Sydney and Cairns Getting New Domestic Plaza Premium Lounges

Plaza Premium is opening new domestic lounges at Sydney and Cairns airports, providing more lounge options on domestic flights.

The Sydney lounge is scheduled to open in late November 2026, with Cairns following in early 2027.

For Priority Pass members flying Virgin Australia from Sydney, the new lounge will provide an alternative to the airline’s own lounge in Terminal 2 – including for passengers who already have access through their ticket or frequent flyer status. It’s also great news for Jetstar passengers with access, as it avoids the trek over to Terminal 3.

Plaza Premium’s new Sydney domestic lounge

The Sydney lounge will be located after security in Terminal 2, opposite Gate 49 in Pier B. This is on the opposite side of the main food court to the Virgin Australia lounge.

The 545-square-metre lounge will accommodate 113 guests. Planned facilities include workspaces, charging stations, Wi-Fi, an accessible bathroom and a shower.

There will also be food, barista-made coffee and a bar. The lounge’s planned opening hours are 5.30am to 8pm. So, it doesn’t quite cover the first and last flights out of Sydney.

How to access the Sydney Plaza Premium Lounge

Priority Pass members will be able to access the Sydney lounge with the full package inclusions, including selected alcoholic drinks.

Eligible American Express Platinum cardholders, including additional cardholders, can also access Plaza Premium lounges directly through their card benefit – this includes with alcohol.

Even if you qualify for Virgin Australia’s lounge, this is worth keeping in mind – especially if you want some half-decent food and wine!

For passengers paying for entry, Plaza Premium will offer two packages covering a two-hour visit:

• Lite package: $29, without alcohol.
• Full package: $54, including selected alcoholic drinks.

Both advance bookings through the Plaza Premium website and walk-in entry will be available. Members of Plaza Premium’s free Smart Traveller program can also receive a 20% discount on lounge access by presenting their membership card.

Note that additional charges may apply for showers and some bar offerings.

Cairns domestic lounge to open in 2027

Also, Plaza Premium’s Cairns domestic lounge is due to open in early 2027, occupying the space previously used by Virgin Australia’s lounge.

This should be particularly useful for travellers without access to the Qantas Club, giving them another lounge option before a flight.

The Sydney and Cairns domestic openings follow Plaza Premium’s Adelaide Domestic lounge, which opened in November 2025. The new lounges will be accompanied by a complete rebuild and redesign of Plaza Premium’s existing Brisbane International lounge.

It’s great to see competition on the domestic lounge front – especially since the only Priority Pass options in most major airports are the very basic Rex Lounges. It will also hopefully force Virgin Australia and Qantas to step up their game!