Virgin International Lounge, Wellington [Poor start!]

[pauly7]

The silver lining here is that you can forever say you were the first pax in to a VA Intl Lounge!

And you made it out alive

 

[ozstamps]

Sounds very sloppy all round.

Agree a $50 voucher to a café that has WiFi would cost them a TON less.

WLG attracts a lot of high flyers and CEOs etc flying on paid high $$ tickets, to do business with government (witness the GIGANTIC Virgin lounge in Canberra!) so they probably feel they need to offer SOMETHING, but something coughpy, is worse than nothing at all really, to that market.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

A feel good deed for them, to their point of view I guess.
But as no gutting of WLG was done, there is just no space to expand to add a total brand new brand newly erected lounge there.
Ie not as it is the VA "new" lounge there.
Even PER VAd Lounge is nicer.
I probably would still pick to fly the SQ WLG -MEL flight than the VA one, even if lounge access not available to the Koru at WLG int airport with SQ booking.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

I probably would still pick to fly the SQ WLG -MEL flight than the VA one, even if lounge access not available to the Koru at WLG int airport with SQ booking.

SQ business class is relatively cheap on this route and includes lounge access.

 

[Shamrock55]

I think I know the space you mention, think it used to be something else years ago then was just empty doing nothing. It's a weird afterthought space, but I bet literally all they could come up with that was not being used.

As it's all open to the airport terminal ceiling it will be very noisy as you say! Boiling in summer probably.

 

[blaz]

To be fair, it was their first day, and knowing how these deadlines work, to save face they stick to the opening date despite not being ready for it. The hot food that depends on a hotel nearby also relies on their catering staff starting particularly early. However, the whole setup seems rather light on. They should have gone for quality if they couldn't go for size, and it seems that in this case they went for neither.

 

[bullerdude]

Given they didn't have an option to use someone else lounges as they do at other NZ ports (since the break up with AirNZ) i'm glad they proceeded with setting up a lounge rather than going without one. They had timelines and budgets to content with and i guess this is the result - let's hope it can be improved over time. A space to sit down and have a drink and some nibbles is all that i really require when leaving wellington. It it a pity though that no toilets were included.

The QF lounge at wellington is also pretty basic, by comparison, but it is at least a quiet space and has toilets.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

SQ business class is relatively cheap on this route and includes lounge access.

Ahhhh, so we do if we decide to fly the SQ flight WLG - MEL get Koru Lounge access at WLG airport.
Thought we didn't.
Thanks for that one, another plus to fly the SQ plane, of course, putting in the SQ KF FF #.

 

[Warks]

yet still no lounge in Hobart?

Or Townsville (after ten years of flying in and out...)

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Ahhhh, so we do if we decide to fly the SQ flight WLG - MEL get Koru Lounge access at WLG airport.
Thought we didn't.
Thanks for that one, another plus to fly the SQ plane, of course, putting in the SQ KF FF #.

Lounge access if flying business class, or have *G status.

 

[Rosege]

I can sympathize. I'm currently in the Iberia lounge in Madrid. Been here since 3pm and my flight is at 9pm. Dinner starts at 9pm and there is hardly anything to eat. I'm about to go bring burger king into the lounge, and I'm not the only one.

 

[Will I Fly]

I have just come back from Wellington, and I can tell you nothing has changed from the first day. The lounge is indeed tiny, look like it was a cheap renovation, entrance looks out of place with rest of area. Park the actual facilities. Most importantly the service was downright rude. In any case no staff would answer the intercom and when they did they simply blew everyone off. There was an 85yr old with her daughter and she had to try and find a place for her to sit outside, THEN walk up the stairs. No help from staff, no care, no conversation. Generally looked like they didnt want to be there. I went to the outside bathrooms and came back, to be asked why had I come back! Suggestion for a voucher would save more money and have a much better experience for virgin customers. Apologies, but haven flown out of WLG with Qantas for work, the experience is night and day. I am a loyal Virgin flyer, but that put a dent in my otherwise great experiences.

 

[Mattg]

I have just come back from Wellington, and I can tell you nothing has changed from the first day. The lounge is indeed tiny, look like it was a cheap renovation, entrance looks out of place with rest of area. Park the actual facilities. Most importantly the service was downright rude. In any case no staff would answer the intercom and when they did they simply blew everyone off. There was an 85yr old with her daughter and she had to try and find a place for her to sit outside, THEN walk up the stairs. No help from staff, no care, no conversation. Generally looked like they didnt want to be there. I went to the outside bathrooms and came back, to be asked why had I come back! Suggestion for a voucher would save more money and have a much better experience for virgin customers. Apologies, but haven flown out of WLG with Qantas for work, the experience is night and day. I am a loyal Virgin flyer, but that put a dent in my otherwise great experiences.

Please send feedback to Virgin Australia, I think they need to hear about this.

The lounge setup is something they're kinda stuck with, but rude staff is something they can (hopefully) fix.

 

[VPS]

I have just come back from Wellington, and I can tell you nothing has changed from the first day. The lounge is indeed tiny, look like it was a cheap renovation, entrance looks out of place with rest of area. Park the actual facilities. Most importantly the service was downright rude. In any case no staff would answer the intercom and when they did they simply blew everyone off. There was an 85yr old with her daughter and she had to try and find a place for her to sit outside, THEN walk up the stairs. No help from staff, no care, no conversation. Generally looked like they didnt want to be there. I went to the outside bathrooms and came back, to be asked why had I come back! Suggestion for a voucher would save more money and have a much better experience for virgin customers. Apologies, but haven flown out of WLG with Qantas for work, the experience is night and day. I am a loyal Virgin flyer, but that put a dent in my otherwise great experiences.

I was in the Qantas Wellington lounge yesterday and I think it's very ordinary but sounds better than that

 

[scubabe]

Very sad that they haven’t changed a thing, considering I and others have already passed on feedback.

Not that it matters to me. I haven’t flown Virgin since that experience and I never will again. I even give away my free VA Amex flights to others as after my experience I’ve no interest in repeating it.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Its would have cist millions to put toilets up there, need to gut and rebuild to do it up there.
As I mentioned in past, have been through WLG airport several times, know the space constrains without gutting part if airport building, would have cost a lot more to do a gut and add on, or put in a new building.
Not VAs fault building wise, but as for rude staff, yes, that is not enough training.
No lift its because of lack of space.
4 airlines flying internationally out of WLG, yes, its a very tight space.
Millions to spend vs a few thousand in revenue from J and status pax...
Can see from VAs point of view infrastructure spending wise.

 

[Stealthflyer]

Lounge access if flying business class, or have *G status.

It’s a shame that Velocity members with status can’t access the Wellington VA lounge when flying economy SQ. I understand that space is tight but SQ and VA have different flight times so the load would be spread. They have a really strange alliance.

 

[dajop]

It’s a shame that Velocity members with status can’t access the Wellington VA lounge when flying economy SQ. I understand that space is tight but SQ and VA have different flight times so the load would be spread. They have a really strange alliance.

Given the VA Wellington lounge is only open for limited time: " Access to the Virgin Australia Lounge will be available 90 minutes prior to each Virgin Australia operated flight departure" there is only one flight a week where the lounge would be open for SQ departure anyway (Sunday afternoon flight).

 

[UP4014]

Ah, Virgin going back to it's roots I think.

 

[Stealthflyer]

Given the VA Wellington lounge is only open for limited time: " Access to the Virgin Australia Lounge will be available 90 minutes prior to each Virgin Australia operated flight departure" there is only one flight a week where the lounge would be open for SQ departure anyway (Sunday afternoon flight).

I think the SQ248 flights currently run Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. I whinge, but the lounge is not a dealbreaker for me. After all, I don't have a lounge in my home airport of Hobart. However, it would be a nice gesture.

I didn't realise it was such a temporary solution. When you look at the number of flights out of Wellington, it's baffling that they'd invest in a pop up at Wellington but still neglect Hobart customers. At least I have access to the Melbourne VA lounge when I transit.