Travelling Virgin to Samoa or Tonga? No Lounge for you!

[compact]

In a move to explicitly exclude robust brown people with healthy appetites, Virgin has no lounge access for passengers flying from Sydney to Nuku'alofa or Apia. Other international FFers with lounge access can go to Malaysian or Air New Zealand's lounge at Sydney's International Terminal -- Virgin apparently has no lounge.

My partner and I, following directions from the check-in clerk and security people, spent most of an hour finding where to go before being smarmily excluded from the Air New Zealand lounge (where we were eventually directed). Telephone calls were a shuttle of avoidance: We at Virgin Australia having nothing to do with Virgin Pacific; the supervisor at the Pacific Blue counter only wanted to growl at the poor check-in clerk who had the temerity to think we would be welcome at a lounge.

We left the city an hour or two early, looking forward to a mellow brunch and relax in the lounge before our flight.

Felt pretty furious with Virgin about this. :evil:

Anyone else experienced this <rubbish>?

 

[The Rok]

A 30 second read of the VA website would of told you that.

It sucks but it's the same situation for travellers to Bali. I don't think it's really a J route for Virgin hence the lack of offering premium amenities. Having said that I would of thought Bali would be a good J route?

 

[straitman]

A 30 second read of the VA website would of told you that.

It sucks but it's the same situation for travellers to Bali. I don't think it's really a J route for Virgin hence the lack of offering premium amenities. Having said that I would of thought Bali would be a good J route?

That may be the case however I would have thought that access would still occur as it really is part of the same network.

Pretty poor IMHO.

 

[The Rok]

It's piss poor but I thought it was fairly common knowledge.

I assume the joint Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic/Etihad Lounge if it ever goes ahead will solve the issue for Sydney.

 

[777]

It has long been the case and it has long been poor. VA has no international lounge access for short haul international except NZ regardless of status or class or carriage. It applies to all pacific island flights, Bali, coughet (from Perth) etc. It is primarily the result of VA having no internal lounge of their own.

It is pretty poor form. I'm pretty sure its not "a move to explicitly exclude robust brown people with healthy appetites" though. It's mainly case of not having a lounge of their own and not wanting to pay someone else for one on these low yield routes.

I *really* hope this glaring sore gets fixed at some point soon.

 

[mavrick9]

I just did some searches, MEL (via AKL) APK for Mid June : DJ is $871 return and ANZ $842. The NZ ticket is the same price on their metal or as a DJ 737 ex MEL codeshare.

The ANZ is a 777 - MEL-AKL return, rather than a DJ 737.

I'd just book it via ANZ, then you get access to the NZ lounge in MEL and also in AKL (only on MEL flight not APK sector)??.

What about if your Velocity Gold, flying a Virgin Codeshare booked through ANZ to APIA(Samoa).

Either way Samoa is great and the Valima (beer) is really cheap.


PS. Ex Denpasar you get access to the Premier Lounge. But seems no lounge access AUS - BALI.

 

[stredinnick]

Ok so if I'm flying to Honiara with 'Virgin' (Pacific Blue?) I have no lounge access even though I'm Gold?

 

[777]

Ok so if I'm flying to Honiara with 'Virgin' (Pacific Blue?) I have no lounge access even though I'm Gold?

That is correct. Not in the international terminal.

 

[Fruitcake]

In J class you could:

[SUP]+[/SUP]

Air New Zealand lounge access is not permitted when flying on any Virgin Australia international short-haul flights except for Business Class guests flying from SYD/BNE/MEL to Bali or from Brisbane to Honiara..
​

International Lounge Access | Virgin Australia

 

[Major]

Only flights to NZ have Koru Lounge access for Gold and Plats.

Pacific Islands do not

 

[777]

In J class you could:

That's new. When did that come in?

 

[Fruitcake]

This was the first time I've ever noticed it. But whenever checking lounge access in the past, I've always used the Velocity Gold/Platinum Benefits site, rather than the DJ site.

Presumably NZ has acquiesced to access on those flights because they don't serve DPS or HIR themselves. But with NZ starting AKL-DPS in June that might change, especially since NZ will probably offer J to DPS.

 

[mannej]

As an aside, it really irritates me when one brings race into something like this. Yes I know the situation isn't great, but I am sure that race had nothing to do with it. I mean, could you say the reason for no access Bali wise is for the drunken bogan's?

Perhaps keeping the comments to Virgin more to the point if you do wish to go down this path may help you more than point out any link to race.

 

[compact]

Thanks for the interesting discussion. Sorry i annoyed you, mannej. It just felt very personal at the time.

Appreciate all the knowledge and experience here.

 

[cavemanzk]

This was the first time I've ever noticed it. But whenever checking lounge access in the past, I've always used the Velocity Gold/Platinum Benefits site, rather than the DJ site.

Presumably NZ has acquiesced to access on those flights because they don't serve DPS or HIR themselves. But with NZ starting AKL-DPS in June that might change, especially since NZ will probably offer J to DPS.

It was not NZ/DJ choice to exclude Pacific Island lounge access, it was part of the agreement made by the two goverments to allow the alliance. As long as the two kept there Pacific Island bussineses seperated.

 

[markis10]

It was not NZ/DJ choice to exclude Pacific Island lounge access, it was part of the agreement made by the two goverments to allow the alliance. As long as the two kept there Pacific Island bussineses seperated.

A good point, and a case of competition not bringing increased benefits!

 

[Deleted member]

Ok so if I'm flying to Honiara with 'Virgin' (Pacific Blue?) I have no lounge access even though I'm Gold?

What's in Honiara for you?
.........come to think of it, what's in Honiara for anyone ? .
( I can say that, I was born there)

 

[Fruitcake]

It was not NZ/DJ choice to exclude Pacific Island lounge access, it was part of the agreement made by the two goverments to allow the alliance. As long as the two kept there Pacific Island bussineses seperated.

That's true, but my thinking was that if it's possible for Virgin to negotiate NZ lounge access for J pax to HIR (definitely a Pacific island destination, albeit with no competing NZ service) then it seems odd that they were not able / were unwilling to negotiate status pax lounge access. I can't see the competition regulator's ruling drawing a distinction between status and cabin class related lounge access, otherwise J pax to all short haul destinations should have lounge access?

Bring on the Virgin Australia / Virgin Atlantic / Etihad / Delta Super lounge for Sydney and a Virgin Australia / EY lounge in Brisbane!

 

[Deleted member]

In a move to explicitly exclude robust brown people with healthy appetites, Virgin has no lounge access for passengers flying from Sydney to Nuku'alofa or Apia. Other international FFers with lounge access can go to Malaysian or Air New Zealand's lounge at Sydney's International Terminal -- Virgin apparently has no lounge.

My partner and I, following directions from the check-in clerk and security people, spent most of an hour finding where to go before being smarmily excluded from the Air New Zealand lounge (where we were eventually directed). Telephone calls were a shuttle of avoidance: We at Virgin Australia having nothing to do with Virgin Pacific; the supervisor at the Pacific Blue counter only wanted to growl at the poor check-in clerk who had the temerity to think we would be welcome at a lounge.

We left the city an hour or two early, looking forward to a mellow brunch and relax in the lounge before our flight.

Felt pretty furious with Virgin about this. :evil:

Anyone else experienced this <rubbish>?

Given your profile gives no hint of FF programmes you are a member of. And that you didn't disclose wether you were flying Y or J etc. are there any other mitigating circumstances that would cause you to be excluded from any partner lounges?
I note that when using partner lounges ( one world in my case) unless you fly J or better it is often a no go area without status. and it can be very confusing.

 

[compact]

Hi GPH -- didn't put my details in my profile yet, it's true. I am a Velocity Gold member but was flying flexi-economy (no J class on the Sydney - Tonga route).

"Bring on the Virgin Australia / Virgin Atlantic / Etihad / Delta Super lounge for Sydney and a Virgin Australia / EY lounge in Brisbane!"
-- that's the slogan I was looking for! Thanks, fruitcake.