pre-booking treatments LHR Clubhouse

Tried to pre-book a treatment for next Sat 23rd at the LHR Clubhouse and was told on the phone in a very blunt fashion that they are taking no pre-bookings from Dec 19th as it is a very busy period ....
It does not make any mention of this on the web-site and I called the Premier Team to get some further info as to why a fare-paying Gold Card holder is not able to make a pre-booking but can "turn up early to try and get one of the on-the-day appointments that are available" and why there is no mention on the website at all that this is the case.
Was told that the decision had only just been taken that very morning just before I called and that the Communications people were not in at the weekend to amend the web-site and also that they were changing the booking system or something and again advised me to try on the day.
Well that seems unlikely to me - am sure that if there were cancelled flights etc it would be posted on the website.
I accept that it is a busy time - though the load factors in UC look pretty light on Sat afternoon from what i can tell - but this should be better handled I think.
Would like to know whether they are changing their booking systems - it sounded like a computer thing and if so why do it at such a busy time?
And if they have so much business why not take on extra staff for the week?
You don't get what you pay for in UC - those appalling amenity kits and the dreadful Goodnight Menus and that horrible shared lounge in Boston ...
And of course the under-sized portions and general deterioration on the food front.
Just as well they have the UCS!
Excuse the rant - just need to get it off my chest
Happy Holidays to one and all

Originally posted by pianoperson
Tried to pre-book a treatment for next Sat 23rd at the LHR Clubhouse and was told on the phone in a very blunt fashion that they are taking no pre-bookings from Dec 19th as it is a very busy period ....

Yes this must be new as both the GF & I booked separately for Fri 22 Dec about a week ago.

Maybe they're a bit short on the ground... I would hope this is only a temporary thing. Problem is you can't just get anybody off the street because personnel need to be OK'd for an airside pass.

I hope this is not permanent. I got pretty frustrated myself a while ago when they introduced the 'no bookings' in the old CH a few years back. Even arriving three or four hours early for my flight wasn't enough.

Cheers, Howard

Tried to get a shave and a haircut about 6 weeks ago for flight on 03/01/07 and was told then that NO only one treatment as it is too busy.

So no is the answer it is not a recent happening.

Enjoy the trip anyway.

Ian

[preiffer]

Originally posted by goanmad
Tried to get a shave and a haircut about 6 weeks ago for flight on 03/01/07 and was told then that NO only one treatment as it is too busy.

So no is the answer it is not a recent happening.

Umm, no - that's completely unrelated.

You are only permitted to book ONE "treatment" (that means EITHER Haircut or Beauty Treatment) per passenger. That has always been the case.

Paying as much as we have, I thought we would get the earth?

Then why can we ask for an extra treatment "if they are not busy" on the day?? As told to me when I called to check earlier??

So yes it does have some bearing, we are only having friendly conversation, why do we need the attitude?

Originally posted by preiffer

Originally posted by goanmad
Tried to get a shave and a haircut about 6 weeks ago for flight on 03/01/07 and was told then that NO only one treatment as it is too busy.

So no is the answer it is not a recent happening.

Umm, no - that's completely unrelated.

You are only permitted to book ONE "treatment" (that means EITHER Haircut or Beauty Treatment) per passenger. That has always been the case.

[RichardMannion]

It used be 2 treatments per pax, but that got changed in mid-2001. Nowadays the list of who has had a treatment in the CH makes it's way onboard, so priority is given to those who didn't have a treatment in the CH, unless of course they have a priority card from a previous flight.

Thanks,
Richard

[HighFlyer]

Ian,

The OP was inquiring about the pre-booking of treatments, not about the possibility of having an extra treatment at the Clubhouse. Technically, it is supposed to only be ONE treatment per passenger. If the lounge is unusually quiet there have been instances where a second has been allowed, but this is not the norm.

As for pre-booking, they only seem to be allowing these a few weeks in advance now.

Thanks,
Sarah

it is normally allowed 8 weeks in advance of the flight..... but due to recent software upgrade for the appointment system, there has recently been a few weeks where you could not pre-book (although there would have been some pre-booked appointments done at that 8 week window who were ok before they started the system upgrade)

ISTBC, but I think they should be able to do pre-boooking again now....

It is possible to book online again, I did so a few days ago for next Wednesday. There is now an online form on the website.