Virgin Gold can't use SYD lounge on day of International Etihad flight?

[ozstamps]

I gifted a Gold membership to a friend who flies out today to Europe on Etihad on an expensive $2,500 one way 'B' fare bucket ticket.

I suggested he take his pal who was driving him to airport into the SYD Virgin lounge as a permitted 'guest' for a coffee or beer first, and he went across to International closer to his flight. Friend of course cannot get into lounge over there as it is air side, past customs control.

He had his Virgin Gold card with him, and Etihad same day boarding pass, with his Velocity number printed on it.

Highly embarrassed to hear they turned him away from domestic lounge as he was 'not on a DOMESTIC Virgin fight'.

Might be technically the rule, but midday Sunday for goodness sakes, the lounge would be quiet. Hardly peak hour on a working day numbers in there etc.

Anyone else had any experience of this? Had it been me I am sure I'd have prevailed, but this was his first time visiting a lounge and might have been easier fobbed off. Highly embarassing as it was my suggestion to do this, given it quiet time on a Sunday. They got there an hour early assuming this would all be fine.

 

[MJHoops]

So the rule is the rule?
That is, you can access the domestic lounge when travelling domestically or to NZ
Seems reasonable to me, especially in Sydney where the terminals are totally separate

 

[kerfuffle]

I suggested he take his pal who was driving him to airport into the SYD Virgin lounge as a permitted 'guest' for a coffee or beer first

Guests who aren't flying on a same-day VA flight can't be invited into the lounge by a Gold member, no? I remember my friend having to scan her boarding pass when I invited her to the lounge in Adelaide and told the staff at the desk that she was my guest

 

[SYD]

It would have worked in ADL. Probably nowhere else…