Virgin Lounge in Perth closed prior to the redeye departures?

[Mitch_W]

Thanks! If no change, I will use my Amex Card for the Amex lounge I guess.

 

[Mitch_W]

(Amex Lounge) I wonder if you can still take the elevator down to the Sky Team Lounge?

 

[Scr77]

@Mattg The end of your article says that arrival access is no longer available for business class passengers. When did that happen as Virgin lounge T&C’s still have arrival access for business guests?


5.3 Access on arrival

(a) Subject to space availability, Members, Velocity Platinum Members, Velocity Gold Members, their Invited Guests and Business Class Guests may access the Lounge in their arrival port immediately upon arrival with a Virgin Australia itinerary or boarding pass that is eligible for the day of travel. The use of the Lounge in the destination port is available to these Guests for up to 60 minutes immediately after their flight arrival.

 

[serfty]

@Mattg The end of your article says that arrival access is no longer available for business class passengers. When did that happen as Virgin lounge T&C’s still have arrival access for business guests?


5.3 Access on arrival

(a) Subject to space availability, Members, Velocity Platinum Members, Velocity Gold Members, their Invited Guests and Business Class Guests may access the Lounge in their arrival port immediately upon arrival with a Virgin Australia itinerary or boarding pass that is eligible for the day of travel. The use of the Lounge in the destination port is available to these Guests for up to 60 minutes immediately after their flight arrival.

Arrivals access for those groups has been a avaliable for some months; it had been blocked for some time before then 'Cuz COVID.

Those blocks are no more.

Platinum Membership

Enjoy gold membership benefits as soon as your status credit reaches to 1000. benefits includes priority phone service, upgrademe points, advance seat selection, priority wait list and also enjoy priority check-in, virgin Australia lounge, complementary baggage allowance and rewards benefits...

experience.velocityfrequentflyer.com

Lounges

Make your next trip to the airport an enjoyable one by experiencing the Virgin Australia Lounge.

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[kerfuffle]

Arrivals access for those groups has been a avaliable for some months; it had been blocked for some time before then 'Cuz COVID.

Can confirm. Been using the lounges on arrival to use the toilets before leaving the airport this month.

 

[ChrisBNE]

On VA metal there is currently no lounge access at SYD Int.
That may change by November but no official announcement yet.

November sounds good for me, is this across BNE too (flying intl VA Jan 23)?

 

[Princess Fiona]

November sounds good for me, is this across BNE too (flying intl VA Jan 23)?

I have no idea when it’s changing for VA Int at BNE/SYD/MEL. I mentioned November as that is when the OP is traveling, apologies for the confusion.

 

[eastwest101]

Back to the lounge question in PER for the back-of-the-clock flights, if you paid the separate Economy-X fee which includes the seat, priority boarding, and lounge access, and then take a photo of the lounge doors locked up, you could initiate a partial chargeback on your credit card for 'services not provided'? They would lose that argument every day of the week. That might get their attention.

Can't have it both ways VA - if you're going to operate on the back of the clock, you gotta provide the services stated that you will provide.....

 

[AIRwin]

Back to the lounge question in PER for the back-of-the-clock flights, if you paid the separate Economy-X fee which includes the seat, priority boarding, and lounge access, and then take a photo of the lounge doors locked up, you could initiate a partial chargeback on your credit card for 'services not provided'?

EconomyX doesn't include lounge access

 

[Mattg]

@Mattg The end of your article says that arrival access is no longer available for business class passengers. When did that happen as Virgin lounge T&C’s still have arrival access for business guests?


5.3 Access on arrival

(a) Subject to space availability, Members, Velocity Platinum Members, Velocity Gold Members, their Invited Guests and Business Class Guests may access the Lounge in their arrival port immediately upon arrival with a Virgin Australia itinerary or boarding pass that is eligible for the day of travel. The use of the Lounge in the destination port is available to these Guests for up to 60 minutes immediately after their flight arrival.

Interesting. When Virgin announced in April that they were bringing back arrivals access, they only said it was for Gold and Platinum members. However, you are correct that that's what it says in the terms & conditions.

I guess it's possible that they have also now reinstated this for Business passengers and lounge members. Does anyone know for sure?

I used the lounge on arrival in CBR the other day, but have Gold status.

 

[ozstamps]

PER lounge certainly appears to close at about 9.30pm, well it was last month .. unknown to us pax, booked on the midnight flight to SYD. Delayed an hour as well. The sign on the lounge door we took below says it remains open until last flight of the day is called. So did the website. What a mess.

Hours of sitting around in main terminal due to more Virgin nickel and diming.

Had a long day, starting in Broome with the 3 hour flight to Perth, with total incompetency there, so really did not need this.

Totally clueless check in staffer at Broome put my partner, also a Plat, in Row 1A, and me in 12, for the 3 hour fight. Had booked both seats in row 12 exits as a A320, so no business class.

Gate at Broome a nightmare .. never marked as being for the Virgin fight, showing QF all the time. No boarding calls of any kind from Virgin but QF did. Virgin had an elderly panicky lady there who did not appear to have used the system before at console. Staff issues maybe, but a very unprofessional mess. We were both Business Class PER-SYD.

Asked her in Broome to issue boarding passes PER-SYD and she could not manage even that. End result - no PER-SYD flights have ever posted yet into our accounts.

 

[trisreed]

They managed (at least once) to put up an A4 sign saying that the lounge was closed that night due to 'operational reasons' a few weeks ago on the middle of the door. Surely they can find some blank paper and blue tack to cover this up? Or would that be (ironically) too unprofessional!

 

[ozstamps]

'operational reasons' - translates to 'we are too damn cheap to pay staff for 2 more hours'

Outrageous to turn up at 10pm to find it closed, with the opening hours note I photod above still being there, and website confirming it.

And then sit around until 1am.

Those midnight red-eye flights are a pain enough - arriving 6.30am SYD so a snack, and a couple of drinks in lounge then lets you sleep the whole flight.

 

[jakeseven7]

'operational reasons' - translates to 'we are too damn cheap to pay staff for 2 more hours'

Outrageous to turn up at 10pm to find it closed, with the opening hours note I photod above still being there, and website confirming it.

And then sit around until 1am.

Those midnight red-eye flights are a pain enough - arriving 6.30am SYD so a snack, and a couple of drinks in lounge then lets you sleep the whole flight.

Are you sure Virgin didn't notify you in an email when you booked that the lounge is closed for some flights??

If not they should....

 

[ozstamps]

Are you sure Virgin didn't notify you in an email when you booked that the lounge is closed for some flights??

If not they should....

They are too cheap to open lounges - why would they email admitting it? Have YOU ever got an email saying it will be closed by the time you arrive?

Access to capital city mainland lounges is a written promise for Elites and Biz Class pax for fights in scheduled time slots. PER-SYD is not a cheap flight.

 

[jakeseven7]

They are too cheap to open lounges - why would they email admitting it? Have YOU ever got an email saying it will be closed by the time you arrive?

Access to capital city mainland lounges is a written promise for Elites and Biz Class pax for fights in scheduled time slots. PER-SYD is not a cheap flight.

I don’t disagree with you, I just thought maybe they had flagged they close it and don’t provide lounge access for several flights a day… it still would be cough but then at least people would know I guess…

 

[Must...Fly!]

I don't think it has anything to do with being cheap to be honest. Staffing issues?

 

[ozstamps]

I don't think it has anything to do with being cheap to be honest. Staffing issues?

I guess 'staffing issues' are also responsible for no newspapers in lounges or biz cabins, even now, and no Wi-Fi back on planes even now, and no Sydney kerb side lounge access etc even now?

I resent paying for Business Class Transcon, and then needing to go into a newsagent to buy a few papers to pass the 4 hour flight to Perth, as Virgin are too CHEAP to load them to front end of planes, or lounges, or have WiFi back, so I can do some work en-route. They do not even have in-fight magazines to fill in part of the 3-4 hours.

It is a very convenient catch-all lazy excuse lately. For them - and many here.

'CHEAP' is a far more relevant term than 'staffing issues' .

These are the small things that would close the gap a bit to Qantas, whilst they have been floundering. They are this week handing out $50 vouchers, free lounge passes, tons of bonus points, extra 1 year status extensions, and Virgin at the same time, is Nickel and Diming over a dollar to them NEWSPAPER ??????

 

[JackMiles]

Hi all
Any recent experiences with the VA lounge ahead of the red-eyes? Or knowledge of changes coming if it is still closing early?
I see the website still gives the opening hours for PER as "...until last Virgin Australia flight departure". And there are definitely red-eyes running.

 

[Bagpuss]

Hi all
Any recent experiences with the VA lounge ahead of the red-eyes? Or knowledge of changes coming if it is still closing early?
I see the website still gives the opening hours for PER as "...until last Virgin Australia flight departure". And there are definitely red-eyes running.

Two weeks ago it was closing when the 6PM (now 5:55pm) Melbourne flight, VA694 was called for boarding. This is still the last flight prior to the red eyes.

Really it's 5 hours from then until the red-eyes leave, so I understand closing but they should give at least business class and plats vouchers.