Virgin Australia Lounge Membership Guide

Virgin Australia Lounge, Adelaide
Virgin Australia Lounge, Adelaide. Photo: Matt Graham.

Virgin Australia operates a network of seven Australian domestic airport lounges. These stylish lounges offer complimentary food and drinks, free Wi-Fi, showers and a comfortable environment to wait for your flight.

Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum members enjoy unlimited lounge access when flying on the same day with Virgin Australia. Entry is also available to Business Class passengers, paid-up lounge members and even certain credit card holders departing on a same-day Virgin flight.

This guide contains everything you need to know about Virgin Australia lounge access and membership!

The Virgin Australia Lounge network

Virgin has lounges at seven Australian domestic airports. These are located in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.

Virgin Australia Lounge locations
Virgin Australia Lounge locations.

Prior to COVID-19, the airline also used to operate lounges in Darwin, Cairns, Mackay, Alice Springs and Wellington (New Zealand). Unfortunately, these locations have closed permanently.

What can you expect in the lounge?

The layout of each lounge is slightly different. But you can expect a variety of seating areas, clean toilets, showers, a bar and a buffet food station with hot and cold options. All lounges offer free Wi-Fi internet.

Shower suite at the Virgin Australia lounge in Adelaide
Shower suite at the Adelaide lounge. Photo: Matt Graham.

Barista coffee and premium tea is available throughout the day, and alcoholic beverages, including bottled beer and wine, are available during the afternoon and evening.

The food selection is rotated and there are different options for breakfast and lunch/dinner. Breakfast options typically include toast, fresh fruit, cereal and yoghurt, and sometimes there are hot options like bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, potato cakes or frittatas.

From around 10.30 am, lunch meal options typically include things like fresh salads, wraps, sandwiches and soup with bread rolls. There’s also a range of snacks including things like cheese and crackers, corn chips and fruit.

Lunch buffet at the Virgin Australia Lounge, Sydney
Lunch buffet at the lounge in Sydney. Photo: Matt Graham.

A hot meal option such as pasta or curry is also often available during lunch and dinner times. Plus, Virgin serves Betty’s Burgers products in its Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane lounges on Thursday and Friday evenings.

Betty's Burgers products
Virgin Australia serves Betty’s Burgers in some of its lounges. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Who can access Virgin Australia lounges?

Virgin Australia offers complimentary lounge access to Gold and Platinum Velocity members when flying with Virgin or an eligible partner airline. Virgin Australia Business Class passengers also enjoy access, and Velocity Silver members receive two annual single-use passes.

Paid-up lounge members and Velocity Gold members can also bring in one guest with them. Platinum Velocity members are entitled to up to 3 additional guests. Up to 3 children aged 2-17 are also allowed in as guests, in addition to the regular guest allowance.

Unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia does not provide a guest allowance to Business Class passengers.

The entrance to the Virgin lounge at Adelaide Airport
Entrance to Virgin’s Adelaide Lounge. Photo: Matt Graham.

Lounge access on arrival

Lounge members as well as Velocity Gold, Velocity Platinum and Business Class passengers, can also use the lounge on arrival at their destination.

This benefit is “subject to space availability” and offered for up to 60 minutes after passengers have arrived at their destination. The usual guest allowance also applies when accessing lounges on arrival.

Paid Virgin Australia Lounge membership

If you don’t quite fly enough to earn Velocity Gold status, the airline offers annual lounge memberships for a fee. You can purchase a lounge membership on the Virgin Australia website.

The airline increased the cost of lounge memberships on 1 July 2024. Membership now costs $450 year. There is also a one-off joining fee for new lounge members of $99.

Table of updated Virgin Australia Lounge membership fees from 1 July 2024
Updated Virgin Australia Lounge membership fees from 1 July 2024.

You can discuss the recent price increase on the AFF forum.

Virgin Australia Business Flyer members pay only $379 per year for discounted Virgin lounge memberships. Discounts may also be available to members of various professional organisations.

The airline also sells lifetime lounge membership for $9,750 (or $6,750 for people aged over 60 years old). This is unlikely to be worthwhile for most people.

Single-entry passes

Virgin Australia also sells one-time lounge entry passes at the door. These can be purchased for $65 – the same as the price charged for additional lounge guests above a member’s normal entitlement. But lounge access with a single-entry pass is only available within 2 hours of the flight’s departure. You’d need to eat a lot of food (or drink a lot of beer or wine) to get your money’s worth!

On 1 July 2024, Virgin reduced the single entry pass fee for children aged 2-17 years old to $45. Note that minors need to be accompanied by an adult because the lounges are licensed venues.

If you’re considering purchasing one-time access, you may find it more cost-effective to upgrade to Virgin Australia Business Class instead. This gives you complimentary lounge access with your ticket. You can do this by redeeming Velocity points or bidding for an upgrade.

The new Virgin Australia Lounge at Melbourne Airport
The Virgin Australia Lounge at Melbourne Airport. Photo: Matt Graham.

Lounge access with credit cards

Several Australian credit cards come with two annual Virgin Australia lounge passes. These include:

The American Express Platinum charge card goes a step further, giving unlimited complimentary access to Virgin Australia lounge locations whenever you fly with the airline. The Amex Platinum card also comes with unlimited Delta SkyClub, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Lufthansa Lounge and American Express Centurion Lounge access!

Credit Cards with Virgin Australia Lounge Passes

American Express Velocity Business
Earn
1

Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

150,000 bonus Velocity Points

Apply by 06th Nov 2024

Annual Fee
$249 p.a. and $99 per Employee Card up to 99 cards
Go to offer
American Express Velocity Platinum
Earn
1.25

Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

60,000 bonus Velocity Points*

Apply by 25th Jan 2025

Annual Fee
$440 p.a.
Go to offer

Virgin Australia Lounge vs Qantas Club membership

Even at $450 per year, paid Virgin Australia Lounge membership is cheaper than an equivalent Qantas Club membership. Qantas Club membership costs $699/year, in addition to a one-off $129 joining fee. (Although, AFF Gold & Platinum members can access discounted Qantas Club membership.)

The trade-off is that Australia’s second-largest airline has a much smaller lounge network than Qantas. Virgin operates only seven airport lounges, while Qantas has lounges at 24 Australian airports. Qantas Club members also get access to a sizeable overseas lounge network, including American Airlines Admirals Club lounges and airport lounges at the vast majority of Qantas international destinations.

Virgin Australia Lounge membership is best suited to flyers who mostly travel between major cities in Australia, and fly enough to earn Velocity Silver status (but not quite enough to reach Velocity Gold).

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
________________________

Related Articles