The Lounge 1stAug - changes to access and pricing (including Priority Pass Access)

[zig]

Re: sparkling in new MEL lounge

Seems PP DJ Lounge access is finished 14 July 2011.

Entry & Access | Virgin Australia

See the last entry:

"Prioirity Pass card holders

Members of Prioirty Pass will have access to the Virgin Australia lounge until 14 July 2011. If you would like to continue to enjoy the lounge, please purchase a single entry pass or an annual membership."

Has the text of this site been changed since you posted the link? I can't see any reference to PP on the page now (or am I blind ).
I'm trying to clarify PP access to the Lounge after I had some difficulty gaining access at the beginning of the month. I have emailed PP and not received a reply.

 

[zig]

Confirming that our agreement with Priority Pass will cease on 14th July 2011.
If you are a PP member, you will of course be able to purchase a casual entry, of if a Velocity member prepay a single entry, or Lounge membership after this date.

Well, isn't that exceedingly generous of Virgin

As I have posted on another thread, can you tell us why this information has been now removed from the Virgin website?

 

[serfty]

Is that including positioning flights and the mandatory 4 QF segments

Of course not!

However, positioning flights cost ~$980 in total on AirNZ (2 halves of ex USA bookings).

The other four Squiggles can be had for around $300 easily; so let's say $2500 in total (at that rate, WP can be had for under $3500).

FWIW, I'm travelling to DFW next month on for QF flights costing $1028 - will earn another four "Squiggles" and 34K QFF points.

 

[Noob]

Back to Qantas I go then, the removal of Priority Pass access is the final straw! With such a limited number of lounges, I won't make the effort to either purchase or increase my status with Virgin.

I will make a few more flights on QF to achieve Gold status again with them, and get free lounge access and sit back and enjoy QF for pretty much the same price or less

Bye Virgin!

Really?
Last I checked Virgin Australia Gold Velocity members get access to:

Etihad Lounges
Delta Lounges
Singapore Airlines lounges (soon!)
Air New Zealand lounges
Virgin America Lounges
Virgin Atlantic Lounges
and obviously Virgin Australia Domestic Lounges

-----

If you do choose to leave Virgin, please send feedback to their customer service outlining why as constructive criticism would be appreciated IMO. (They actually read, and reply to them as well)

Feedback form: Feedback form | Virgin Australia

I doubt you will get the attentive service provided by Virgin staff (which is even present on this forum!) at Qantas however...

 

[Fifa]

Re: sparkling in new MEL lounge

Has the text of this site been changed since you posted the link? I can't see any reference to PP on the page now (or am I blind ).

It certainly has changed.
The reference was there yesterday :!:

 

[TonyHancock]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

I wonder if Virgin (Do we call them VA or DJ?) has to give more than a month's notice. I suspect the new parnter American Express is probably not so keen on PP being dumped!

 

[loobloke]

Noob,

The Virgin product will speak (and defend) for itself.
I'm sure most of us know what is on offer from Virgin and we can arrive to our own conclusions based on our own experiences.

No need to be defending it all the time, it gets annoying.

Cheers.

--

In other news, I will be visiting the MEL lounge for the first time since the refit soon. Hope it's as good as you all say it is!

 

[zig]

Re: sparkling in new MEL lounge

It certainly has changed.
The reference was there yesterday :!:

Good to know that I wasn't missing something really obvious.

 

[LiamR]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

Maybe PP will be staying after all!

 

[Noob]

Noob,

The Virgin product will speak (and defend) for itself.
I'm sure most of us know what is on offer from Virgin and we can arrive to our own conclusions based on our own experiences.

No need to be defending it all the time, it gets annoying.

Cheers.

--

In other news, I will be visiting the MEL lounge for the first time since the refit soon. Hope it's as good as you all say it is!

I'm sorry,

 

[nlagalle]

I think Virgin should finish rolling out their new cabins and proposed lounges/updated lounges before moving to premium pricing, which is how it appears. As far as the new lounge T&C's go, children under 12 should be banned. Lounges are for business travel not private club crèches.

Here we go again with the kid debate... They will never ban kids from the lounge. They will lose business. I travel with my 8yo and she is a gem, simply because I make sure she behaves. If parents don't control their kids then ask them to leave..And why should you have to be traveling on business to be in the lounge???

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm sure most of us know what is on offer from Virgin and we can arrive to our own conclusions based on our own experiences.

This so true. I never knew QFF Gold was so cheap to get. Makes me think........no it doesn't. That might be exactly why the QP is called the QP :shock: and the reason I now fly VA is that I nearly always choose the cheapest fare on offer. Why? Because my flights are mostly short haul hops. QF doesn't service some of my destinations and Jetstar don't offer rewards (on the cheapies), so although my annual airfare spend is between $5k and $10k, QF Gold is out and until recently, so too was DJ Gold.

With the recent DJ changes, DJ Gold is now well within my reach with an example of a rtn OOL-SYD cheapy of about $150 now giving 20SCs (2000 in the old terms) whereas previously I would have earned 900 (or 9 in todays terms). Big difference there and it seems to suggest to me, that DJ are rewarding my flying loyalty (about 80 flights per year) even though I don't usually buy the dearer fares. This means Gold is now almost a certainty and who knows, in a good year perhaps Platinum, and with the benefit of access to uncrowded lounges that are not like a workers pub (not that I dislike workers pubs, but only when "unforced"). So as much as these threads seem uncomfortably like a John and Yoko "love in" at times, my enthusiasm is a result of a firmly based and supported business decision, which just happens to be working quite well for me at the moment.

For those who see better benefit in QF, that's fine too. I seem to recall that being colloquially called "healthy competition", which QF has not had for some time now.

 

[markis10]

Of course not!

However, positioning flights cost ~$980 in total on AirNZ (2 halves of ex USA bookings).

The other four Squiggles can be had for around $300 easily; so let's say $2500 in total (at that rate, WP can be had for under $3500).

FWIW, I'm travelling to DFW next month on for QF flights costing $1028 - will earn another four "Squiggles" and 34K QFF points.

Last week I could have got DJ Gold for $1500 as a zero status member with positioning flights for $59 and if I am smart and book happy hour fares I can get it for $2500 any weekday, sadly like the return DFW for $1028 or my BNE-PER with QF for $55 last Jan, past fares are not an indication of what is available in the future when it comes to SCs and the cost thereof!

 

[connieguy]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

Maybe PP will be staying after all!

Have PMed Velocity Rewards with just that question.

 

[markis10]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

Maybe PP will be staying after all!

Have PMed Velocity Rewards with just that question.

Why, they have already made a statement confirming the change:

Confirming that our agreement with Priority Pass will cease on 14th July 2011.
If you are a PP member, you will of course be able to purchase a casual entry, of if a Velocity member prepay a single entry, or Lounge membership after this date.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ess-pricing-effective-30819-4.html#post449577

 

[connieguy]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

Why, they have already made a statement confirming the change

They also made a very clear statement here and on their web site about the definition of a SC earning flight and then retracted it.

With respect to the forum. I don't think their "Statements" here hold any water. The number of DJ passengers that inhabit this Forum are very small. I get the feeling we are being used as a sounding board to test various Kites they may decided to try to fly from time to time.

DJ made the PP Card statement on their Lounge access web page and have now removed it. Also the PP web site still shows all DJ Lounges can be used by their card holders. I'm ready to buy a PP card so I can get DJ Lounge access until I build my status up to Gold. From the current information on both the DJ and PP web sites, I will then get DJ Lounge access for 1 year.

DJ do get paid every time a PP Card holder uses their Lounges. Maybe now, after posting the NO PP Access, they will get paid a bit more by PP and so have removed the notice?

I don't expect DJ to give me DJ Gold in a Status Match against my QF Platinum as that devalues the flying all the other DJ Golds did to gain their Status. As I also don't like wasting money or being deceived, I PMed VR to ask what the H*LL is going on.

 

[invisigirl23]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

90% of my recent Priority Pass purchase decision was based on the DJ lounge access - if this is indeed withdrawn, and not replaced with similar domestic lounge access (I highly doubt QP will come on board), with only 2 planned international trips in the coming year it will become a very expensive per visit pass at around $180 per lounge visit!

 

[markis10]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

They also made a very clear statement here and on their web site about the definition of a SC earning flight and then retracted it.

With respect to the forum. I don't think their "Statements" here hold any water. .

If that is the case then by your own logic, why bother sending a PM as surely that would not hold water and just waste time :evil:, surely by your reasoning the only thing to believe is whats on the website, and in the case you quoted with regard SCs that was also incorrect for a time.

I have found the information posted on AFF by the various Virgin reps to be consistent at all times, and when they have made mistakes or things change they have been consistent in the treatment of those affected in making sure the commitments are adhered to up until the change. It has been quoted that PP will lose access and so be it, if you follow PP closely over the years you will not that lounges being dropped completely always occur with very short notice to members, a quick search here and on FT will confirm that, so its not surprising that PP dont have it on their website.

 

[connieguy]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

If that is the case then by your own logic, why bother sending a PM as surely that would not hold water and just waste time :evil:, surely by your reasoning the only thing to believe is whats on the website, and in the case you quoted with regard SCs that was also incorrect for a time.

I have found the information posted on AFF by the various Virgin reps to be consistent at all times, and when they have made mistakes or things change they have been consistent in the treatment of those affected in making sure the commitments are adhered to up until the change. It has been quoted that PP will lose access and so be it, if you follow PP closely over the years you will not that lounges being dropped completely always occur with very short notice to members, a quick search here and on FT will confirm that, so its not surprising that PP dont have it on their website.

So why then did DJ post it on their Lounge Access web page one day and then remove it the next? Sure PP may be a bit show at updates on Lounge access, I have emailed them as well, but when DJ remove the statement from their site, which to my reading says they have retracted their earlier decision, I have PMed VR to ask for clarification.

As I will not disclose what I learn from VR on this forum, I will encourage him / DJ to make the situation clear to all via the DJ web site.

BTW with great respect to the DJ reps here, we all know that what they say here about DJ policy is not binding on DJ. To be binding it needs to be posted on the DJ web site as part of their official T & Cs.

 

[markis10]

Re: Priority Pass and the New Melbourne Lounge

So why then did DJ post it on their Lounge Access web page one day and then remove it the next? Sure PP may be a bit show at updates on Lounge access, I have emailed them as well, but when DJ remove the statement from their site, which to my reading says they have retracted their earlier decision, I have PMed VR to ask for clarification.

Maybe someone pointed out that using PP was not part of the lounge access section in the first place so why advertise its removal? Its a third party arrangement where the particular third party only advertises the loss of things after the event in a lot of cases, as it affects future sales, having one lounge in Australia and one in NZ is not going to invoke a membership spike.