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!
Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lounge access with credit cards
Several Australian credit cards come with two annual Virgin Australia lounge passes. These include:
- Virgin Money Velocity High Flyer
- Westpac Altitude Velocity Black
- Amex Velocity Platinum
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
- Card Name
- American Express Velocity Business
- Earn
- 1
- Signup Bonus
-
100,000 bonus Velocity Points
Apply by 27th Aug 2024
- Annual Fee
- $249 p.a. and $99 per Employee Card up to 99 cards
- Read more
- Read the guide
Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases
- Card Name
- American Express Velocity Platinum
- Earn
- 1.25
- Signup Bonus
-
60,000 bonus Velocity Points
- Annual Fee
- $375 p.a.
- Read more
- Read the guide
Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases
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).
