Access to Delta lounges for Virgin/V Aust guests

[crazydave98]

Some news that I think quite a few people have been waiting for and exclusive to AFF:

Effective immediately, permitted Guests travelling with Virgin Blue, V Australia, Delta Airlines and Northwest respectively, can benefit with access to Virgin Blue Lounges domestically within Australia and Delta Airline Lounges within the United States.
37 Delta Airline Lounges in the United States (lounge locations can be found at www.delta.com/clublocations) can now be accessed by the following Virgin Blue/VAustralia Guests:
Gold Velocity Members* with boarding pass for same day V Australia, Delta Airlines or Northwest operated flight as part of an international itinerary
Gold Velocity Members* with boarding pass for same day V Australia, Delta Airlines or Northwest operated flight as part of a domestic itinerary
Guests holding confirmed Business Class boarding pass for same day V Australia, Delta Airlines or Northwest operated flight as part of an international itinerary.
*Gold Velocity Card holders must present their membership card in addition to boarding pass to be given access. Upon presentation of Gold Velocity Membership card and boarding pass, Gold Velocity Members can be accompanied by a Guest free of charge when travelling on a DJ/VA/DL/NW flight.
Virgin Blue Lounges throughout Australia can now be accessed by the following Guests:
SkyMiles Asia Medallion Platinum or Gold Members & Sky Club (WorldClub or Crown Room Club) Members* with boarding pass for same day V Australia, Delta Airlines or Northwest operated flight as part of an international itinerary
SkyMiles Asia Medallion Platinum or Gold Members & Sky Club (WorldClub or Crown Room Club) Members* with boarding pass for same day Virgin Blue operated flight as part of a domestic itinerary
Guests holding confirmed Business Class boarding pass for same day V Australia or Delta Airlines operated flight as part of an international itinerary.
*SkyMiles Asia Medallion Platinum or Gold Members & Sky Club (WorldClub or Crown Room Club) Card holders must present their membership card in addition to boarding pass to be given access. Upon presentation of membership card and boarding pass, members can be accompanied by a Guest free of charge when travelling on a DJ/VA/DL/NW flight.

This is a "soft launch" until we get the frequent flyer program reciprocity and codeshare online at which time we'll do the hoopla. To head off inevitable questions, note that none of this is subject to regulatory (ACCC) approval - only the proposed joint venture aspect of schedule and pricing co-ordination require approval.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[serfty]

Cool, good news Dave. Thank you for posting this.

 

[docjames]

That's great news and thanks for sharing here!

 

[auriga]

Good to know, thanks.

 

[notzac]

Great news Dave!!

 

[oz_mark]

Great news on the lounges and I look forward to more details on the reciprocity

 

[Travel Guru]

Does that offer any reciprocity for DJ Lounge members dave?

TG

 

[dajop]

Great news, thanks for sharing with us Dave.

 

[777]

Great news Dave! I think i asked a few months ago and you said it might be in place before my honeymoon. I didn't believe you but the honeymoon is in 4 weeks. There ya go!

Unfortunately, i switched from the states to Japan as honeymoon destination.

Still I've got almost enough points to get us both there in Business Class next year, so it's only a matter of time. Nice!

 

[DJ737]

Hi there

Great stuff.

According to the DL website, DL one day passes are also valid at DJ Lounges, even if the itinerary goes into another day.

One-day passes are valid for a single day of travel. Itineraries that include a date change between origin and destination are treated as the same day of travel.

Cheers
DJ737

 

[crazydave98]

Does that offer any reciprocity for DJ Lounge members dave?

Not yet sorry, but working on that as well as reciprocity with VS Clubhouses and other airlines. The aim obviously is to increase the value proposition of our Lounge membership. You would be surprised (or maybe not!) at how backwards thinking some airlines are - we're quite happy to have net payments each month between airlines for reciprocity between lounges because the netted off payments cancel out and it greatly increases the value of each others program, but some can't get past counting the beans.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[ANstar]

Great news! Looking forward to more benefits for Velocity members

 

[Travel Guru]

Not yet sorry, but working on that as well as reciprocity with VS Clubhouses and other airlines. The aim obviously is to increase the value proposition of our Lounge membership. You would be surprised (or maybe not!) at how backwards thinking some airlines are - we're quite happy to have net payments each month between airlines for reciprocity between lounges because the netted off payments cancel out and it greatly increases the value of each others program, but some can't get past counting the beans.

cheers

CrazyDave98

Will be great when it happens, but that's bean counters for you.

Any word on the priority check in for Lounge members and if/when it might happen? I'm holding off joining until it happens.

TG

 

[sampson]

Good to see Dave,

but red and bronze velocity members buy lounge membership in LA or do I get a cab to my club.

 

[sampson]

Does Velocity have an example on how many, for example, Melbourne to Sydney flights are needed in 12 months to get to a) silver and b) gold?

 

[dajop]

Does Velocity have an example on how many, for example, Melbourne to Sydney flights are needed in 12 months to get to a) silver and b) gold?

Complicated by the presence of V Australia which awards miles on class flown/distance travelled.

However for Virgin Blue it is fairly simple equation:

Silver = 25,000 status credits = $5,000 spend on Virgin Blue flights
(5 SC's per $ spent)

Gold = 50,000 status credits = $9,167 spend on Virgin Blue flights.
(once silver u get 6 SC's per $ spent, so the next 25,000 only require $4,167)

So MEL-SYD-MEL is usually somewhere between $170 (go fare) and $810 (premium economy), so the no of returns will be between 6.5 and 29 for silver and 11.5 and 54 for gold! (by comparison on QF the figures for gold are 35 returns in discount economy, 17.5 returns in flexi saver/full Y and 9 returns in business class)

 

[sampson]

Complicated by the presence of V Australia which awards miles on class flown/distance travelled.

However for Virgin Blue it is fairly simple equation:

Silver = 25,000 status credits = $5,000 spend on Virgin Blue flights
(5 SC's per $ spent)

Gold = 50,000 status credits = $9,167 spend on Virgin Blue flights.
(once silver u get 6 SC's per $ spent, so the next 25,000 only require $4,167)

So MEL-SYD-MEL is usually somewhere between $170 (go fare) and $810 (premium economy), so the no of returns will be between 6.5 and 29 for silver and 11.5 and 54 for gold! (by comparison on QF the figures for gold are 35 returns in discount economy, 17.5 returns in flexi saver/full Y and 9 returns in business class)

Thanks. I must've joined velocity at 'the wrong time of year' . somehow each of the family was getting around 18,000 a year and then, not long before we were to board a vaustralia flight we went back to zero. C'est la vie. It looks like gold is unattainable anyway.

 

[sampson]

Priceline's 'what should I bid' page has several hotels 'at the entrance to LAX' for a kip: $107 for a real room in a 4 star hotel won't be so bad. then check in the bags and then go back to the room or the pool.