Changes to Virgin Australia Lounge Terms

[knagelli]

As someone said, certain ethnicities bring containers and load up hot food and take it away.

On the flip side , anyone would be wise to assume that once taken out of the lounge the responsibility for any issues arising out of the food you consume would be not VA's problem. Hence I don't think that could be the driver for this , hey I am just saying and I could totally be insane in assuming this.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Knowing that a person can sue, or take action, taking food out that's supposed to eaten there and there, and has to be kept refrigerated, I think that VA is trying to cover their own backs, by not "allowing" non grab and go items, to be taken out.
Supermarkets usually have a policy of unsold foods to be be given to charities, esp sandwiches etc.
Coles now has a quarter of an aisle for sandwiches, ie, grab and go, and it would have been a new thing, one was set up at my Coles about 18 months/24 months ago, prior to that, it was only frozen pies, pasties, cold meats, etc.
But wraps and sandwiches, thats quite new.
For the VA lounge tho, wonder who will keep an eye on people doing things like taking food out, ie, who would do the bag search.
Harder for those in ADL, as its open plan, but its easy to sneak things out, in MEL/SYD VAd lounges, as these have corners away from the staffed area.

 

[justinbrett]

On the flip side , anyone would be wise to assume that once taken out of the lounge the responsibility for any issues arising out of the food you consume would be not VA's problem. Hence I don't think that could be the driver for this , hey I am just saying and I could totally be insane in assuming this.

That is a false assumption. Plenty of takeaway businesses have been sued for alleged food poisoning.

If people do it despite VA banning it, then I think that gets them out of it. If they encourage and facilitate it, that's another matter.

Having said that I took unrefrigerated meat sandwiches to school for 12 years, sometimes not eating until the way home, I never got sick.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Actually, I think they have snuck in a change. If you access the lounge through a credit card (eg. Amex Platinum) or partner airline status, then your guests will need to be travelling. This was not previously the case.

I'm not sure what the previous guest policy was with partner airline status, but there's no change with Amex Platinum. The guest has always needed to be travelling - and in fact, the guest even needs to be travelling on the exact same flight as the Amex Plat cardholder. This has been in the Plat card T&Cs for as long as the benefit has existed:

"Access is complimentary for Primary Platinum Card Member and one complimentary guest only. The Primary Platinum Card Member and guest must be travelling with Virgin Australia domestically on the same Virgin Australia flight."

 

[JohnK]

Because some food has to be kept in certain hygenic conditions or you may get sick.

Totally understood. I wouldn't try to blame Virgin for the sandwich that I made and took with me.

 

[SheikYerbouti]

Totally understood. I wouldn't try to blame Virgin for the sandwich that I made and took with me.

But like most blanket rules, they exist because some people have/might, even if we wouldn't.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I'm not sure what the previous guest policy was with partner airline status, but there's no change with Amex Platinum. The guest has always needed to be travelling - and in fact, the guest even needs to be travelling on the exact same flight as the Amex Plat cardholder.

Whilst that may be true for the AmEx Platinum it is completely unclear what the rules are for elites with Virgin partners such as United Premier Gold elites. Are guests allowed? Under what circumstances? Virgin says to see the policy of the partner airline but I don't see a word from United on this issue. Presumably one guest will be permitted but I suppose we'll find out in January when I fly VA with my partner from PER to SYD.

-RooFlyer88

 

[AIRwin]

Virgin says to see the policy of the partner airline but I don't see a word from United on this issue. Presumably one guest will be permitted but I suppose we'll find out in January when I fly VA with my partner from PER to SYD.

Did you check the eligibility for domestic or international lounge?
Domestic - Virgin Australia's airport lounges | Virgin Australia
International - International lounge access | Virgin Australia

In any case, you're Velocity Gold so you're entitled to 1 guest.

 

[JohnK]

But like most blanket rules, they exist because some people have/might, even if we wouldn't.

But some blanket rules are also there for penny pinching.

I still do what I feel is right and that is I have earned the right to be in that lounge and I will subtly take a sandwich or apple/banana on my way out.

What are they going to do? Ban you or cancel your Velocity account?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Did you check the eligibility for domestic or international lounge?
Domestic - Virgin Australia's airport lounges | Virgin Australia
International - International lounge access | Virgin Australia

In any case, you're Velocity Gold so you're entitled to 1 guest.

I am Velocity Gold right now but that goes away at the end of December as I did not fly the necessary sectors by my review date. Hence why I plugged in my United DollarsPlus Premier Gold frequent flyer when making the booking (that's valid through end of January 2024). I do have a Canadian AmEx Platinum which may have access to the Virgin Australia lounge but I've never tried that stunt before.

 

[Happy Dude]

Which lounges have cans of coke? CBR has little bottles of Lemon, Lime & Bitters but they usually take the cap off when serving. Other lounges seem to make up LLBs on request.

 

[gtrod]

it is completely unclear what the rules are for elites with Virgin partners such as United Premier Gold elites. Are guests allowed?

I was about to start a thread asking exactly this question. Can a UA Gold bring in a guest?

I've fallen back to virgin silver but have lifetime gold on UA.

I'm flying on virgin at xmas with a child so I figured I'd confirm that they'll be able to come in to the lounge, but Virgin says to look at the partner website and UA just says members are eligible for access to Virgin lounges (no mention of limits/guests).

If no guests are allowed then I did get 2 virgin lounge invitations when I fell back to silver, but will I be able to use one if I've gained lounge entry under my UA account?

Hopefully someone with UA Gold has tried access with a guest and can let me know either way. Thanks!

 

[AIRwin]

Can a UA Gold bring in a guest?

Info on eligibility for (domestic) lounge access on VA website:

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I was about to start a thread asking exactly this question. Can a UA Gold bring in a guest?

I've fallen back to virgin silver but have lifetime gold on UA.

I'm flying on virgin at xmas with a child so I figured I'd confirm that they'll be able to come in to the lounge, but Virgin says to look at the partner website and UA just says members are eligible for access to Virgin lounges (no mention of limits/guests).

If no guests are allowed then I did get 2 virgin lounge invitations when I fell back to silver, but will I be able to use one if I've gained lounge entry under my UA account?

Hopefully someone with UA Gold has tried access with a guest and can let me know either way. Thanks!

I'll try and give United DollarsPlus service centre a call tomorrow to see what policy is for all of this.

-RooFlyer88

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2023

Info on eligibility for (domestic) lounge access on VA website:
View attachment 353082

Doesn't answer the question one bit. Try checking the United website and see what it says about additional guest allowance on Virgin Australia lounges. It is silent on that matter!

 

[Willie]

Honestly... who'd want to take the miserable food offering away?
Not me...

Ooh roo

Willie

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Honestly... who'd want to take the miserable food offering away?
Not me...

Ooh roo

Willie

I found the wraps to be far more appealing than the toastie station found at the QF lounges. Less work and more filling!

 

[ChrisBNE]

I snuck an apple out of the lounge yesterday.

 

[knagelli]

I snuck an apple out of the lounge yesterday.

Were you caught and handed over to VFP ( VA's version of AFP) on reaching your destination ?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Were you caught and handed over to VFP ( VA's version of AFP) on reaching your destination ?

Get your hands off my apple. This, my friends, is democracy manifest!

 

[jakeseven7]

CBR?

I suspect heavily it’s WA and QLD the main culprits from what I’ve seen being trucked out the lounge door …

It’s probably hitting the junk food VA2 are trying to sell on board as mentioned above.

I also remember when VA1 used to encourage this (takeaway food from lounge).