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Hi All,
Thought I’d share my recent, bad, experience of booking Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 5. Using DragonPass Premier+ I pre-booked for 4 people on a Saturday. The booking was made on the 2nd April and was for 3 hours maximum.
On arrival (couple of Saturdays ago) I was told it was for a maximum of 2 hours. I was informed that it had changed from 3 hours to 2 hours mid April. No-one informed me of this change, prior to actually arriving at the lounge. I complained, stating I had booked and paid for 3 hours. They basically told me that’s the way it is, like it or lump it. I then phoned support at DragonPass Premier+, who basically said the same thing. I said I wasn’t happy about this and I wanted to take it further.
I have subsequently received an email from Assurant (I presume the people who manage DragonPass Premier+?) stating my complaint has not been upheld, quoting the following T&Cs:
The terms and
conditions do advise:
“5.2.7. Our responsibility to You is to use reasonable skill and care in selecting Our Third-Party
Organisations. Assurant, DragonPass and Barclays are not liable to You or any third party for any losses
of any nature incurred by You/them in relation to the standard, quality or provision of service or products by the Third-Party Organisations or their employees or agents; Your own acts or omissions or
the acts of other users of the Airport Services.”Just thought I’d warn others:
– Of this ability to take your money and then not provide what you actually booked
– In case anyone didn’t realise it is now 2 hours not 3 hours.Finally, I didn’t think much of the lounge either. It was packed and the food selection and quality was not great.
For me, the whole purpose of a lounge is to have a relaxed start to a trip. The food an drink is usually pretty rubbish, so ambience is key.
So an overcrowded lounge with a bolshie attendant defeats the whole purpose of going there. I almost always fly business class so would be unlikely ever to use the PP T5, but the warning is appreciated. And two hours is useless for those of us who travel from the regions: I usually aim to get to the airport about 3.5 hours before departure to allow for traffic problems on the way to Heathrow.
Out of interest, how is the time limit enforced? Do they drag people out backwards by their hair? If it’s crowded, how do they keep track of people?
Out of interest, how is the time limit enforced? Do they drag people out backwards by their hair? If it’s crowded, how do they keep track of people?
Assume it’s how early they let you in before your flight?
They didn’t let us in before the pre-booked time which was a time I set and nothing to do with the flight time. Although obviously the time I booked was linked to the flight time, but that was me not them!
How they policed it I’m not sure to be honest. They did take our boarding passes off us and only gave them back when we left. We still had electronic ones so not sure what that achieved though. We left 15 minutes over the 2 hours and nothing bad happened, so maybe in reality there was no policing!
I wouldn’t accept being fobbed off like that. It’s a straightforward breach of contract; the statement that you could stay in the lounge for 3 hours informed your purchasing decision and therefore formed a term of the contract under section 49 of the CRA. Therefore you’re entitled to a price reduction. That wouldn’t necessarily be pro-rata, but that’s a reasonable starting point.
I wouldn’t accept being fobbed off like that. It’s a straightforward breach of contract; the statement that you could stay in the lounge for 3 hours informed your purchasing decision and therefore formed a term of the contract under section 49 of the CRA. Therefore you’re entitled to a price reduction. That wouldn’t necessarily be pro-rata, but that’s a reasonable starting point.
It’s all very well saying it’s a breach of contract and citing CRA s49 which I don’t think covers the issue – that’s easy, but what are you suggesting the OP should do about it?
The implication of the post is that the OP has a (probably free) DragonPass+ and paid a very small booking fee to ensure entry. Such booking fee was paid to an agent, not the lounge provider. The time is stated as a maximum time, not a specific time. So, you are potentially just arguing about 4 x £5 booking fees. Are you suggesting MCOL?
The implication of the post is that the OP has a (probably free) DragonPass+ and paid a very small booking fee to ensure entry. Such booking fee was paid to an agent, not the lounge provider. The time is stated as a maximum time, not a specific time. So, you are potentially just arguing about 4 x £5 booking fees. Are you suggesting MCOL?
We paid 4 * £18.50 (reduced entry price) + 4 * £5 (booking fee).
I have no idea what the relevant laws are that I could potentially quote at them, but it feels wrong that this can happen without any recompense, hence why we were pretty cheesed off and I decided to warn others here.
The implication of the post is that the OP has a (probably free) DragonPass+ and paid a very small booking fee to ensure entry. Such booking fee was paid to an agent, not the lounge provider. The time is stated as a maximum time, not a specific time. So, you are potentially just arguing about 4 x £5 booking fees. Are you suggesting MCOL?
We paid 4 * £18.50 (reduced entry price) + 4 * £5 (booking fee).
I have no idea what the relevant laws are that I could potentially quote at them, but it feels wrong that this can happen without any recompense, hence why we were pretty cheesed off and I decided to warn others here.
Yes, of course it’s very poor practice and wrong and I too would be jolly annoyed. It was also very helpful to warn others of this seemingly unannounced change. Unfortunately, after that I feel it’s one of those relatively minor things one needs to put down to experience. One needs to choose which battles to fight to stay sane.
I wouldn’t accept being fobbed off like that. It’s a straightforward breach of contract; the statement that you could stay in the lounge for 3 hours informed your purchasing decision and therefore formed a term of the contract under section 49 of the CRA. Therefore you’re entitled to a price reduction. That wouldn’t necessarily be pro-rata, but that’s a reasonable starting point.
It’s all very well saying it’s a breach of contract and citing CRA s49 which I don’t think covers the issue – that’s easy, but what are you suggesting the OP should do about it?
The implication of the post is that the OP has a (probably free) DragonPass+ and paid a very small booking fee to ensure entry. Such booking fee was paid to an agent, not the lounge provider. The time is stated as a maximum time, not a specific time. So, you are potentially just arguing about 4 x £5 booking fees. Are you suggesting MCOL?
Apologies, I meant section 50, though I think you knew what I meant! I’m not entirely sure what you are getting at with it being stated as a maximum time? They shouldn’t be stating a maximum time if they’re not going to honour it.
The OP has confirmed they had a paid-for DragonPass+ lounge pass, so the amount at stake is a little more significant – £94 in total, of which . Clearly still small in the grand scheme of things, but the OP does have options if they want to pursue this. A partial chargeback, for instance. And of course MCOL if all else fails.
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