It is a little after 1pm on a wintry Friday afternoon, and the Virgin Atlantic lounge (officially the “Virgin Clubhouse”) at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3 is in the grip of the lunchtime rush. Platters of gourmet burgers are delivered to tables, cocktails are prepared behind the long bar, and the influx of passengers at the entrance never seems to finish.
In the midst of the fray – conducting the flow of people much as air-traffic controllers guide planes from the tower outside – Holly Sherwood is in charge of it all (officially as “Clubhouse Experience Manager”). Behind her on the floor, Joycelyne Sabbagh is one of the “Clubhouse Crew”, taking food orders, and returning with laden trays. Both women initially joined the Virgin Atlantic team in 2003, and together have more than 30 years of experience in the daily operations of an airport lounge. Which means they have a wealth of tales to tell:
What does your average day look like? Do you have an average day?
Holly Sherwood: Well, every day is different. One day, I might be tasting new dishes for our spring/summer menu; on another, I could be in London choosing new wines. Or I could be here, dealing with a maintenance issue – like a toilet blockage. It really can vary.
Joycelyne Sabbagh: Every day is challenging. When it’s busy, I leave like a zombie. If I’m on the morning shift, I get up at 3am, get the bus at 4.30. Then I have to get through security, get to the Clubhouse, and start setting up. By the time the doors open, I’m ready.
HS: It’s a very different vibe in the morning. You have customers in a rush. They may have got caught in traffic, they haven’t got long. Often, they just want a coffee, and to go.
What are the biggest challenges you face?
HS: Keeping the lounge well maintained. It’s a battle. We work hard, but some things are beyond our control. I’ve walked in before to find that the electricity is down. There have been days when I’ve had to run and buy sandwiches for the customers, because the kitchen power is out. These things don’t happen often, but when they do your heart sinks.
How often do you get people trying to sneak in?
HS: Oh, all the time. Only last week, we had a guy who ran in and locked himself in the toilet. We had to wait and wait. Eventually, he came out. We asked to see his boarding pass. Surprise surprise, he wasn’t entitled to lounge access. Then he said he was looking for his mother. We checked his booking; he was travelling by himself. Then he said that his mum was on a separate booking. We asked for her name… Finally, he said he’d leave.
People go to great lengths to come in. They have elaborate stories as to why they should be in the lounge. And it is hard, sometimes, to say no. But we have to protect the service.
What’s the worst attempt to blag access that you’ve heard?
HS: We often get: “My flight was delayed the last time I flew with you, so you should give me lounge access.” Or, “I didn’t get my first choice of meal on my last flight, so I should get lounge access for that.” Sometimes people have e-mails; they’ve written to somebody. But when you read the e-mail, they haven’t been offered lounge access. Or they look up somebody who works for Virgin, and then quote their name. They say “so-and-so told me I could use the lounge”. And I get contacted on social media all the time. When you become a Clubhouse Manager, you automatically become very popular.
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