AFF member bsb recently visited the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge in San Francisco. This is the lounge used by Virgin Atlantic, with access available to Upper Class passengers as well as Virgin Australia Velocity Gold and Platinum members. Virgin Atlantic’s San Francisco Clubhouse lounge is also used by Fiji Airways.
bsb has taken the time to write a review of their San Francisco Clubhouse experience. All in all, the service, food, drinks and ambience were all excellent. There was no buffet food, but friendly and attentive lounge staff were on hand to provide table service.
Upon arrival I was met by the happiest lounge dragons I’ve ever come across. I was handed a menu and welcomed into the inner sanctum.
What really intrigued me was that there was no buffet of any sort. Not even snacks. But this was ok because only seconds after I found my seat a waitress came up to me and asked what I needed… The food that was coming out looked good and I kind of wished I hadn’t eaten earlier.
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge has an impressive food and drinks menu featuring dishes like seared cod, pasta and a speciality burger. There’s also an impressive bar service, with the drinks menu including a signature cocktail.
The lounge also has showers and provides a comfortable space to catch up on work. Free wi-fi and plenty of powerpoints are available.
The lounge was mostly empty and staff were super attentive asking regularly if I needed anything. There were ample power points which I like.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to using Virgin Atlantic’s San Francisco Clubhouse. The lounge is located before the security checkpoint. Queues to clear security in the United States can be very long, and San Francisco is no exception. Despite allowing plenty of time to reach the gate, bsb probably would have missed their flight if not for the Business class priority queue.
I arrived at my gate well into boarding- I would never had made it if I hadn’t had the J priority queue. 4 pax didn’t make it and their bags were offloaded. I felt sorry for them as it was a nightmare.
All in all, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse appears to be a much better option than the Air France/KLM lounge used by Qantas passengers in San Francisco.
Fiji Airways flies to two destinations in the United States – San Francisco and Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Fiji Airways passengers share the Oneworld Lounge with Qantas passengers.
Fiji Airways can be a good alternative to the major airlines for Business class flights to the United States. Their Business class fares are generally low, and there is also a reasonable amount of Fiji Airways Business class award availability. You can redeem Qantas points to book Fiji Airways flights.
View the full San Francisco Clubhouse review on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Virgin Atlantic SFO Clubhouse mini review
P.S. Do you have an airport lounge experience or review you would like to share with the AFF community? We welcome member reviews on our Trip Reports & Photos forum.
