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This is bad news for those with access to the Plaza Premium Lounge and (presumably) good news for Virgin Atlantic passengers…
Virgin Atlantic and Plaza Premium Partnership
It was announced that most Virgin Atlantic clubhouses in the United States will be managed by Plaza Premium in mid-2021. Perhaps this decision was motivated by several factors.
- It is more efficient to let a company that specializes in lounges manage and staff the lounges rather than having the airlines operate them on their own.
- Plaza Premium could help monetize Virgin Atlantic’s clubhouse
Until recently, all five Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses in the United States offered access to non-Virgin Atlantic passengers through Plaza Premium.
- Boston (BOS)
- New York (JFK)
- Newark (EWR)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington (IAD)
For those unfamiliar, Plaza Premium is affiliated with American Express and Capital One. This means that holders of The Platinum Card® (review) and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) from American Express have access to these lounges.
Interestingly, this access was not only offered during times when the lounge was open, but at the same time when Virgin Atlantic passengers were able to access it (such as during peak evening hours).
Well, that’s changed now…
Plaza Premium loses access to US Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse
Plaza Premium will continue to manage the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, but customers with access to Plaza Premium lounges will no longer have access to some of these lounges.
- Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York (JFK) is no longer available to Plaza Premium guests.
- As of February 28, 2023, Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses in San Francisco (SFO) and Washington (IAD) will no longer be available to Plaza Premium guests.
- This makes Virgin Atlantic’s clubhouses in Boston (BOS) and Newark (EWR) the only lounges that remain part of the Plaza Premium network.
This is really a huge disappointment for those with access to the Plaza Premium Lounge.The Plaza Premium Lounge is much higher quality than other contracted lounges and this group has many great lounges outside the US. However, in the US, Plaza Premium only has two unique lounges: Dallas (DFW) and Orlando (MCO).
So, prior to this change, Plaza Premium guests had access to a total of 7 lounges in the US, which is now down to 4.
What is the motivation for this policy change?
We can only speculate as to the motivation for this change, but I don’t think it’s too hard to understand what’s going on here. You must have liked it.
The clubhouse isn’t big, and when everyone with an Amex Platinum or Capital One Venture X has access to these lounges, it creates a sticky situation. Some clubhouses have started turning down Plaza His Premium guests consistently at certain times of the day, and we understand that at some point it becomes difficult to manage expectations.
I mean, look at the queues you see regularly at Delta Sky Club JFK, and consider the fact that most of those people have Amex Platinums and access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse as well.
Previously, some Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses were part of Priority Pass, but were only accessible during normal lounge hours. I think Virgin Atlantic is the right strategy here because it allows them to maximize revenue while preserving the Virgin Atlantic guest experience.
Conclusion
Plaza Premium guests (including Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X) will lose access to some Virgin Atlantic clubhouses. After February 28, 2023, the JFK Clubhouse will no longer be accessible via Plaza Premium, and the IAD and SFO Lounges will no longer be accessible via Plaza Premium. This means that only the BOS and EWR Clubhouses will continue to be accessible via Plaza Premium.
Plaza Premium continues to manage Virgin Atlantic’s clubhouse in the United States, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this change. I’m sure Virgin Atlantic appreciated the extra revenue, but I think all this caused congestion issues.
What are your thoughts on Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse restricting access to Plaza Premium?
(Kudos to Anthony)
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