V-Flyer

We are travelling late August MCR-MCO in UC, but my Son's girlfriend could only manage to book herself into PE. Someone a while ago on here told me that although you should be able to take a guest into the 1903 lounge, often they declare that it is full and you can't.

Strangely for our date, this lounge has also not been showing to pre-book and pay for months now, as she would have done that.

Question then - if they refuse entrance as a guest of UC, will they still be letting people pay on the door, and would she stand a better chance if she had the Priority Pass? Cheers.

Hi
Extract from Virgin Atlantic website

1903 Lounge
Our shared private lounge in Manchester is provided for Upper Class passengers. Each guest is also able to invite a friend to join them, as long as they're travelling on the same flight.

I guess there is two or three of you booked into upper class so I would be very annoyed if they refused her entrance with you. Even more if they were letting people pay to enter,
I would also expect priority pass to be excluded.

Thanks, this is what I thought but I am a planner and trying to make sure that she can get in!

Not too long back you used to be given an invitation to hand in at the 1903 entry dragon. I think I remember on my last visit that this is no longer the case, but it made me wonder whether it might be worth checking the access policy at checkin and ask the Virgin agent to provide you with something that might support your case on entry.

Yes the VS website clearly states that you can take a guest into the 1903 lounge.

When I tried to, the manager asserted that the small print in their terms and conditions said that it was subject to how busy the lounge was. So we could not take in our 2 relatives who were in Premium.

We went in, it was quiet and still quiet 2 hours later. I pointed that out to him on leaving; he was the sort of bloke who would argue that black was white.

I haven't found anywhere in the 1903 T&C's which says guest entry is up to them on the day, and VS's T&C's don't.

We MAN travellers are used to being short changed by VS.

Thanks for this. It is so frustrating that you are in the hands of these people and can't even mitigate for it by pre-booking and paying!

We will ask on check in about the voucher thing.

Hi
I contacted Manchester airport directly to see what the policy is Andre ieved this

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding your forthcoming visit to Manchester Airport.

Having liaised with my hospitality management colleagues, I am informed that, due to the lounge capacity, there maybe times when the reception team will refuse a (non upper class) guest entry into the lounge. We will always try to accommodate a guest but it is recommended that you speak with your airlines check-in team on the day with regards to the guest that you would like to join you.

I thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Kind regards,


Gary Shepherd
Customer Feedback Team,
4th Floor
Olympic House
Manchester Airport
M90 1QX

Hope this help a little, see if the check in staff can just add her to the list?

There is one particular receptionist (female - that is as far as I'll go with a description, as I could give a very accurate description) on the 1903 / Escape reception who is just plain rude. Have encountered her twice & she needs firing to be honest.

On my last visit in February she had been put on table-clearing duties in the 1903 - something she is far more suited to.

The 1903 Lounge staff need to be referred to the Virgin website which makes it quite clear that an Upper Class passenger can guest someone in, as long as they are on the same flight. I have done this many times in the "old" Escape Lounge in T2 East (or legacy T2 if you prefer) without a problem, even when the "This lounge is at capacity - no Priority Pass" sign was out.

On my last visit to the lounge, the queue for reception was back to the corridor on the right for toilets. Escape Lounge was clearly full & staff were turning people away with TUI boarding cards that had "Priority" on them - so folk had either paid for lounge access & being refused, or were chancing it. It has to be said that when in the 1903 lounge last time, it was not over busy & very pleasant.

Thanks for this Mabby - this is really helpful. We intend to check her in with us so will ask on the desk.

Message the 1903 direct - I used facebook messenger and got them to confirm guest were allowed in, then I had something to show the desk.

Thanks, great idea!