Clubrooms lounge at Luton Airport only accepting DragonPass – no Priority Pass or Lounge Club

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• Rash says:

  20 Jun20 June 07:41

  OT: Virgin have contacted me for proof of ID and evidence of funds. I know others have been contacted, I don’t have an issue with sending this but just wanted to ask how common it is. Also has it been a straightforward process?

  Strange as I have not been putting a massive amount through the card…

  • Shoestring says:

    20 Jun20 June 08:45

    Could just be a random Know Your Customer ‘cover backside for the regulator’ exercise

  • Charlieface says:

    20 Jun20 June 14:52

    It’s quite rare with other providers but there’s been a few reports recently with VM.
    If you refuse they will probably close your card but there’s no possibilty of being blacklisted. But giving them incorrect info and they realise may get you on the CIFAS blacklist and you could lose all your credit cards and current accounts even with other banks.

    • Rash says:

      20 Jun20 June 18:03

      Thanks guys, I’ll provide them the right info and lets see what they come back with

• Stella64 says:

  20 Jun20 June 07:43

  I have never understood why someone scared of flying would wish to get on a plane full of other people scared of flying. A close friend attended the course last year. She said it was fantastic. All was going well until the flight, 5 minutes into the flight someone got very upset. This was enough to upset my friend and she was back to square one.

  Obviously I recognise the commercial realities of why BA would want to have a group for a course like this.

  Does anyone know of a more bespoke option – one where you can fly with trained people – but without the fellow flying-averse passengers?

• Robert says:

  20 Jun20 June 07:48

  RBS Black account holders also have DragonPass,

• Anna says:

  20 Jun20 June 07:56

  OT – it’s now approaching 3 weeks since I submitted EU261 claims for our delayed flight from NYC and BA have not responded to me, though they have emailed my OH trying to fob him off with something which didn’t even happen! If I now ask for this to be taken to the next stage am I better submitting 2 separate claims or one claim for both of us? We were on the same booking.

  • Chris L says:

    20 Jun20 June 08:17

    3 weeks is nothing – I suggest chasing the existing claim. Submitting two claims for the same booking might complicate things. Unfortunately, although the law does provide compensation for consumers, it doesn’t specify how quickly airlines have to respond to claims.

    • Anna says:

      20 Jun20 June 09:18

      I’ve sent follow-up email on behalf of both of us already, I’m just want to be sure of the best way of going ahead if BA refuse to budge.

      • Shoestring says:

        20 Jun20 June 09:27

        either get deadlock agreement from BA OR wait 8 weeks;
        and then start MCOL/ CEDR (I’d go straight to MCOL)

        but yes – try and engage them first, threaten MCOL & ask for somebody to take a second look etc

        they were always pretty responsive with me (just a few days) so if you [Anna] don’t have a timely reply it could mean it’s fallen through the cracks, no particular harm I guess in repeating the claim process online & telling them you’re doing so because you didn’t get a reply/ reference/ acknowledgement

        • Anna says:

          20 Jun20 June 11:12

          Thanks – was hoping you’d direct me to MCOL or CEDR!

        • Lady London says:

          20 Jun20 June 12:37

          get “final answer” from them, or 3 refusals, or claim still not resolved (or not heard) after 8 weeks of lodging your claim. Then go straight to MCOL.

          I wouldn’t lodge any new claim but would keep referring to the originally submitted claim(s), by ref number. Why start the clock again for them by submitting a new claim?

          I am sure you will get your money Anna.

          The different story British Airways is now coming out with in response to your claim, just goes to show that if you think you might have a claim, listen carefully to everything the airline says at the time about the reason for the delay, note who said it, and get your watch out and time exactly the point at which the door is open on the aircraft WITH the airbridge or stairs connected AND AVAILABLE TO USE. Regardless of any “welcome to… x city” at the point the wheels of the aircraft touch the ground, for EU261, at least, the above is the landing time that is compared to the originally scheduled landing time in order to determine the lateness of your arrival at your final destination.

      • Anna says:

        20 Jun20 June 14:15

        Thanks LL. Our connecting flight to MAN had left 30 minutes prior to us landing at LHR so the timing is watertight. BA obviously know this and that’s why they have tried to fob us off with a different issue and by totally avoiding any mention of the air conditioning! I had a look at the Bott and Co website but can’t bear the thought of paying them £200 for each of us when I have plenty of time to pursue my claim and more than 25 years’ experience of giving evidence in court professionally!

        • Shoestring says:

          20 Jun20 June 14:23

          Bott & Co is great for nervous ninnies (MCOL) or else people who can’t spare the time

        • Anna says:

          20 Jun20 June 16:09

          I’ve just remembered that we have some sort of legal services cover through work which might cover this kind of thing – I will give their office a call tomorrow, no point in doing all the leg work if we don’t have to!

        • Lady London says:

          20 Jun20 June 16:39

          I honestly think would take as long to get the legal cover help activated and even longer to brief someone, than it will take you to just do an mcol if BA hasnt coughed up 8 weeks after claim submission.

          I’d do them the courtesy of sending them a ‘letter before action’ email 2 weeks before the 8 is up and telling them you will be doing this.

• Phil says:

  20 Jun20 June 08:16

  Where are they locating this new Luton Lounge? I find since they refurbed and extended the Luton aspire it’s a fairly decent lounge option all things considered

  • Lady London says:

    20 Jun20 June 12:42

    I hope Rob will test the No. 1 Clubrooms at a peak time – say 5pm on a Friday.

    Having said that, most times seem to be “peak” for the Aspire lounge at Luton. Every time I’ve been in there it’s varied from full to rammed. The lounge dragons are constantly turning away a stream of people . Wish they would add a lounge to Stansted as well which has the same problem – appalling airport with no space to sit, only retail, and only one lounge that isn’t anywhere near satisfying the need.

    I would take a guess that Luton allowed a No. 1 Clubrooms-level lounge to be added, and not a No. 1 level lounge, because of screams of protest from Aspire (defo not Clubrooms level) about having to share the business.

    An extra lounge in LTN is long overdue.

    • Rob says:

      20 Jun20 June 13:36

      If the only way in is by paying £36 cash (or perhaps £15 co-pay on a Dragonpass) I expect it to be very quiet at 5pm on a Friday!

• Rob says:

  20 Jun20 June 09:02

  Virgin Credit Cards – does anybody know how long the additional bonus miles take to come through? Spent the 3k in first statement period and have had the first 15k bonus but no sign of the next 15k bonus.

  Is this common with Virgin money? Have heard bad things about customer support.

  Thanks

  • Shoestring says:

    20 Jun20 June 09:21

    gets paid with the monthly statement dated after you hit the target

  • fivebobbill says:

    20 Jun20 June 09:32

    I just put over £3k through the card in my first month, statement came in 2 days ago with all 30,000 bonus points added

  • BA-flyer says:

    20 Jun20 June 09:55

    Same thing happened to me. Virgin Money denied I was entitled to the extra bonus, and refused to provide them. Had to go to the Ombudsman and really kick up a fuss. The whole experience put me off ever using Virgin Money for anything else; I certainly wouldn’t recommend them.

    • Rob says:

      20 Jun20 June 11:19

      You could have emailed me and Sinead, who many of you met at the Christmas party, would have fixed it.

      Amazed FOS helped, they are usually rubbish on points claims.

      • Jtz says:

        20 Jun20 June 11:35

        Rob, I sent a letter in couple of weeks ago to appeal and finally got my reply today saying their decision remains the same.
        Only wanted it for a good non Amex earner and would have made the spend relatively easily.

        • Rob says:

          20 Jun20 June 11:43

          Our acceptance rate was 68% last month. This is very low (has been over 90%). Given that technically they only want a £7k min income, which all our readers have, something is ‘up’.

        • Lady London says:

          20 Jun20 June 12:48

          Interestinglyt, 3 days ago on 17th June, Rob did an excellent article that included a major loyalty card provider finding the contracted rewards were unsustainable for heavy spenders [my paraphrasing].

        • Rob says:

          20 Jun20 June 13:35

          That wasn’t Virgin Money though!

      • BA-flyer says:

        21 Jun21 June 17:22

        I did email you – it was you who suggested going to the FOS. 🙂 The FOS were not interested, so then I lodged a Subject Access Request with both Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Money, and the points suddenly appeared.

        • Shoestring says:

          21 Jun21 June 17:30

          next time – screenshots? 🙂

• nick says:

  20 Jun20 June 09:17

  OT:
  Booked last min avios trip to TLV – 2 adults / 2 small kids for last week of July.

  Any accomodation idea’s at this stage? Hotels no longer possible on points. and prices exhorbitant- think £250 per night in a 4 star…

  Any tips of holiday apartments with pools, other than airbnb or other accommodation options?

  • Alex Sm says:

    20 Jun20 June 10:02

    Oh dear, hotels in Israel ARE expensive beyond any reason. Did you check Crowne Plaza? My partner and I got a decent stay there last year on points. Otherwise, why wouldn’t you try sites like homeaway.co.uk or holidaylettings.co.uk – I got good home rentals in Croatia and Turkey with them in the past

  • fivebobbill says:

    20 Jun20 June 10:02

    Tell me about it Nick, I’m away for 5 nights in October and the hotel prices are frightening!
    However there are plenty of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments available.
    I managed to get a very nice 2 bed, 3 bath, two-storey penthouse apt near the beach off Dizengoff, they were looking over £1100 on some of the aforementioned sites, but I got it for 799 plus cleaning fees on a particular site that gives you one reward night in 10.
    No pool though unfortunately.
    As I say, that’s for 5 nights…

    • fivebobbill says:

      20 Jun20 June 10:02

      finallly…

  • Rob says:

    20 Jun20 June 11:25

    Any hotels where you could buy points and save?

    • nick says:

      20 Jun20 June 15:13

      Thanks Raffles,
      Which hotel schemes would this be possible on?
      Ie which ones allows you to use points even when the hotel is near capacity?

      • Rob says:

        20 Jun20 June 16:17

        Hyatt and Marriott

        But it may also be that Hilton and IHG hotels have reward nights unbooked (they are obliged to put a fixed number up) even if cash rates are very high.

  • Lady London says:

    20 Jun20 June 12:52

    Can anyone tell me why is Tel Aviv so trendy now?

    • Shoestring says:

      20 Jun20 June 13:04

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PAjhoH0NWU&feature=youtu.be

      • Lady London says:

        20 Jun20 June 16:49

        Its a bit Baywatch isnt IT Shoestring.
        I’ve lived in the past in NW London solid Jewish areas with frequent visitors to Tel Aviv And other parts of Israël. About Tel Aviv, locals who had travelled there to see family or for holidays were not that enthusiastic in their comments when they came back. Was there a Tel Aviv song at Eurovision or something?

• James says:

  20 Jun20 June 09:23

  Does anybody reading have experience of the following scenario please?

  One adult with an Amex-supplied Priority Pass going in to a quiet lounge with a toddler and a newish baby.

  Will they charge the baby as an additional guest or be kind about it?

  • Nick says:

    20 Jun20 June 09:25

    Kids under 2 almost always go in free.

  • AndyW says:

    20 Jun20 June 10:46

    Also in my experience (having been to a few with an under two in the last couple of years) is that the priority pass website usually has the age range that is free.

    • James says:

      20 Jun20 June 13:26

      Thanks to both of you, we appreciate it. My wife will be getting a 6 am flight from Stansted with them, and I thought she could have a coffee and breakfast just after they open. Not worth £20 though. We’ll see if they have a published policy about age, which didn’t occur to us. We’ve only flown together since getting the PPs.

      • nick says:

        20 Jun20 June 15:10

        There are only 1 PP lounge at STN – the Escape
        and its confirmed on the PP app that kids under 2 go free

      • Lady London says:

        20 Jun20 June 16:55

        At Stansted i use Prêt. Other than space issues not much difference with lounge and food is better. If you want to get into that lounge best to get there when they open which is 0400 or so. Big lots of tables frequently reserved for people arriving about 3 hours after that, so they dont take many walkups some days. Seen people getting turned away 6am and before.

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