The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX lounge is now accessible via Priority Pass, but with a trend-setting catch: a cash supplement is required.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX Joins Priority Pass, But With A Twist
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX has joined the Priority Pass lounge network, which is great news considering an airport as large as Los Angeles International Airport does not have any Priority Pass lounges or restaurants (years ago, we had the old Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Terminal 3, but that closed during the pandemic and never reopened).
Like other Virgin lounges in Priority Pass, access is available during more limited hours that coincide with slower periods in the lounge. At LAX, Priority Pass passengers will have access between 8:00 am and 5:00p then again between 8:00p and 11:00p daily.
But unlike other Priority Pass lounges, guests will be charged “an additional top-up fee of US$35 per person payable directly to the lounge at time of entry.” And unlike other Virgin lounges in the Priority Pass network, a la carte food and drinks, including alcohol, will be included.
You can read my review of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX here.
Is This A Fair Tradeoff?
I have to admit, as much as I dislike the precedent this sets, I think this is a nice compromise. The lounge is small and if Priority Pass members could visit for free, I’d expect it would always be crowded.
The menu looks very decent:
If we start seeing a “surcharge” of some kind applied to more Priority Pass lounges, then consumers get hosed…and the value of Priority Pass diminishes (further).
But Virgin Clubhouses–and this lounge in particular–have a thoughtfully curated food and beverage menu, as you can read above. $35 may not be worthwhile for a cappuccino and a quiet place to work in the morning, but for a three-course dinner and drinks in the afternoon or evening, this is a steal.
The downside, of course, to charging people an entry fee is that some folks will try to “get their money’s worth” by eating and drinking more than they might have otherwise (and yes, I’d be tempted to do the same thing, so guilty as charged).
But, I think the $35 cover charge will provide a sufficient disincentive for many tightwads.
Most of all, I’m just thankful that LAX has a Priority Pass lounge option once again!
CONCLUSION
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX has joined the Priority Pass Lounge network, but with a catch. In addition to a valid Priority Pass card, you’ll need to pay $35 per person to enter this lounge.
While in some sense that is a disappointing development, in the case of this particular lounge, I think it makes a lot of sense.
In general, I think it makes sense not to have…well…a discrimination amongst guests in a single lounge. 😉
> Read More: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse LAX Review
I suppose it’s better than apartheid 😉
A Bambi burger and a fake beyond burger. WTF ever happened to a basic beef burger? Americans eat 50+ billion beef burgers a year compared to less than 50 million fake burgers and far less venison ones, yet this place wants to be fancy and offer something no one regularly eats. No wonder people have to sh#t on planes eating this nonsense.
I guess the way I look at it is, is $35 a person THAT bad for a sit-down meal at LAX? If I’m on a long layover and going to spend the money on a meal anyway, might as well do it in a nice spot where I’ll also have a comfortable, quiet place to sit afterwards.
Being that there are no other PP lounges at LAX and the only non airline lounge for the time being is the Centurion, I’d say I’d be willing to pay it if I had some time to kill at the airport, and no access to any other lounge.
It will come down to which portion of the F&B menu is actually available to PP members. If it’s the full menu plus full bar (including the champagne), then the $35 is a great deal for a PP member. If it’s a small portion of the menu (e.g. only the 1-2 cheapest plates of each course available) and basic liquors, then I’d feel it’s a pretty lousy deal as it’s essentially a regular PP lounge but with the food served off a menu rather than the buffet.
@Ben: Agreed…I’ll give it a try soon and find out.
I absolutely agree, Ben. It would be easy to eat & drink $35 each-worth in this lounge.
As I see more and more undesirables at lounges over the years, charging extra may be a deterrent for them. This is the first Priority Pass lounge at LAX for quite some time, so I see it as more positive than negative.
YVR has Plaza Premium First. While I don’t think it’s a part of Priority Pass, Dragon Pass and some CA and US card holders have access to its adjacent regular Plaza Premium, then they can pay additional CAD 30 (USD 22) to get in.
Frugal flyer did a review, the presentation of the food looked good, as well as their shower suits. They even have luggage lockers, which is a rarity in N America.
As it’s a struggle to have a complete meal in Vancouver for less than $30 these days, I see myself paying for it if I’m hungry, wanting for a comfortable shower, or the regular Plaza Premium has a line up /unavailable.
This isn’t a novel concept, it’s literally the business model for the Clubrooms at various UK airports- they have deals with certain airlines and accept priority pass and Dragonpass members for an additional fee.
Tried to visit today. Saturday May19th. And they aren’t accepting priority pass members already.. and airport wasn’t even crowded…. Maybe soon in the future they could take the priority pass, since we can’t really count on it to be available for even with $35 additional
What time did you visit, @TK?