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Two more Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges join Priority Pass and Lounge Club

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Two additional Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounges have joined the Priority Pass lounge network.

Last November, Virgin began to let Priority Pass guests use its Los Angeles Clubhouse during the hours it was normally closed.  It operates with a different food offering which is cleared away and replaced before the Upper Class passengers begin to arrive.

The service is now extended to Washington Dulles and New York Newark.  It is effective immediately for Priority Pass and Lounge Club with Mastercard World Elite’s LoungeKey to follow next week.

Details are:

Washington DC Dulles International (pictured below)

Location: Concourse A, across from Gate A32

Availability: 06:00 to 13:30

New York NJ Newark International

Location: After the security checks in Terminal B

Availability: 14:00 to 18:00 

Remember that American Express Gold cardholders get two free Lounge Club passes which would be accepted at either lounge.  Alternatively you can get a Priority Pass via American Express Platinum or by buying one.


How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards

How to earn Virgin Points from UK credit cards (October 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Virgin Points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

You can choose from two official Virgin Atlantic credit cards (apply here, the Reward+ card has a bonus of 18,000 Virgin Points and the free card has a bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points):

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard

3,000 bonus points, no fee and 1 point for every £1 you spend Read our full review

You can also earn Virgin Points from various American Express cards – and these have sign-up bonuses too.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is FREE for a year and comes with 20,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 20,000 Virgin Points.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with 40,000 Membership Rewards points, which convert into 40,000 Virgin Points.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Small business owners should consider the two American Express Business cards. Points convert at 1:1 into Virgin Points.

American Express Business Platinum

Up to 80,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

Get up to 40,000 points as a sign-up offer and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Virgin Points

(Want to earn more Virgin Points?  Click here to see our recent articles on Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club and click here for our home page with the latest news on earning and spending other airline and hotel points.)

Comments (95)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Faithy says:

    OT. Want to cancel my BAPP. Re the Avios to be transferred, will I still get them? Do I need to wait? If so how long? Thanks

    • Liz says:

      Wait till they go across about 6 days before your next statement date. If you cancel before they go across automatically you will have a real problem trying to get them as the link between the 2 accounts will be broken and they can’t relink them.

  • MattP says:

    Just FYI. I’m in the LHR Virgin UC lounge today and they mentioned they have just launched a scheme to pay for spa treatments with miles. Not sure on the rates but will see if I can find out more for you!

  • Louie says:

    OT: my experience with Amex MR points is that if you are due a sign up or similar bonus, the bonus will post with the transaction that takes you over the target spend. Has anyone had a bonus post later than that without intervention?

  • N says:

    Saving for a wedding – non-essential spending is down to pretty much zero!

  • Andrew says:

    OT: Amex PRG – if I book a trip using it and then cancel the card is the travel insurance on that trip also cancelled? Thanks.

  • GRIMZ says:

    OT has anyone had this done – beware of churning!
    Amex have just called me to ask why I have applied for so many cards. They’ve sent me a letter asking for financial information, and I can’t use my starwood card until they receive this information. They say I’m under financial review.

    • Mark says:

      how many did you apply for?

      • GRIMZ says:

        This is after being accepted, has just hit the bonus on the 1000 spend and has churned a couple of cards recently ie Plat and BAPP but nothing compared to others I know.

        • the real harry1 says:

          Doesn’t sound exceptional…I think you got unlucky for some reason

    • S says:

      I’ve heard stories about it happening in the US, but never in the UK.

      You must’ve done something special/thay aren’t particulary impressed with your credit record if they triggered a financial review.

    • Peter K says:

      Maybe you used different amounts for your personal/household income on the application forms. They track this story of thing.

    • James T says:

      Always the small possibility it’s a phishing scam. Chack before supplying any details.

  • TripRep says:

    O/T: Just paid DVLA for VED using my Amex

    No £2.50 fee was applied, ie no card charge at all. 🙂

    Seems to only apply them on corporate cards?

  • Mikeact says:

    My local Honda garage still refuse to accept Amex…..I would like to point them to something that shows them in Black and white that they will pay no more than me using my Visa/MasterCard.. any ideas ?

    • Axel says:

      Your Honda Garage is quite right to refuse. The best rate they can get from Amex is 1.99% with a long wait for payment.

      Amex havent budged on their merchant rates for 2 years despite what is printed in black , white or blue.

      • Mikeact says:

        I see……..I assumed, wrongly, that they had fallen in line with Visa and MasterCard after the earlier EU ruling.

        • Anna says:

          I think it’s two separate issues, the retailer can’t charge you, the customer, for paying by credit card, but Amex can still charge retailer for the privilege of accepting it. That’s why so many places don’t accept it.

        • the real harry1 says:

          Are we not talking about different things here? Interchange fees are capped (for consumer cards) but merchant service fees are not. So Amex can legitimately still charge 1.99% in merchant service fees, within which (for consumers) the interchange fee will be only one element, @ 0.3%

        • the real harry1 says:

          Anna beat me to it (yet again!) sigh 🙂

        • Axel says:

          Yes Anna has got it right on the button.

          Last week I cancelled my merchant agreement with Amex after 28 years. Im sick of my staff getting shouted at by consumers that this or that is against the law..

          Pleased to read that hfp readers rise above this and see both sides of the fence

        • the real harry1 says:

          yep but playing devil’s advocate here, Axel, ‘staff getting shouted at’: the consumers wouldn’t know about the 1.99% or whatever unless you told them – so were you charging them ‘Amex surcharge’, probably perfectly legally given merchant service charge?

          binary: either you absorbed the Amex fees (kept quiet to consumers) or you didn’t

        • Axel says:

          Harry at 1950,

          Ive had this legacy rule that cards are a mimimum of £5 thats all.

          Its impossible to check what card is being used because of contactless especially for my staff who have no interest in understanding the theory snd practice of manufactured spend.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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