Not Flying VA / VS through HKG Again to LHR

[mikenz]

Slightly off topic - but does anyone here know if you can upgrade on VS using Velocity points?

 

[AIRwin]

Slightly off topic - but does anyone here know if you can upgrade on VS using Velocity points?

No I don't think so

 

[Wozza]

I'm a VA Platinum and trying this route soon, mainly to try out the Clubhouse and arrivals lounge in LHR which I've never visited.
I'm not looking forward to the stopover in HKG, though it will be more manageable with the lounge access now available.

Maybe I'm being picky but it's a not great that you can't take a guest into the revivals lounge at LHR.

I'll be travelling in Economy and looking forward to trying the VS product which I haven't done since they were flying the A340 on the route.

I think you'll have a better time in HKG than I did now you have access to the Plaza First Lounge for 4 hours on the way out. Keen to hear what you do with your spare 3 hours (I hate shopping, so I was using my data surfing the net instead).

It's not a great trip out given the 7hr 20min layover.

It will be interesting to see what you make of the lounge on the way back (assuming you don't get Plaza First on the way back? I was very underwhelmed by the VA codeshare lounge).

Hopefully you'll enjoy the VS Lounge in LHR. I booked all the pamper bits I could (small cost I was happy to pay) and found a quiet corner to enjoy the excellent food and wine afterwards.

Safe travels

 

[Harthagan]

Does the 4 hrs mean 4 hrs before boarding or 4 hrs before takeoff? Either way its silly to make people wait 3 hours before they can enter the lounge. Just let passengers decide when they go but limit their time to 4 hours inside (if there must be a time limit)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

let passengers decide when they go but limit their time to 4 hours inside (if there must be a time limit)

I'd suggest that would be impossible to police. Lounge crowding can be a real issue so I do understand some of their thoughts and maybe the transit times they experience do indeed cause them issues. For me, (unless I had work I could do), there would be no way I'd wish to spend more than 4 hours in a lounge. I'd be thinking the 4 hours would be up until boarding time.

 

[serfty]

Yes, they won't let you enter earlier than four hours before scheduled departure time.

 

[Harthagan]

For me, (unless I had work I could do), there would be no way I'd wish to spend more than 4 hours in a lounge. I'd be thinking the 4 hours would be up until boarding time.

Id say that would be the same for everyone. Except the 7 hour layover is unavoidable so its not by choice that people have 7 hours to kill.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

the 7 hour layover is unavoidable so its not by choice that people have 7 hours to kill.

I haven't been there so I have no personal knowledge, but surely there must be somewhere nearby to fill in some time, even if it's just a local restaurant, it has to be better than 7 hours in a lounge?

I know it doesn't appeal to everyone, but for me, I much prefer to plan a stopover rather than a layover.

 

[jpk]

I haven't been there so I have no personal knowledge, but surely there must be somewhere nearby to fill in some time, even if it's just a local restaurant, it has to be better than 7 hours in a lounge?

I know it doesn't appeal to everyone, but for me, I much prefer to plan a stopover rather than a layover.

I've done too many long layovers in HKG, these days I go into town rather than stay inside.

 

[mikenz]

I'm planning on going into town for dinner and a look around for a couple of hours.

I've managed to get myself stuck at HGK for 4 days many moons ago, when I arrived from SYD to be met by a typhoon which closed the airport. The resulting mayhem of trying to book people bound for LHR onto a new flight took days to fix. I was a lucky(ish) one and had to travel on the third day in the jumpseats - not much fun for a 12 hour flight. This goes back to someone's comment on choosing an airline who can rescue you - VA/VS don't have many options in this case.

 

[Muppet501st]

When are you travelling?
Im travelling thru BNE-HKG 2 nights then onto LHR, with wife and 14yo, first week of Feb. Both wife and i are WP, so really hoping they let my daughter into the arrivals lounge, though i have told her, there's a high possibility of her having to wait out side the lounge for us

have just finished off breakfast after a shower in the Revivals Lounge. So definitely no leeway on guests, even children. So I stumped up the 30 quid to bring her in. Well worth it though. Very nice. Just waiting on our massages.
The Priority First lounge in HKG is very nice, we took full advantage off all the complimentary parts. They make a mean espresso martini.
We checked our luggage in at HongKong station and the lady had no idea about Velocity WP privileges and lounge access. She had to make a couple of phone calls after I showed her the Velocity page. Eventually received the priority bag tags and lounge passes.

 

[mikenz]

have just finished off breakfast after a shower in the Revivals Lounge. So definitely no leeway on guests, even children. So I stumped up the 30 quid to bring her in. Well worth it though. Very nice. Just waiting on our massages.
The Priority First lounge in HKG is very nice, we took full advantage off all the complimentary parts. They make a mean espresso martini.
We checked our luggage in at HongKong station and the lady had no idea about Velocity WP privileges and lounge access. She had to make a couple of phone calls after I showed her the Velocity page. Eventually received the priority bag tags and lounge passes.

Thanks for the review. Are you Velocity platinum? Were there any other perks while travelling with VS?

 

[Muppet501st]

Thanks for the review. Are you Velocity platinum? Were there any other perks while travelling with VS?

Yep, both my wife and I are WP. No other benefits other than what is published on the velocity website. Also there is no mention of VA status on the boarding pass, only your VFF#. We used the upper class boarding gate and was told to use the general boarding line, showed them our WP cards and where allowed to continue.

 

[mikenz]

I just arrived back in Sydney after trying the VS/VA trip from London through HK. I thought I'd share my experience for anyone considering this route.
I usually do my Europe flying on Singapore or Etihad but I was curious.

I am Velocity Platinum and I flew Economy.

I'm not sure if Velocity Plat members can use the drive thru check in at Heathrow, but I decided not to risk it.
I used the VS Upper Class check in within the terminal with no problems. No waiting.
I asked the staff if I could use velocity points to upgrade and the answer was 'Yes, but you need to call Velocity".
I called Velocity and the answer was 'no'.
My velocity number and status didn't appear on either of my boarding passes, but the check in staff did write "velocity plat" on my boarding pass.
I had to show my digital velocity card showing the expiry date to enter the lounge, which was a major pain because my phone battery had died. There seems to be a very clear rule, no proof of status = no entry.

I'd never experienced it, so the Virgin Clubhouse at LHR was the main reason I booked this route and I wasn't disappointed. It has to be up there with the best I've ever experienced. I've heard comparisons with QF First in Sydney which I've never been to -the best I've been to is the LAX Star Alliance lounge by Air NZ - and the clubhouse probably wins.

Boarding the flight was pain free - I boarded through the Upper Class line with no problems.

The flight was full but comfortable. The seat was fine and the food options and entertainment weren't great. All in all an ok flight with the highlight being we arrived 90 mins early, but I would probably go with Singapore over VS and Etihad for the hard product.

I had forgotten how much I hate Hong Kong airport. It's a maze of travellators and inter-terminal trains with no clear signage. It took me about 45 minutes to work out where the Hong Kong Airlines lounge was and how to get there (go through transfer security and head for gate 209, look behind you and up stairs and there she is).

The HK airlines lounge was nice, not very busy when I arrived but very busy by the time I left.
Top tip: If you're hoping to take a shower in the lunge you need to book one with the front desk and I'd recommend doing that as soon as you arrive. I decided to eat first which was a mistake. You can't book a time for a shower, you are given a buzzer when one becomes available, and they don't or can't tell you when that's likely to be. I waited 90 minutes for my shower.

When I boarded the VA flight to Sydney there was confusion over my boarding pass because it had been issued by VS. After a few minutes of frantic phone calls they just gave me back my original boarding pass and I boarded without any problems.

I was greeted in my seat by the head purser and received recognition for being a platinum member by way of a menu that everyone else received just before service started. A small gesture I guess, but I remember when Etihad used to hand out noise cancelling headphones to Vel Plat members!

The VA food and entertainment was worse than the VS flight.

In all - the Clubhouse was the highlight and the rest was pretty average. I'm doing the return journey in a few weeks and the only thing I'm looking forward to is the 'Etihad' lounge in Sydney and the revivals lounge in London.

As a Vel Plat who often travels in economy for these long flights my assessment is:
Best for comfort: Singapore Airlines
Best for Service: Singapore Airlines
Best food and drink: Singapore Airlines/Etihad
Best entertainment: Etihad - because they have live sports
Best lounges: Etihad wins because I believe the most important lounge is the one you use in transit. Second would be VA/VS and last would be Singapore because of the shambles of a lounge in SIN.

 

[mikenz]

I just re-read Muppet's post and I think I may have gone to the wrong lounge in HK!

 

[Chicken]

I just re-read Muppet's post and I think I may have gone to the wrong lounge in HK!

VS club house replacement in HKG is Plaza Premium lounge

Did you go to Hong Kong Airlines because you were holding VA membership not VS membership?

 

[mikenz]

Yes, I don't have any status with VS, just VA.

 

[Ausbt]

Singapore because of the shambles of a lounge in SIN.

Are you referring to the SilverKris lounge or SQ Gold lounge? I would have thought as a Plat even flying SQ Y you would have access. Or, possibly you were flying Y but without a VA codeshare which I guess, means you only get Gold lounge?

 

[mikenz]

Velocity platinum members have access to the gold lounge only in Singapore (if flying economy). The silverkris lounge is great, I’ve used it when flying business but the Gold lounge is similar to the plaza lounge in Abu Dhabi. No showers, or even toilets!

The only real benefit of platinum over gold that I seem to use is access to the first lounge in Abu Dhabi, all other lounges seem to be available for gold too.

 

[Chicken]

Yes, I don't have any status with VS, just VA.

Was your boarding pass printed with VS or VA on it? I would assume that you would have been able to go into Plaza lounge if your boarding pass had VS printed on it?

By the way, good effort for getting WP from flying in Y across oceans!