Virgin Gold benefits when flying Etihad

[fersea]

I booked an economy rewards flight from Sydney to London via Abu Dhabi the other day.

I have Virgin Gold status. I am trying to understand what benefits I get. I think I get lounge access in Sydney at “the House” but can’t work out any access for Abu Dhabi.

Also do Virgin Gold members get complimentary seat selection?

 

[serfty]

I think I get lounge access in Sydney at “the House” but can’t work out any access for Abu Dhabi.

See here (and the footnotes at the bottom of the Etihad section).

International lounge access | Virgin Australia

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[GDale]

And no complimentary seat selection unfortunately

 

[fersea]

See here (and the footnotes at the bottom of the Etihad section).

International lounge access | Virgin Australia

www.virginaustralia.com

Thank you for coming back to me, but I have reviewed these websites and they seem to go around in circles. I am still none the wiser as to whether I have any lounge access in Abu Dhabi.

Am I missing something?

 

[serfty]

Am I missing something?

I guess so ... the footnotes do not show on smart devices, but do so on a desktop.

Here are the desktop footnotes for Etihad.

Important information

• Lounge access is available to eligible Virgin Australia lounge guests to all Etihad Operated & third party operated lounges.
• For Velocity Gold guests departing from Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways in economy will utilise the Etihad Business Class Lounge (Terminal 3, near gate 36).

With that, you will have lounge access at AUH as a Velocity gold before your EY flight in the same way as an EY Gold status member has.

 

[fersea]

I guess so ... the footnotes do not show on smart devices, but do so on a desktop.

Here are the desktop footnotes for Etihad.

With that, you will have lounge access at AUH as a Velocity gold before your EY flight in the same way as an EY Gold status member has.

Thank you, that might have been my downfall - looking on a mobile device.

 

[jakeseven7]

Be a little careful with Velocity when travelling overseas. Because it is such a small program other carriers often have no idea what it is and there are many many posts about having to ‘fight’ other airlines to access benefits like lounges. I have been given the run around by Etihad in the past.

Although this is not ideal (and you shouldn’t have to) I have the operating carriers website saved and ready to pull up showing the benefits that Velocity gives, as a back up - a great AFF member gave me this tip and it’s helped me out….

 

[fersea]

Be a little careful with Velocity when travelling overseas. Because it is such a small program other carriers often have no idea what it is and there are many many posts about having to ‘fight’ other airlines to access benefits like lounges. I have been given the run around by Etihad in the past.

Although this is not ideal (and you shouldn’t have to) I have the operating carriers website saved and ready to pull up showing the benefits that Velocity gives, as a back up - a great AFF member gave me this tip and it’s helped me out….

Agree, great advice although the hyperlinks that Serfly kindly puts into his posts only seem to go to the Etihad home page not the specific information he is quoting.

There must be something go on with my devices.

 

[fersea]

Update - the quote serfly was referring to is on the Virgin Australia website under lounge eligibility for Etihad.

 

[serfty]

the hyperlinks that Serfly kindly puts into his posts only seem to go to the Etihad home page

Update - the quote serfly was referring to is on the Virgin Australia website under lounge eligibility for Etihad.

Glad you found it.

Note I have not put any Etihad web site links in this thread, only linking to the Virgin Australia Website.

You have to wait for it to load fully before it will take you the the EY benefits bit.

 

[fersea]

Perhaps it is the AFF system because it seems to have hyperlinked my comment to Etihad when I didn’t do anything to set it up.

 

[knagelli]

Be a little careful with Velocity when travelling overseas. Because it is such a small program other carriers often have no idea what it is and there are many many posts about having to ‘fight’ other airlines to access benefits like lounges.

I second this one as I faced something similar with Delta pre-covid when I travelled to the States. The guys at the Delta Lounge in SFO had taken sometime before letting me into the lounge. That was circa Dec 2019 when the Virgin-Delta partnership was still on.

 

[HS-TQE]

There are also some upcoming changes to the EY/VA partnership, as VA has applied to the IASC to replace some EY codeshares with QR.
So I'm not sure if that may affect earn to the destinations that are being dropped from the EY/VA partnership.

 

[jakeseven7]

I second this one as I faced something similar with Delta pre-covid when I travelled to the States. The guys at the Delta Lounge in SFO had taken sometime before letting me into the lounge. That was circa Dec 2019 when the Virgin-Delta partnership was still on.

I had issues with both Etihad and Delta.

Hence the great tip from AFF to print / save the benefits to show the airline staff if required.

One of the pitfalls of these patchwork quilt alliances unfortunately.

 

[fersea]

I had issues with both Etihad and Delta.

Hence the great tip from AFF to print / save the benefits to show the airline staff if required.

One of the pitfalls of these patchwork quilt alliances unfortunately.

All good advice and I will print it out, however as this visit will be straight after a Sydney to Abu Dhabi flight, one would expect I won’t be the only Virgin Gold looking to enter the lounge.

 

[jakeseven7]

All good advice and I will print it out, however as this visit will be straight after a Sydney to Abu Dhabi flight, one would expect I won’t be the only Virgin Gold looking to enter the lounge.

Expect the unexpected is all I can say
Good luck!

 

[fersea]

Expect the unexpected is all I can say
Good luck!

Cheers. It won’t be the end of the world if I can’t access, mainly just hoping to be able to have a shower and freshen up after a 14 hour flight before a 7 hour one.

scheduled 3hr 20 min stopover.

 

[Milefest]

Hi Ferdsea, you might find this post helpful: Gold Flying Through AUH, lounge?

The Al Dhabi is the lounge you have access to as a gold transiting AUH. The lounge does have showers too!

 

[jasecao]

Virgin Gold gets you the business class lounge, Virgin Platinum gives you the 1st class lounge, cigar room as well!

 

[henrus]

Virgin Gold gets you the business class lounge, Virgin Platinum gives you the 1st class lounge, cigar room as well!

No from recent reports (and what the VA website indicates), Virgin Gold gets you the Al Dhabi lounge (this is a 3rd party lounge not operated by Etihad) in Terminal 1 whilst Platinum gives you access to the Etihad First Lounge in terminal 3.