When the stopover is the best part of the trip, Virgin Atlantic London Heathrow clubhouse review
For the civil aviation world, unfortunately, the Italian market has always been considered second-class. Business traffic, that [...]
Virgin Atlantic
LHR
United Kingdom
For the civil aviation world, unfortunately, the Italian market has always been considered second-class. Business traffic, those who fly(go) business class or first for work, has never really made its mark in Italian skies. Sure, Milan is a biz destination, but nothing compared to London, Frankfurt and Paris.
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This results in the absence or near absence of competition to grab premium passengers. Just think of the fact that only Emirates has lounges it owns at Milan Malpensa and Fiumicino for long-haul, all other companies rely on independent lounges or in the case of SkyTeam carriers Alitalia's lounges were used at both MXP and FCO.
Here we are in London, at the main port of call on the old continent, and the route between the two sides of the Atlantic is busier than Aurelia at mid-August. Even at this time of hiccup travel there are five operators with daily flights: British Airways, Delta, United, American, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic.
Virgin Atlantic was founded by Sir Richard Branson, and it is part of the whole galaxy that started with stores that sold CDs and cassettes and today flies into space with Virgin Galactic and sails the seas with the Virgin Voyages.
It is located in Heathrow Terminal 3 and is the main lounge for the carrier, which operates only a fleet of wide-body aircraft and intercontinental flights.
Lounge access
Needless to look it up in the Priority Pass app, getting into this lounge is a benefit for few passengers. The main reason is that this company does not participate in any sky alliance.
Only some passengers who fly Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines can enter. This is because the American carrier is a member at 49% of the British airline.
In detail here are the rules of entry:
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers (with same-day tickets)
- Delta One passengers (with same-day tickets)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members (with same-day tickets)
- Delta Diamond and Platinum Medallion members traveling on a Delta or Virgin Atlantic nonstop transatlantic flight on the same day between the United Kingdom and North America, regardless of fare class.
This means, for example, that you will not be able to gain access with Air France status or even if, with Delta status, you are flying from London to Milan in transit from an intercontinental flight.
That is why this lounge, unlike virtually those in the rest of the industry, is among the most exclusive in the aviation world.
Location
The lounge is located on the second floor of Terminal 3 in the gate 12/42 area, just past the British Airways lounge.
The mirrored wall gives a beautiful optical illusion by making people think they are in front of a double staircase, but instead it is only one, just as there are only two reception desks.
To understand that Virgin Atlantic and its lounge do not offer a standard experience, one need only ride the elevator where, to be comfortable on the long ride between the first and second floors, a small sofa has also been placed.
The hall
The lounge was reopened this summer as traffic began to increase. Obviously Virgin Atlantic took advantage of the stop to make a number of changes, some due to Covid others designed to revamp the offerings.
When we arrived, our boarding passes were reissued; we were coming from Paris and all documents for entry into the U.S. had to be rechecked. After a few minutes our new tickets had a giant DOCS-OK printed on them.
The lounge is huge, occupying almost the entire terminal area from north to south. My first impression upon entering was that of being transported to the set of Mad men, the 1960s American series.
A huge glass window runs the length of the lounge, although it does not let in too much light since the ceiling is not very high.
The central part features the large bar counter, all around are dozens of different seats.
In the innermost part is the relaxation area featuring a conservatory with chaise lounges and less intense lighting. But if the faux outdoor area doesn't appeal to us, there are huge sofas available so you can isolate yourself from everything and everyone and, if you want, watch a game in the big screen.
On the opposite side is the restaurant area, with décor ranging from classic cafe decor to Parisian restaurant sofas.
The room is all beautiful, the decor is original, the colors chosen are perfect, and the presence of various levels with areas raised a few steps and others lower give a beautiful feeling of space.
Then there is also a billiard room, a novelty in recent years.
Finally, the favorite spot for all plane spotters, a terrace that overlooks the runway and from which beautiful photos can be taken.
The covid also brought changes by doing away with the spa, a choice also made by other airlines such as British Airways. Here the beauty center has been replaced by a micro gym, where two state-of-the-art exercise bikes from Peloton have been placed. The idea of working out while watching planes land and take off is not bad.
Attention to detail is evident in every little detail: from the bathrooms (you can't call them toilets) to the showers to the presence of a set of power outlets at virtually every location.
The service
What makes a lounge experience special is not only the hardware but also the software. And in this case, I have to say that, never has it felt more special than in this lounge. The staff is super friendly, and although everything is ordered via app, as easily as ordering on Amazon, the staff members keep stopping by to ask if you have special requests, if you want anything, or just to clear and clean your table.
There will be no less than 25 to 30 staff in the hall, in addition to those working in the kitchens and the reception assistants-a veritable army of Virgin Power.
Food & Beverage
On each coffee table is a QR code to access the interactive menu from which you can order what you want, as many times as you want. The code also identifies the table so you don't really have to do anything except choose and wait a few minutes.
The offerings are varied and the presentation of the dishes is really quality. We sampled a bit of everything from pumpkin soup to cod fillet on a bed of vegetables to a spicy chicken burger with fries. Not forgetting dessert, a hot chocolate flan.
Endless list of cocktails, wines and the ever-present champagne with the possibility of drinking excellent prosecco made in Italy as well.
Some items from the menu.
In conclusion
As mentioned, there are no shortcuts to enter this lounge; entry is included in the price of the business class ticket. Recently VA has also expanded access to Silver status holders in the Flying Club program, but in any case one still has to fly from London to one of the few destinations served by VA.
The reward is a true experience that surpasses in detachment what is offered by any other airline in Europe. Time passes and you never want the time to come when you have to leave to go board. But then you remember that if you fly Virgin Atlantic, even aboard Upper Class on the brand new A350/1000s, everything will be different than what you are used to finding on other airlines' flights. That, however, is another story that we will tell in the next article.
Pro
- The design and decor
- The location
- The service