Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX Joins Priority Pass, With A ($35) Twist

Ugh, I hope they restrict Priority Pass customers during high capacity times.

This isn't the biggest lounge out there and really should be there for all the VS Gold and Upper Class customers to use.

I'll probably anyways be using the D1 lounge mostly, but will check it out next month to see if the drinks or food are worth it.

Thanks for the scoop!

Guests allowed?

$35 per membership or per person?

It feels like the bigger question is what quality controls PP is going to have in place around this, and if PP membership is just going to devolve into an opportunity to pay further to enter a lounge.

@ Beachfan -- The fee is $35 per person, and guests are allowed, up to what's allowed by the Priority Pass membership type.

Hey, Ben. Now that *select* SkyTeam lounges allow access to non-US elite members on domestic itineraries, what's your sense that this lounge (and Korean Air) might be added to the list? Separately, any update on the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LAX? Thanks.

@ Jack -- Since no Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses have been added to the list for domestic lounge access, I suspect that was a deliberate decision. Same for Korean Air. Of course that could evolve over time.

Sadly I haven't heard anything new about the Chase Sapphire Lounge LAX, but as soon as I do, I'll report back!

@ Bgriff -- Indeed, that's the slippery slope here...

There are already a number of Colinson (parent company of PP) run lounges that charge roughly $10 to “reserve” a spot at lounges that often have a waitlist. And Plaza Premium has a “F” lounge at HKG that imposes a surcharge for PP. So I can definitely see this expanding…

That's a fair question. One difference worth noting is that this lounge comes with a la carte dining, which is more than the typical lounge. Would someone pay $35 to access the Qantas First Class Lounge or AA's Flagship First Dining? Some would say yes and others would say no.

Curious how they will enforce having the PP guests out in time for the Virgin departures (ie will they have to vacate at 5pm?)

Overall I’m not so happy about this as a Virgin traveler.

Thanks. I think the initial SkyTeam announcement said that they hope to expand the number of lounges. I did try the Air France lounge in the mid-field concourse -- "okay" at best and not worth the walk. I'll stick with the Delta lounge, which is far nicer.

I'm actually quite pro this. Priority pass lounges are absolute zoos. I'd happily pay to avoid the overcrowding and race to the bottom in terms of lounge provision

I'd pay $35 in a heartbeat to get into that lounge with the cocktails and a-la-carte food included. Cheaper than food and drink at one of the bars in the terminal.

This lounge is also quite small (it can only handle around 75 passengers), and with it being the only Priority Pass lounge in TBIT, I think that this is a good concept for me personally.

I'll gladly pay for it to try it out next time. Probably won't pay for it everytime, but if I'm looking for a good meal with excellent staff, I think its worth it! Otherwise I would just go to the Centurion lounge.

This is the start of something terrible. Soon we will have many PP lounges charging additional fees

The deliberation for me is this vs the airline lounges in TBIT (*A, OW), which I almost always have access to when flying out of TBIT.

First they came for the restaurants and I didn't care because my airports have no restaurants I can use.

Then they came for the reservation fee, and I didn't speak out because I didn't need to use those lounges.

Then they came for a $35 charge, and I didn't care because I'm not using VS lounges.

Then they came for every Priority Pass visits and there is no one left to speak for us.

Agree with many. Slippery slope.
And $35 copay sounds like a high starting point.

LAX charges $18 for a breakfast sandwich, and pretty much all the sit down restaurants charge a mandatory 20% service charge. I’d gladly pay $35 to avoid the obscene money grab in the terminals.

So if VS lounge call it a $35 service charge.
Would you avoid this "obscene money grab" in the lounge?

You are right! Lets speak up. I am flying to LA to protest outside of the VA lounge. Who is with me?

Pret a Manger in TBIT is $11.20, as of last week. I'd rather spend that than $35.

I hope not. I suspect this is a supply-and-demand problem - LAX is just a Priority Pass desert and VS is here to hit you in the kidneys because of that scarcity.

I agree that $35 is somewhat of a high starting point for a supplementary charge. However, it should be noted that nearly everyone reading this blog is getting their Priority Pass membership for free via a premium credit card affiliation.

This VS Clubhouse was not part of PP, so nothing is being taken away. This is an extra option to use a lounge not previously available. So there is no downside to PP members. Don't use if you think the value is not there. Last week at the LAX terminal I paid $32 for a breakfast consisting of powdered eggs, a frozen sausage patty and "from concentrate" OJ, before taxes and the automatic 20%, served on a paper plate with plastic fork and knife. The VS Clubhouse is an welcomed upgrade to the terrible and overpriced LAX terminal food options.

I may be in the minority (along with/Ben), but I think this is great! VS lounges are some of my all-time favorites, but when my primary carrier (AS) joined one world, I started flying BA / AA / IB across the Atlantic rather than VS. Yes, I would gladly pay the $35. (Granted, I generally don't fly internationally out of LAX, so it's not going to cost me the $35 on multiple occasions.)

Now, it WOULD BE the start of something horrible, as @Mark suggests, if Priority Pass members had to pay an entrance fee and continued to receive only partial benefits. But as it is? Awesome.

There’s a lot of overlap with two of the VS departures ex-LAX: 330p and 1050pm. Not so much with the 830p dep.

We flew VS Upper Class out of LAX on 4/5 so got to try out the Delta One lounge (which is easily the nicest lounge I’ve ever been in) and we stopped in to the clubhouse on the way to our gate - huge disappointment.

This lounge is tiny, crowded, and basic. I don’t know if it was because we had just left the spectacular D1 lounge or it just isn’t good.

I look at similar to how chase offers none sapphire reserve PP members 1 free access per year then they have to pay for access with PP for the elevated use of a la cart dining, lounge access, etc.. So hopefully no different than that and it won;t spread to other lounges.

Used to be a $50 copay with the Delta Platinum card to get into Delta Skyclubs with basic buffets and half the beverage menu charged for, so $35 for a higher quality lounge with everything included sounds good to me.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to th e price for what you get, and for the VS Clubhouse that's good value IMO.

You’ll have to leave after 3 hours, Mark.

Still... I refuse to fly thru LAX ..( or ORD)... Lounge and lounge access is horrible..

I dropped by on a recent trip. If you don't otherwise have lounge access, fine. But, it's unimpressive.

Was refused PP entry at 1:30pm on Friday July 18. They said to try again at 3:30.

My husband and I were just denied entry to Virgin lounge at Tom Bradley International LAX terminal because they said you are only allowed in with priority pass if your flight leaves before 1pm due to the amount traffic they have from Virgin flights. I asked if it was just today because of how busy it is and she said no, it's a policy everyday. Like what the actual hell!?! Our flight is at 1:40. Cool cool cool.