Virgin Australia expands 'on arrival' lounge access - 60 minute time limit

[chrispy3276]

AusBT reporting that all VA Lounge Members are now allowed to access lounges for an hour after their flights.

Looks to be an 'enhancement' for Gold/Platinum VA members travelling in Y who didn't have a time restriction before. Doesn't appear to affect J flyers.

(Single use VA lounge passes are not eligible to be used for this)

Virgin Australia expands 'on arrival' lounge access, with a catch

 

[kevrosmith]

Are they sure they're reporting the 60 minute time limit correctly? Are they sure it's not "enter within 60 minutes of flight arrival" or something similar? If it really is a 60 minute time limit for staying in the lounge, what are they going to do? Come and find you and drag you kicking and screaming out the door? What if you're in the middle of a phone call or work phone conference, which is why you entered the lounge after your flight?

 

[Ausbt]

Undoubtedly you will have 60 mins to deplane on arrival and scan that BP, otherwise track that takeaway coffee down elsewhere.

Surely VA would have stats on this. They would know that flyer A arrived in MEL at 8 am but has somehow turned up at the lounge again at 5:30 pm for some reason, scanning the same BP. They could be flying Rex to Albury, for example. Or, bunking down at the Park Royal or Holiday Inn prior to an early morning drive into the regions. So basically we've gone from anytime access to WP/SG arrivals to very limited arrivals access. What's next?

 

[samh004]

What if you're in the middle of a phone call or work phone conference, which is why you entered the lounge after your flight?

I guess if you entered the lounge to make a 60+ minute phone call you should probably look at booking a meeting room or office space in the city.

I think it's an interesting concept that a paid lounge member could now get lounge access before and after their flight, and should fill those lounges up nicely when the membership base realises, but think the 60-minute limit is probably just written in so they can take action against one or two members who may have been abusing the privilege previously and getting away with it as there was nothing in the T&C. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a few of those members here

Despite realising I will one day be Qantas Club or LTG, I do not want what is arguably the much more popular program in Australia to match this offering. It is in my mind, a race to the bottom as what is offered in the lounges will be harder to get and become lower quality.

Perhaps this new 'change' is actually a sign of them about to raise lounge membership prices though, and they just wanted to make the deal look sweeter than before.

 

[JohnK]

It would be difficult to enforce the length of stay on arrival.

 

[flying_duck]

I guess if you entered the lounge to make a 60+ minute phone call you should probably look at booking a meeting room or office space in the city.

I think it's an interesting concept that a paid lounge member could now get lounge access before and after their flight, and should fill those lounges up nicely when the membership base realises, but think the 60-minute limit is probably just written in so they can take action against one or two members who may have been abusing the privilege previously and getting away with it as there was nothing in the T&C. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a few of those members here

Despite realising I will one day be Qantas Club or LTG, I do not want what is arguably the much more popular program in Australia to match this offering. It is in my mind, a race to the bottom as what is offered in the lounges will be harder to get and become lower quality.

Perhaps this new 'change' is actually a sign of them about to raise lounge membership prices though, and they just wanted to make the deal look sweeter than before.

I have before travelled to a lounge, rather than a city, and returned same day. Usually for self amusement purposes/status runs/nothing better to do. In fact once they gave me a bottle of bolly for the trouble!

 

[Pleb Status]

I highly doubt that VA will be timing individual members, tracking them down and kicking them out of the lounge 61 minutes from arrival.

This rule is all about controlling those who will completely abuse the privilege and will not take 'fair use' (or similar caveats) as an answer...

 

[Scarlett]

I headed in to the Perth VA lounge on Sunday as a SG on arrival.
I’d been checking the lounge rules last week and came across arrival access including gold for the first time. I knew previously it was available for WP. Anyone know when the change was made?

The was no issue from the staff, just scanned my pass and said good evening. Was nice to grab a decent drink and snack after having taken about 3 seconds to eat the pointless morsel onboard. I only spent 10 minutes in the lounge and then went and collected my luggage.

I’m happy with the change.

 

[Quickstatus]

Is this because patronage of lounges are falling behind expectation?

 

[pauly7]

Is this because patronage of lounges are falling behind expectation?

Don’t think so, the VA Hobart lounge is a zoo

 

[serfty]

I headed in to the Perth VA lounge on Sunday as a SG on arrival.
I’d been checking the lounge rules last week and came across arrival access including gold for the first time. I knew previously it was available for WP. Anyone know when the change was made?
...
I’m happy with the change.

Other than the 60 minutes, there has been no change for SG or WP since anytime access was discontinued; being replaced with same day of travel.

Anytime Lounge Access Finishing? [Yes, from 15Aug12]

 

[flying_duck]

Other than the 60 minutes, there has been no change for SG or WP since anytime access was discontinued; being replaced with same day of travel.

Anytime Lounge Access Finishing? [Yes, from 15Aug12]

I have used this almost every time I travel as a gold, for a coffee at the least, sometimes for a meal if I haven't had time in the origin lounge. I've never been denied (although I'm sure they could due to "capacity").

 

[Teal747]

I headed in to the Perth VA lounge on Sunday as a SG on arrival.
I’d been checking the lounge rules last week and came across arrival access including gold for the first time. I knew previously it was available for WP. Anyone know when the change was made?

The was no issue from the staff, just scanned my pass and said good evening. Was nice to grab a decent drink and snack after having taken about 3 seconds to eat the pointless morsel onboard. I only spent 10 minutes in the lounge and then went and collected my luggage.

I’m happy with the change.

Did you sign out when you left ?
If not they may have gone off to look for you after 60 mins

 

[davidj]

Is there an official source on this and not some blog?

 

[oz_mark]

Is there an official source on this and not some blog?

There's always the Virgin Australia website.
https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/experience/at-the-airport/lounge/#entry

Velocity Platinum members can access the Virgin Australia Lounge on arrival with an eligible day of travel Virgin Australia or partner airline itinerary or boarding pass. Subject to space availability, Velocity Gold members and Lounge Members may also access the Virgin Australia Lounge on arrival with an eligible day of travel Virgin Australia or partner airline itinerary or boarding pass. The use of the Lounge is available to these members for up to 60 minutes after their flight arrival.

 

[grubbidok]

My guess is that there is absolutely no way to enforce this, but that it is being explicitly stated as a behavioural economics-style intervention - i.e. by explicitly stating an upper limit people will unconsciously think to use it this way. Perhaps they can point to the policy in the event someone is abusing the system.

I love this benefit and use it extensively (mostly to wait for a colleague on a later flight, or to print something I wrote on the plane for a meeting I'm heading to), but I don't think this would affect that kind of use.

 

[Must...Fly!]

There is absolutely a way to enforce it. Whether it is or not, is another matter.

I imagine the goal of it is to be able to kick you out by pointing to a rule if things got a little busy...

 

[Strategic Aviation]

A few days ago I handed over my boarding pass at the front desk and was asked if I had just arrived (which was clear from the boarding pass). I said yes and waited to hear the new time limit spiel.

Nothing was said as the BP was scanned and handed back. I left after more than an hour and again nothing was said.

 

[BudgetFly]

I'm going to give the arrival access a go at OOL when I arrive from SIN on a non-Virgin flight around 8AM
I am a Lounge Member and will have an onward VA ticket that afternoon out of BNE. I figure it's the perfect
lounge use to shower, coffee, eat after overnight flight before bus/train up to BNE.

 

[Bagpuss]

I would say the only way it is enforceable for 60 minutes post arrival if you are continually going up to the bar and having drinks etc. for a number of hours. At that point someone may approach you and say "Sorry, we've noticed you in here for a while and concerned you may have missed your flight, can I see your board pass?" ... Then get asked to leave because you went into the lounge on arrival and been there too long. However, the defense would be ... "I've only been here for 55 minutes and since then I've been looking for the exit but kept ending up at the bar. I'll have a last drink then leave."