Virgin Atlantic confirms Clubhouse lounge re-opening dates and change of management

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• gumshoe says:

  27 Feb27 February 11:55

  Sodexo already runs the LHR Clubhouse I believe?

  So hopefully not bad news.

  • AL says:

    27 Feb27 February 14:11

    Does it? There’s another third party in there usually, known more for their ability to run a good event than a lounge.

    • AL says:

      27 Feb27 February 21:04

      They’re certainly also supplemented by VS staff

    • Lady London says:

      28 Feb28 February 10:24

      ‘annualised hours contract’ part tim3

      requiring flexible hours changing from day to day from early morning to late evening…

      So although it’s described as part time, you’d not be able to supplement with other employment.

      On the other hand, British Airways cabin crew would need to be getting very high extras to equal this. As on pure base salary, Virgin ground based catering staff based at Heathrow are getting nearly 50% more than British Airways cabin crew.

• Chris says:

  27 Feb27 February 12:46

  The same Sodexo that ruined cathay’s lounges I assume? Lets hope history doesn’t repeat itself

  • Lady London says:

    28 Feb28 February 10:27

    I’ve come across Sodexo more in industrial lower-end catering but they probably share with Do & Co the fact that the quality they provide is limited by the budget given by the client.

    • Bagoly says:

      28 Feb28 February 11:20

      Which suggests that to maintain their reputation, such companies would do well to have minimum budgets below which they will not work.

• Littlefish says:

  27 Feb27 February 13:59

  Thanks for the two stories today and the quick update. Really good this has at least been clarified (and I can get back to thinking of booking Virgin Atlantic again!). I really quite liked the JNB clubhouse, last year, and am hoping it won’t be ruined. Nothing really needs much updating / upgrading.
  On the other side of the coin; I miss not having an LAX Clubhouse and a shame this isn’t at least a tease for coming back given Delta’s big new space between T2&T3 has, arguably, left the ex-Clubhouse available should flights revert to T2 at some point.
  I really worry for the JFK Clubhouse, I’m avoiding any connections through JFK until I’m confident the JFK Clubhouse gets less busy and more to pre-pandemic quality. I’m not confident! Such a shame as the AA/BA debacle with their T8 lounges seemed to have provided an open goal … seems not going to be taken.

  • AL says:

    27 Feb27 February 14:12

    I really like the *A lounge they put you up in, instead. If they move VS away from TBIT to T3, then the Sky Club makes perfect sense to use, but it wouldn’t have any Virgin flair about it.

    • Alan says:

      28 Feb28 February 00:12

      Agree *A lounge at LAX is excellent – massive space, lots of different areas including ah outdoor terrace with firepits. Far better than the BOS Clubhouse!

• The Original David says:

  27 Feb27 February 14:10

  Does Sodexo “Live!” rhyme with give or hive? Sounds like the branding for either a hospital or a concert, strange choice for marketing a catering business…

• BuildBackBetter says:

  27 Feb27 February 14:21

  Whats going on with Plaza Premium Group?
  Closed all Heathrow arrivals lounges and neither reopened nor sub-leased to another operator or retail business.
  Closed all lounges they operated in India, with new competitors picking up those spaces.
  Now lost contracts for these Virgin lounges.

  • Rob says:

    27 Feb27 February 15:18

    They are currently looking at potential alternative concepts for the arrivals lounges at Heathrow. T4 was arguably too big and in the wrong place, but the T2 one always looked like a goldmine – and of course the investment was a sunk cost now.

• BJ says:

  27 Feb27 February 17:23

  OT; Virgin Red app currently offering refer a friend, up to 10 friends at 2000 points per friend through end of March. Friend gets the points too. A year to trigger the bonus with qualifying earning activity. Points purchases and transfers are not qualifying activities.

• Jonathan says:

  27 Feb27 February 18:21

  Oh.. I’m currently in Johannesburg so will miss out on the clubhouse on the way back :/

• Luke says:

  28 Feb28 February 07:03

  Sodexo. Now that’s a word to chill the bones

  • John says:

    28 Feb28 February 09:04

    If Sodexo is paid enough they can do well.

    • Rob says:

      28 Feb28 February 09:14

      Indeed – the idea that Sodexo is incapable of producing above average diner food if given a sufficient budget is clearly nonsense. The Cathay First private dining restaurant may, admittedly, be a step too far for them (which is unfortunate as they now run it) but this is an outstation Clubhouse we’re talking about.

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