Virgin Lounge at Heathrow
Sep 12th, 2005, 12:54 PM
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Virgin Lounge at Heathrow
If I remember correctly, we will have to clear customs at Heathrow if we want to use the Virgin lounge during a stopover on the way to Rome because it is outside of the transfer areas--am I correct?
Sep 12th, 2005, 10:39 PM
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Yes, but....
Flights to Rome are from T1 or T2. The quickest way by far from a plane at T3 (where Virgin arrives) to a plane at T2 or T1 is to walk through immigration and then walk on through the underground passages to the other terminals, more or less walking past the Virgin arrivals lounge (Transferring airside means waiting for a bus, hoping there's enough room on it, waiting while it goes the scenic route to the Flight Connections Centre, still going through security anyway and then walking almost as far to your gate as you'd have walked if you'd gone through immigration).
The direct route can be a bit slower for people with non-EU passports than for most of us. But if you're allowed access to the Revivals lounge, you're also entitled to a Fastrack pass, with your own separate Immigration queue (it was being claimed last week by one airline that Fastrack is temporarily suspended. But, certainly at 2100 last Saturday it was working flat out and their queue was actually moving faster than the EU queue). If your bags are through-checked to Rome, they'll go straight through whether you pop into the lounge or not. If they're not through-checked, you'll have to collect them, hoick them across to T1 or 2 and recheck them - also whether you use the lounge or not.
This all assumes you're able-bodied. But if you've got a mobility problem, you may well find the airside transfer is less hassle than going via the lounge.
Flights to Rome are from T1 or T2. The quickest way by far from a plane at T3 (where Virgin arrives) to a plane at T2 or T1 is to walk through immigration and then walk on through the underground passages to the other terminals, more or less walking past the Virgin arrivals lounge (Transferring airside means waiting for a bus, hoping there's enough room on it, waiting while it goes the scenic route to the Flight Connections Centre, still going through security anyway and then walking almost as far to your gate as you'd have walked if you'd gone through immigration).
The direct route can be a bit slower for people with non-EU passports than for most of us. But if you're allowed access to the Revivals lounge, you're also entitled to a Fastrack pass, with your own separate Immigration queue (it was being claimed last week by one airline that Fastrack is temporarily suspended. But, certainly at 2100 last Saturday it was working flat out and their queue was actually moving faster than the EU queue). If your bags are through-checked to Rome, they'll go straight through whether you pop into the lounge or not. If they're not through-checked, you'll have to collect them, hoick them across to T1 or 2 and recheck them - also whether you use the lounge or not.
This all assumes you're able-bodied. But if you've got a mobility problem, you may well find the airside transfer is less hassle than going via the lounge.
