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#963496 by Michael1987
06 Mar 2024, 22:27
Hi,

Just wondering if travelling on a staff standby (my mate works for BA) but I’m a gold member can we still access the clubhouse as I have the status? The only info I can find online is that as Gold I can guest a member in if flying in any cabin?

Thanks.



[edit to thread title by mod ………..Nick ]
#963497 by mikethe3rd
07 Mar 2024, 03:17
If you have BA status, you can access the BA lounges on a BA staff ticket, so I don’t really see why this would be too different. As ever, please try, and report back.

As for the booking of this… are you a nominee? I was aware BA staff could book themselves a Y standby, and I thought that was it. I didn’t realise that might be extended to nominees.

As I’m sure you’re aware, you’re asking a very niche question and I doubt you’re going to get a definitive answer. I’d recommend the forum across the road but they tend to get a bit funny about staff travel questions. You might have more luck asking your BA employee to post the question in one of the many staff Facebook groups.
#963498 by Michael1987
07 Mar 2024, 06:16
Thanks for the message. Yes my friend is BA silver and has guest me in many time weather on a standby or hotline. We was just really disappointed that we got turned away from the clubhouse being a gold member - surely it doesn’t matter what ticket your on you’ve earned the status?
#963500 by chumba
07 Mar 2024, 10:36
If you're gold, and travelling on a VS flight (if it was a BA flight then you cant access the CH - irrespective of status) you can access the CH, you can guest 1 person travelling on the same flight as you only.

It used to be you could guest if they were travelling with VS that day but it changed to the same flight some time ago

There may be a T&C in staff travel that prevents CH access on certain tickets (irrespective of status) would have been helpful to ask why you were declined?
Last edited by chumba on 07 Mar 2024, 11:30, edited 1 time in total.
#963501 by mikethe3rd
07 Mar 2024, 10:56
Michael1987 wrote:Thanks for the message. Yes my friend is BA silver and has guest me in many time weather on a standby or hotline. We was just really disappointed that we got turned away from the clubhouse being a gold member - surely it doesn’t matter what ticket your on you’ve earned the status?


A shame. What was actually booked? Two standby Y tickets with VS?
#963511 by tontybear
07 Mar 2024, 18:28
Michael1987 wrote:Thanks for the message. Yes my friend is BA silver and has guest me in many time weather on a standby or hotline. We was just really disappointed that we got turned away from the clubhouse being a gold member - surely it doesn’t matter what ticket your on you’ve earned the status?


What BA allows on staff travel when using a BA concession on BA metal is irrelevent.

IIRC from when a couple of my friends were cabin crew with VS they weren't allowed into the CH when they were using their staff travel concessions unless they independently held VS Gold status.

With BA again IIRC staff only get lounge access if they had earned the relevent status and ticket type didn't matter. But remember BA has much bigger lounges than VS

Remember you are getting a significant discount on the public fares and that often come with restrictions that don't apply to full revenue tickets. So even if you have VS Gold it's likely the staff travel rules kicked in and especially when that concession fare was bought by a BA employee.
#963513 by CommanderB
07 Mar 2024, 18:46
If I was to guess how this is going to go.. I’d say VS will allow it, courtesy of your Gold status. But that’s just a guess.

VS lounge staff are a lot more inclined to help travellers (especially Golds) than other airlines, in my experience anyway.

Please report back here and let us know the outcome.
#963518 by jrs44
08 Mar 2024, 13:16
Sorry -- looks like the policy won't let you in...
Any staff travel passengers, including family and friends, on leisure or duty travel are not permitted to use any frequent flyer cards, or any other privilege cards, to gain access [to the Clubhouse]. This includes American Express Centurion. This does not apply to [... certain discounted confirmed VS staff travel] tickets.
#
(I should add this is from the internal Clubhouse access policy.)
#963523 by Michael1987
10 Mar 2024, 06:02
Hi all thanks for your reply someone commented they don’t understand my post but now I can’t find theres so for clarification;
1. Myself (virgin Gold) and my friend (BA Silver) was travelling LHR-JFK.
2. We booked on her BA staff ticket but for a Virgin flight as we wanted to use the clubhouse (I’m new to Gold).
3. When travelling on a BA ticket standby we can always use the lounge due to her status, so I persumed it would be the same with me being Hold for virgin and entitled to bring a guest etc…
4. It was a 100% no as we were on a non-rev
Ticket and we both wasn’t allowed in.
5. After explaining I spend a lot with virgin etc to get to Gold I was allowed it but not my friend.
6. I’m just upset with a. The money I’ve spent with them to get to Gold, b.they wasn’t gonna let me in at first let alone my friend and c. They was I was spoken to and made to feel was shocking!
7. BA is totally the opposite and allow my friend as silver to guest me in on any type of ticket as she has earned that status.

What’s everyone’s genuine thoughts? First time Gold and the way I was spoken to and treated was shocking!!
#963531 by tontybear
10 Mar 2024, 18:05
As I said above what BA allows is neither here nor there when ot comes to Virgin.

You were wrong to assume VS had the same policy.

The time to have asked was before you travelled not after,
#963539 by ColOrd
11 Mar 2024, 17:35
Sorry pretty black and white, the very heavily discounted nature of staff travel, it’s essentially free, trumps any status. The Clubhouse is busy enough and VS are strict enough with their own staff let alone a BA staffer. The fact you’re Gold is irrelevant here.

I have a lot of VS staff and have had similar situations to you here as I am also Gold, but as someone who also also enjoys staff travel (albeit on the railway) I totally get it from the companies perspective.

The Clubhouse staff can be frosty with staff getting in especially in the morning as it’s just so busy now!
#963540 by jrs44
11 Mar 2024, 19:45
It's six and two threes: BA don't let you in on most(*) staff travel tickets but do let you in with status. VS let you in when you're on a standby ticket if you're listed in (or likely to be listed in) J but not with status.

(*) I think you're allowed in BA-operated business class lounges only with the small number of First-eligible staff travel tickets, but I might be misremembering.
#963546 by VS0069
12 Mar 2024, 22:17
Michael1987 wrote:Hi all thanks for your reply someone commented they don’t understand my post but now I can’t find theres so for clarification;
1. Myself (virgin Gold) and my friend (BA Silver) was travelling LHR-JFK.
2. We booked on her BA staff ticket but for a Virgin flight as we wanted to use the clubhouse (I’m new to Gold).
3. When travelling on a BA ticket standby we can always use the lounge due to her status, so I persumed it would be the same with me being Hold for virgin and entitled to bring a guest etc…
4. It was a 100% no as we were on a non-rev
Ticket and we both wasn’t allowed in.
5. After explaining I spend a lot with virgin etc to get to Gold I was allowed it but not my friend.
6. I’m just upset with a. The money I’ve spent with them to get to Gold, b.they wasn’t gonna let me in at first let alone my friend and c. They was I was spoken to and made to feel was shocking!
7. BA is totally the opposite and allow my friend as silver to guest me in on any type of ticket as she has earned that status.

What’s everyone’s genuine thoughts? First time Gold and the way I was spoken to and treated was shocking!!


Nobody likes to be told no and as such VS staff travellers would have been briefed not to ask in the first place outside of the pre-agreed guidelines. You clearly attempted to negotiate by advising how much you spent to get Gold etc however the rule still stands and with genuine reason of protecting the experience for revenue Golds and customers.

I’m affraid you simply can’t take offence to the fact they told you no and label it as you being spoken to in a derogatory manner/treated a certain way. You went up there genuinely not knowing which is fine, they answered your question the first time at which point you should have departed graciously.

Take it on the chin and at least you know the protocol for next time.
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