Gold flyer's children allowed in Clubhouse?

Hi everyone,

I've just joined this forum because (hallelujah!) my new employer allows me to travel with Virgin. I've got a few questions and appreciate any advice that you can give (I'll try and keep different points on different threads...).

I have to travel quite a bit so I've already got up to Gold status - my question here is, I can see that Gold tier flyers can take 1 guest into the clubhouse regardless of what class they are travelling. I'll be using virgin for a family holiday soon, so does that benefit extend to letting my 2 young children (under 10) in as well as my wife?

I'm hoping so because I wouldn't want to have to make them sit outside

Thanks
RC

There have been tales of the Clubhouse staff allowing an Au take a guest / spouse and child - but two may be pushing it, after all, it is one person plus one guest so don't be upset if you're told no. Alternatively, check out the itineraries here and see if anyone else is flying on your day and ask them to help guest one in. Another option, if the clubhouse is quiet, is that sometimes they will take cash for access ...

I think it's likely though that you'll find going from two to four is too many.

the stairway area is pretty nice, i'm sure the receptionists would look after the kids. you could take them out some pop & crisps

Thanks Slinky (although obviously a disappointing answer!). I'm beginning to wonder if there really is much value in Gold status - apart from avoiding the economy check in queues of course!

I think the 50% extra miles is probably the best benefit. Otherwise, when travelling uc, there isn't much benefit

Swedey - weeeelllll... (and this might be something that's been debated ad nauseum), how much value really is there in the miles anyway?

Perhaps when my little cherubs have left home, I'll have accumulated enough for me and the wife to travel UC for the rest of our lives, but right now I don't see many good uses for them. What I've seen is:

1) It costs 12500 to swap for a £50 V-holidays credit, and they are overpriced anyway.
2) If I did book through V-Holidays, the flights they allocate aren't upgradeable with miles either.
3) If I did just want to book economy flights and upgrade, I'd get stung both for a higher cost (i.e. upgradeable) ticket than I'd normally buy PLUS the extra taxes
4) From what I've seen, the discount you get using 'miles plus money' seems to be negligible versus the miles you have to spend, and the ones you also don't then earn on that flight.

Anyway, I'm quite new to flying virgin frequently, so there may well be better ways to get value out of the miles I just haven't come across yet...

[Neil]

Everyones circumstances are different, but miles have said us literally thousands of pounds since 2007, allowed us to fly UC, which is something that with cash alone we couldn't do, and i know the same can be said for family.

You are right about the VH vouchers being very poor value for miles, but MPM fares can offer a big saving. Just recently we have had members save over £1200 with an UC MPM fare.

Neil

[Nottingham Nick]

I think there is an awful lot of value in the miles.

What has been pointed out in an awful lot of threads is the lack of value of the gold status to regular UC pax.

I understand that you now get a transferable Clubhouse pass when you hit 60 renewal points, and when you hit 100 there MAY be other non-published benefits. 8D

There are lots of threads here about the status level above gold - just search Uniq or GBTop.

Nick

The official line is definitely only +1. Though I have recently flown out of LHR and back from EWR with my wife and 3.5 yr old and in both instances we were able to use the lounges while not travelling in UC

Though in both cases I did not assume I could do +2. At LHR I asked nicely and was clear that I understood that it was not the usual and I wasnt expecting it. They put me down as +2 guests on the sign in sheet and in we went. At EWR I asked at UC check in and as the lounge is landside they actually escorted my wife and daughter to the lounge while I finished checking in.

I cant say what the situation would be w/ +3. Though it doesnt hurt to put on the charm offensive and try.

Lastly as many have said below I find the miles very valuable for UC upgrades and flights.

Dave

Miles are very valuable in my experience.
For GBP800 and 60k miles you can get an UC seat that would set you back GBP5k
For about GBP1500 and 40k miles you can get the same. There is a real value to them.

Miles and points are not wonderful BUT they do take away the advance purchase requirement of most fares so you can get a PE seat to NY for GBP800 plus a few miles with no advance purchase. That would set you back about GBP2k otherwise.

Whilst the hard and fast rule is one guest per Gold card holder, the chances of the Clubhouse greeters turning away a child or two on that basis are remote.

Worst case scenario is that you have to pay for your childrens entry (£30 each) on the day. However, as I said, if it's quiet, it's up to the CH managers discretion as to whether they allow you to take extra family in free of charge.

RC- I guess I am speaking as a single guy without any kids to take travelling! For me my six uc returns to Dubai (plus some Amex miles) were enough to take me and my mate to hong kong uc out and economy return which I think isn't a bad return. But in other circumstances (ESP trying to find reward flights in school hols) it may be a bit less attractive!!

Hi RC,

It would be nice to hear your result at the CH.

I think this question is coming up quite frequently so would be good to hear experiences.

No problem, will do. I'll let you know how I get on (although you'll have to be patient as holiday isn't till April).

Didn't realise just how thorny a subject this was - it's not as though 2 small kids are going to drain them dry of champagne or anything. But then never having been in the CH at Gatwick, I don't know how limited for space they are...

Thanks for all your replies.

RC

I'm at 75 tier points as of today and expect to be around 90-100 by the time I take my wife and 2 kids to Miami on Virgin at the end of October, I'll let you know how I get on...

I actually posted my experiences on my TRs... but in summary it wasn't a problem, I just had to pay for my elder one to get in (£25 at LGW, £30 at LHR) - which I could definitely live with.

As for the other side, both lounges at UVF and DXB let the whole family in without batting an eyelid. Not that they were actual VS clubhouses of course...

Strange.

Last summer at UVF I had to pay $50 for my daughter.

Didn't have to pay at DXB

Always have to pay at LGW - £35

Not a problem now as I have lost my AU :0 My heart sank when I got the email 'welcoming me to Flying Club Silver'

Spiceke

I would say that $50 at UVF is a rip off given how basic (and crowded) it is. But when we went, all of my family's names were on a print out that the receptionist had so we were waved through.

£35 at LGW also sounds like they are not being very consistent... unless they have hiked prices since I went in April...

While I doubt I will ever reach the lofty heights of Gold status as I do not travel for business purposes I fully agree that there are some great deals using M+M if you can time it right

In February we bagged two UC August West Coast returns using M+M which saved us £1900 each!!

Just have to be in the right place at the right time ... and this board was the place at that time thanks to a heads-up from another member