true? Very disappointing and a bad move in my opinion.

No wonder it has been so horrifically busy on my last few visits! Always thought of it as a "special" part of the upper class experience. Shame they are opening it up to all; in future I might not bother with UC on medium haul and just buy access to the lounge and take a PE seat ...

Its been around for years, but very very strictly controlled by numbers allowed each day.

I certainly wouldn't rely on it if you want to experience the Clubhouse

David

It's done on a case-by-case basis from what I understand and there's never any guarantee that VS will let non-UC passengers pay to enter. I've heard it done on days where the CH has been quiet, but if it's busy then it'll be only those eligible for entry.

Letting everyone in for £60 would only serve to devalue the exclusivity of the CH so they're very careful with how often they do it.

The ability to buy access to the Clubhouses at LHR and LGW has been there for many, many years, but it has always been on a 'space available' basis.

Over the years VS have moved the goalposts q fair few times. At one time it was a Gold perk, other times it was for PE pax only. For a long time it was for Virgin Holidays customers only.

Paid access is / was also only available four hours before your flight.

The key is is - 'spaced available' and given the fact that Delta passengers seem to be swamping the facility now, so I wouldn't think it makes much of a difference in how busy the CH is.

Nick

I think on the day paid for access is only for PE pax now, some friends tried a few weeks ago and were told that it is not possible if travelling in economy.

I think it's been that way for a while now, or so this Twitter conversation and, more recently, this one would indicate.

You can still gain LHR or LGW CH access at the same £60 when flying economy if you have a VH booking though I believe. This does have to be pre-booked via VH though.

It's not the paid entry pax that are causing the Clubhouses to be busy now, it's DL pax.

Any "busyness" in my last couple of visits has clearly been down to Delta passengers.

pjh wrote:Any "busyness" in my last couple of visits has clearly been down to Delta passengers.

One of the funniest things I ever overheard in the CH was from a DL elite CH first-timer. He was on his cell/mobile and growled loudly down the phone, "honey, it's like a goddamn circus in here."

As people have said, it is a rule that has been in place for ages. But the lounge is always busy these days, especially now they let the Delta riff-raff in there

Is this because access is easier for Delta passengers? If so, seems a bit of an unfair weighting...

Seems they change the rules from time to time. Me and my better half were granted paid entry at Easter this year. We were told it was only as it was quiet and only because we were in PE. Made both of our days though.

catsilversword wrote:Is this because access is easier for Delta passengers? If so, seems a bit of an unfair weighting...

VS twitter told me that DL economy/comfort+ passengers cannot pay for access to the CH. It's not all completely weighted to benefit DL.

But, being a far bigger airline, DL will have far more elite status pax who are eligible for entry irrespective of class of travel. The average DL flight will have a lot more top tier members travelling in economy than the average VS flight has Au members in economy.

That, I suspect, is what'll put most pressure on the Clubhouse - the sheer number of DL elites. Look at BA's lounges at T5 - heaving more or less all day every day now, to the extent they've now started withdrawing guesting privileges at the busiest times. Let's hope things never get that bad.

gumshoe wrote:But, being a far bigger airline, DL will have far more elite status pax who are eligible for entry irrespective of class of travel. The average DL flight will have a lot more top tier members travelling in economy than the average VS flight has Au members in economy.

That, I suspect, is what'll put most pressure on the Clubhouse - the sheer number of DL elites. Look at BA's lounges at T5 - heaving more or less all day every day now, to the extent they've now started withdrawing guesting privileges at the busiest times. Let's hope things never get that bad.

So is the opposite true the other way around? If i was VS AU on DL from LHR T4 can i access the skyclub?

You can, yes.