Priority Pass has been adding lounges to its network left and right over the past year. New additions are much needed given that so many more credit cards are offering Priority Pass memberships and many of their lounges are experiencing crowding issues. Priority Pass just announced its newest addition which will be the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX.
Three total options at LAX
Surprisingly, LAX only offered two options for Priority Pass members. There is the Alaska Lounge in Terminal 6 and the Korean Air Lounge in the in the Tom Bradley International Terminal. So now there will be three options to choose from with the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse found at Terminal 2 (Level 4, above the departure gates). (Terminal 2 is used by the following airlines: Aer Lingus, Aeromexico, Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and WestJet.) The Clubhouse will be open to Priority Pass guests beginning November 20th.
Lounge restrictions
The big thing to note here is that the lounge hours for Priority Pass members will be limited to 5am – 12:30pm daily. This is because this is a smaller lounge and Virgin Atlantic flies up to three daily flights to the UK in the later afternoon, which would result in crowding issues if Priority Pass members were allowed access at all hours.
This also means that Priority Pass members won’t get the full service experience, such as the fancy cocktails and dining that Virgin Atlantic offers to its passengers. Instead, complimentary alcohol will consist of beer and wine, though I believe a cold buffet will also be available.
Overall, it’s a slight bummer the full bar and dining options won’t be available (or at least not complimentary) at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse for Priority Pass guests but it’s great to see another Priority Pass option at LAX. What’s more, it’s encouraging to see Priority Pass step up its game over the past few months and continue to add lounges all around the US. Maybe overcrowding won’t be as big of an issue as many people have experienced in the past?
H/T: VFTW
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.