Option to pay for Gatwick clubhouse next week

Off to barbados next week and couldn't get upper for my wife and I so having to go out premium.As it's her birthday would like to use clubhouse,is the payment option still available to flying club members? sadly just lost my silver status due to this trip being delayed.

[Nottingham Nick]

There have been various reports recently, some have said that Virgin Holidays customers can still pay - others have said they have to use the V-Room. I am not sure if FC members can pay on the door - we certainly managed to pay for an extra guest at LHR last year without a problem.

Hope someone can give you a definitive answer - if not, it won't hurt to ask - either by ringing the Flying Club before you fly, or asking on the day.

Whatever the result, it would be great if you could report back on your experience.

Nick

Flying to Vegas in PE in March. Flights booked through VA but hotel through VH.

Phoned them (VH) up in November to ask about paid CH entry at LGW. They wanted £50pp even though it is advertised as £35 pp on their website. I said thanks but not thanks and booked the No.1 Lounge for £15pp. No way is the LGW CH worth £50pp.

Phoned them (VH) up in November to ask about paid CH entry at LGW. They wanted £50pp even though it is advertised as £35 pp on their website. I said thanks but not thanks and booked the No.1 Lounge for £15pp. No way is the LGW CH worth £50pp.

The VH website is hopelessly out of date -it's still saying the LGW CH will be closing for refurbishment in 2009 (it's now 2011 ) ). The FVC site (admittedly accessible to FVC members only) has been displaying the LGW CH price as £50 for some time.
DL

As I understand it, you can purchase access to LGW clubhouse if you have booked a holiday through VH, as I did on my trip to Cuba last month. Depending on availability. ISTBC but I don't think you can buy access if you have a flight only through VA.

As for value, at £50pp, I am more than happy with the amount paid. Taking into account the food, coffee, champagne, cocktails, treatments and internet that my wife and I used, we got our money's worth. The staff were excellent, overall a quality product in lovely refurbished location.

Each to their own I suppose. Am I going to drink an extra £35 worth of alcohol in 3 hours at 7.30 in the morning? Unlikely.

For £35, I would have definitely booked it though.

I think the main thing to remember here is that the CH is intended for Upper Class passengers and Gold Card holders only, as a "benefit" of forking out so much more for a ticket. If the price is too low, more and more economy and premium economy passengers would simply pay to enter and would dilute the whole experience. (that sounds incredibly snobby, not intended to be at all)

For those wanting an alternative the Number 1 lounge mentioned above is very good for the price.

Stillredhot...not snobby at all. I completely understand your point of view. And the hike from £35 to £50 actually makes sense now you explain it like that.

As SteveA says, the No1 is good value for what it provides for the non FC/UC passenger.

3 of us used LGW CH last October.

1 x Gold (travelling on PE flight only) with access for a guest(also travelling PE flight only).

3rd person paid £45 to access the CH with us & they were travelling Econ.

Was it worth paying £45? Absolutely, a lovely start for the 3 of us to be together.

Hope this helps.

R-P

£100 for 2 people... I can think of better things to spend it on than what boils down to a room that's nicer than the main departure lounge.

That said, I generally don't arrive at the airport until 2 hours before so by the time I'm through security it's nearly time to board.

The onboard experience is miles more important to me than a lounge.

[Darren Wheeler]

£100 for 2 people... I can think of better things to spend it on than what boils down to a room that's nicer than the main departure lounge.

That said, I generally don't arrive at the airport until 2 hours before so by the time I'm through security it's nearly time to board.

The onboard experience is miles more important to me than a lounge.

Surely that depends on:

1. How long you spend in there.
2. How much you eat
3. How much you drink
4. If you have a treatment

thanks for all the replies and thoughts.

lozza wrote:

"I said thanks but not thanks and booked the No.1 Lounge for £15pp."

We use the No 1 Lounge regularly and recommend it highly. That sounds like really good value. I thought the regular price was around £20 pp. How did you get the discount?

Regards,


John

I think the main thing to remember here is that the CH is intended for Upper Class passengers and Gold Card holders only, as a "benefit" of forking out so much more for a ticket. If the price is too low, more and more economy and premium economy passengers would simply pay to enter and would dilute the whole experience. (that sounds incredibly snobby, not intended to be at all)

Now see, this sort of thing (although not intended) does dissapoint me. There is an air of snobbery around the Clubhouse.

So, if I bought a PE ticket, used my miles to upgrade to upper in principle this is no different to purchasing entry. I have not 'forked' out much more for a ticket. Why not take issue with gaining entry to the Clubhouse by these means. I could even buy an economy ticket and upgrade to upper......

My wife is a silver FC holder, I am red, we both have lots of miles and since 2006 have only flown Virgin long haul. I do not feel I should have to justify or 'earn' entry to this facility.

Virgin Holidays make entry possible and I will take advantage of this. Please don't make me feel un-worthy of this. This type of comment and attitude (whether discreetly or overtly voiced)is not what i thought members of v-flyer would feel neccesary to share.

May all seem a bit harsh but i do feel strongly about this subject.

[Darren Wheeler]

So, if I bought a PE ticket, used my miles to upgrade to upper in principle this is no different to purchasing entry. I have not 'forked' out much more for a ticket. Why not take issue with gaining entry to the Clubhouse by these means. I could even buy an economy ticket and upgrade to upper......

By the same logic, anyone travelling on a G wouldn't get access as all they've paid is the taxes and fees.

My wife is a silver FC holder, I am red, we both have lots of miles and since 2006 have only flown Virgin long haul. I do not feel I should have to justify or 'earn' entry to this facility.

The Facility was created & is for Upper Class passengers and those on high loyalty levels...same as all other international airlines lounge facilities ?|
It is not a facility that is published as a perk for all VS pax..
Frustrating but, I tend to agree with Still'RH, who is really only passing on the "offical line". I'm only Silver (which to be honest doesn't amount to much loyalty) and often don't fly in UC, when I do it is a special treat. (bearing in mind those UC flights are generally reward/UG's)

Virgin Holidays make entry possible and I will take advantage of this. Please don't make me feel un-worthy of this. This type of comment and attitude (whether discreetly or overtly voiced)is not what i thought members of v-flyer would feel neccesary to share.

If you have the ability to use access via VH, good for you y) - make use of it, I beleive VH pay a substantial amount to VS to make this happen. I don't think anyone is trying to be-little the suggestion, its just fact of business, the lounge isn't open to everyone?- I can't use BA's lounge or CO's by just paying on the door even if flying with them..VS aren't unusual in this respect. The airports own lounges, such as serviceair, One Lounge etc are different beasts..

NH

Now see, this sort of thing (although not intended) does dissapoint me. There is an air of snobbery around the Clubhouse.

So, if I bought a PE ticket, used my miles to upgrade to upper in principle this is no different to purchasing entry. I have not 'forked' out much more for a ticket. Why not take issue with gaining entry to the Clubhouse by these means. I could even buy an economy ticket and upgrade to upper......

My wife is a silver FC holder, I am red, we both have lots of miles and since 2006 have only flown Virgin long haul. I do not feel I should have to justify or 'earn' entry to this facility.

Virgin Holidays make entry possible and I will take advantage of this. Please don't make me feel un-worthy of this. This type of comment and attitude (whether discreetly or overtly voiced)is not what i thought members of v-flyer would feel neccesary to share.

May all seem a bit harsh but i do feel strongly about this subject.

I don't think anyone was questioning entry to the CH for UC pax, whatever way they get their ticket. There are a limited number of UC tickets from Gatwick each day, and the CH has been designed to deal with that number of people.

I think VHol have put the price of the LGW CH up to encourage their customers to use their new V-Room, but have left the CH as an option to those who would prefer it. (Why offer a separate companies product at a similar price? Especially when it offers a "better" level of service)

I don't think VS publicly advertise paid entry to the CH as it would disappoint people who have paid for an UC ticket (or are Gold) partly to use the CH (doesn't feel "exclusive" is everyone on the flight is allowed in, a few doesn't matter). Also VS probably found that during their trail of advertising paid entry, they can only let a few in, depending on how busy CH is, and that they had to turn away the vast majority of people who wanted entry, who got their hopes up and then became disappointed with VS.

VS (indeed any airline) are under no obligation to provide any sort of lounge to any passenger of any class. Indeed taking this back they are not under any obligation to have seperate check-in desks for Econ, PE and UC.

VS are not forced to provide the CH - they could provide a simple 'servis air' type lounge which is what many airlines do for their premium pax.

If VS choose to have lounges then they can choose who gets entry either 'free' or on a 'paid' basis - and that includes offering it to pax traveling Economy on a VH ticket but not on a directly booked VS one.

If VS said access to the CH was only allowed for anyone travelling on a paid NOT upgraded UC ticket only they would be within their rights.

VS have chosen to let Golds and VH pax into the lounge but not Silver / Reds (no matter how many miles a pax may have in their FC account or how often a pax flies). This is not snobbery but the VS business model.

We may not like the rules VS have instituted but they are VS lounges not ours !

My reply was to Stillredhot's post particularly the comment about the CH being a benefit for those who have forked out more for a ticket. My main point was that I can get an UC ticket and access to the CH without forking out more. So I did feel the post was a touch elitist.

The other info was to simply illustrate that my family are long term customers. I have no problem with VA's conditions of entry, I understand and accept them.

I just gave my reply to highlight what I felt was a common attitude to paid entry. An emotive issue that I am sure will bubble on.

Just to add that I flew to Cuba with 2 friends last Sunday in economy (all mileage flights booked direct with Virgin). I took one into the CH as my guest on my gold card and we paid £45 for the third person. It seemed to be a standard process - the check-in agent also told us we could pay for entry for £45.

Really pleased that this option was available as I wouldn't have used the CH if we couldn't have all got in.

Hope this helps,
Tom

We only travel UC now(both Silver)- mainly because of my husband's severe back problem, but hey I'm not complaining!

Next month we are flying to Barbados on a G ticket - maybe I'm confused here, but am I reading that our Gs DON'T give us access to the Clubhouse?

[Darren Wheeler]

We only travel UC now(both Silver)- mainly because of my husband's severe back problem, but hey I'm not complaining!

Next month we are flying to Barbados on a G ticket - maybe I'm confused here, but am I reading that our Gs DON'T give us access to the Clubhouse?

Don't worry. A G ticket give CH access. In fact, when you get the boarding card it will show J on it.

Phew ...... I was worried there!

Thanks for putting my mind at rest.