International Lounge Access with Family

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jedi_sith

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With family points pooling, I will soon be a Gold FF. I'lI then jump quickly to Platinum with our next family holiday.

There are four of us (the two kids are both under 12).

I have been thinking of lounge access options for international travel, and came up with the following options:

1) I take my partner as a guest and pay for the two kids.
2) I try to maximise SC to the point of maintaining Platinum then getting a gift Gold for my partner (we get a guest each then)
3) as soon as I achieve Platinum, I switch the points pooling to my partner and she buys lounge access for $300 at Silver.
4) as per 3 but we get her Gold

Does anyone have thoughts on these options or other ideas for taking the kids via lounges for international travel?
 
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jedi_sith said:
With family points pooling, I will soon be a Gold FF. I'lI then jump quickly to Platinum with our next family holiday.

There are four of us (the two kids are both under 12).

I have been thinking of lounge access options for international travel, and came up with the following options:

1) I take my partner as a guest and pay for the two kids.
2) I try to maximise SC to the point of maintaining Platinum then getting a gift Gold for my partner (we get a guest each then)
3) as soon as I achieve Platinum, I switch the points pooling to my partner and she buys lounge access for $300 at Silver.
4) as per 3 but we get her Gold

Does anyone have thoughts on these options or other ideas for taking the kids via lounges for international travel?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately with international lounges you can't pay to additional guests as a rule of thumb. Most international lounges will only allow you 1 guest though some lounges may let the kids in.

When you buy a Lounge Membership with Virgin it will only permit use of Australian and New Zealand lounges.

Yes maximize family pooling. However, remember when you move up a level (IE Silver > Gold) you will then have a new renew date based on the date you move up, so you may need to think about maintaining your status if you wish to do so. Always worth remembering you will soft land (Platinum > Gold, Gold > Silver) if you don't meet the requirements to maintain.

Check out this if you haven't already : https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/experience/at-the-airport/international-lounge-access/
 
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Bagpuss said:
Unfortunately with international lounges you can't pay to additional guests as a rule of thumb. Most international lounges will only allow you 1 guest though some lounges may let the kids in.

When you buy a Lounge Membership with Virgin it will only permit use of Australian and New Zealand lounges.
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Thanks forn that! I obviously didn't quite have it figured out.

Looks like powering the SC and gifting Gold might be the best option. Although the way it stands at the moment Platinum will be "easy" but the extra SC required beyond that will be harder.

It's a shame the additional guest allowance only applies domestically with Platinum.
 
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You might want to re-look at that option seeing as gifting can only be done once you have over qualified for renewal. Better off just switching pooling.


"Gift a Gold membership to a companion of your choice, by simply earning an additional 500 Status Credits over and above the required number of Status Credits to maintain Platinum within your member benefit period."
 
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jedi_sith said:
Thanks forn that! I obviously didn't quite have it figured out.

Looks like powering the SC and gifting Gold might be the best option. Although the way it stands at the moment Platinum will be "easy" but the extra SC required beyond that will be harder.

It's a shame the additional guest allowance only applies domestically with Platinum.
Click to expand...

Well you are in luck. There's a double SC offer just around the corner :)
 
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ozjuice said:
You might want to re-look at that option seeing as gifting can only be done once you have over qualified for renewal. Better off just switching pooling.
Click to expand...

A lot is going to depend on my work flights over the next couple of months. I have a number of upcoming SYD-MEL runs coming up at 50SC a time.

Low earn will mean swapping the points pooling the moment I reach Platinum. If it looks potentially higher I will go the gift route. That way I'm Platinum form two years as well.
 
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depending on your normal travel,
ie, if you do most domestic on your own- then aim for WP
But for international travel, with the family, you're better of you being SG and your wife being SG. That way, you can get the 4 of your family into the lounge. If you're a WP, travelling international, you'll only be able to guest 1 in.
 
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jase05 said:
Platinum gives you access to the EY First lounge in AUH
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Plus the arrivals lounge at LHR. Even still, it pales in comparison to the lounge benefits available to Qantas WPs who are spoiled for choice when it comes to international lounges.

Oh well, theres a lot of advatages of virgin over qantas. Lounge access just isnt one of them haha.
 
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jedi_sith said:
I think this nails it. The are no real benefits of Platinum over Gold for international travel.

Maybe better access to award seats?
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WP gets you economyX seats for $0 in economy on VA1/VA2 - you do have to ask (from experience) and I'm not sure you'd get it for $0 if the flight was packed (i.e paying pax) got in first..

Also noted that Delta treated WP pretty well in terms of lounge access with a guest. My reading of the T&Cs was that a SG should be able to guest but Delta thought they would normally charge $29 for access - but on seeing WP card they didn't worry about it

WP also got you extra attention back in economy - it was sweet actually. You clearly didn't pay for PE or J so they couldn't do much for you but there was a definite attempt to make you feel loved as a WP. Confused the missus as to why someone kept coming to check on me at odd intervals (and only me, in the cabin).

You're pretty much right though - no super/extra benefit for WP over SG for international..
 
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ja1 said:
WP gets you economyX seats for $0 in economy on VA1/VA2 - you do have to ask (from experience) and I'm not sure you'd get it for $0 if the flight was packed (i.e paying pax) got in first..
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That would be pretty sweet. Although it's not a published WP benefit so i would imagine it comes down to the luck of the draw ie. individual flight loads, which agent you get, and what mood they are in.

Out of interest, what would be the best bet in terms of who to ask. Over the phone, at check-in counter, or at the lounge. Or do they all have similar discretionary power?
 
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ja1 said:
WP gets you economyX seats for $0 in economy on VA1/VA2 - you do have to ask (from experience)
Click to expand...

I've not heard of this happening on those sectors. Ever. But your experience is interesting and it may assist everyone else.

And by everyone else, I mean me. May I ask who/when/how you asked?
 
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clipped_wings said:
I've not heard of this happening on those sectors. Ever. But your experience is interesting and it may assist everyone else.

And by everyone else, I mean me. May I ask who/when/how you asked?
Click to expand...

Flew VA83 on Thursday and asked at the checkin counter about Yx seats. We were ( both my wife an I VA WPs and daughter) and were assigned YX seats for free.
We were then moved to have a full row 2-4-2 of seats for the 3 of us as my daughter was only 14, and you need to be 15 and over.
We ended up behind the yx row and no pax were assigned there the whole flight.
 
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