Virgin Melbourne Lounge Now After Security

Virgin Australia Lounge entrance in Melbourne
Virgin Australia Lounge, Melbourne. Photo: Virgin Australia.

The Virgin Australia Lounge at Melbourne Airport is now located after the security checkpoint, making it easier to head to the departure gates in Terminals 3 and 4 directly from the lounge.

The lounge has not physically moved. But since Wednesday, the large Terminal 4 security checkpoint at Melbourne Airport is now a central location that also serves Terminal 3.

Virgin Australia passengers will still check in at Terminal 3, but now need to head over to the Terminal 4 security checkpoint to access all departure gates in Terminals 3 or 4 and to access the Virgin Australia Lounge.

Virgin Australia passengers now clear security at Terminal 4 in Melbourne
Virgin Australia passengers now clear security at Terminal 4 in Melbourne. Photo: Matt Graham.

The escalators that previously led from the Virgin Australia check-in area in Terminal 3 to the Virgin Australia Lounge are now closed. This area is now boarded up as a construction zone.

The escalators leading from the Terminal 3 check-in area to the Virgin Australia lounge are no more
The escalators leading from the Terminal 3 check-in area to the Virgin Australia lounge are no more. Photo: Matt Graham.

The change to the Melbourne Airport layout ultimately makes the “premium exit” at the Virgin Australia Lounge in Melbourne redundant, since the lounge is now located airside rather than land-side. (This had been closed for most of the pandemic, anyway.) As of Wednesday, the security checkpoint that was located at the end of the Terminal 3 pier has been removed.

The entrance to the Terminal 3 pier at Melbourne Airport, where there is no longer a security checkpoint
The entrance to the Terminal 3 pier at Melbourne Airport, where there is no longer a security checkpoint. Photo: Matt Graham.

There is a new priority security lane for Virgin Australia Gold, Platinum and Business Class guests on the right hand side of the Terminal 4 security checkpoint.

Terminal 4 security checkpoint at Melbourne Airport
Terminal 4 security checkpoint at Melbourne Airport with a new Virgin Australia Priority line. Photo: Matt Graham.

When Australian Frequent Flyer visited yesterday afternoon, the priority queue was short but nobody was checking that people in this line were actually eligible to use it. (We believe this is properly enforced during the morning peak periods.) Incidentally, the “priority” line also seemed to be the slowest of all the lines yesterday afternoon because the x-ray machine wasn’t working properly and people were waiting 10 minutes for their bags to be screened. However, this was likely just a one-off issue.

After clearing security in Terminal 4, Virgin Australia passengers have access to the large food court in Terminal 4 or can turn right to head down a newly-opened walkway past the private Virgin Australia Beyond lounge, towards the Virgin Australia Lounge and Terminal 3 boarding gates.

Terminal 3 at Melbourne Airport is now accessible via an airside walkway from Terminal 4
Terminal 3 at Melbourne Airport is now accessible via an airside walkway from Terminal 4. Photo: Matt Graham.

Overall, this new setup does seem like an improvement. One potential downside, however, is that this will make it even more difficult for eligible passengers on Virgin Australia international flights from Melbourne to Nadi or Denpasar to access the lounge.

Virgin Australia does not have a lounge in the international terminal, and eligible passengers on the airline’s own international flights from Melbourne are currently only able to access the Virgin Australia domestic lounge in Terminal 3. This was already inconvenient as it’s located before the international security and immigration checkpoints in Terminal 2, where all international flights depart. But accessing that lounge will also now require passengers to clear security in Terminal 4.

 

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Melbourne VA Lounge becoming airside from August 2022

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 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.
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Sounds like it will be connected internally.

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Sounds like it will be connected internally.

Yep - you'll have to pass more retail outlets to reach the lounge - which will be at least airside.

Reply 4 Likes

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Sounds like it will be connected internally.

A lot more walking, then....

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Will it make any difference visiting the QF lounge before a JQ flight?

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A lot more walking, then....

Focus on the upside, you will be able to earn a few more QF points if you are you using the QF Wellbeing app and a step counter.

Reply 4 Likes

A lot more walking, then....

Just like T2 then .... :mad:

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That security point was a cluster… but at least all the LCC’s will truly be together again!

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So they expect you do exit the terminal, walk down to T4 and enter down there?

I suspect (hope?) the escalators will be one way down to the area where VA baggage claim currently is.

Then again, that would reduce the number of retail opportunities arriving customers would be forced to walk past.

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Will it make any difference visiting the QF lounge before a JQ flight?

You’ll have to get past the international terminal which is in the way so will need to get screened twice still.

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Yep - you'll have to pass more retail outlets to reach the lounge - which will be at least airside.

Never understood why a lounge being airside is a good thing, especially with the current circumstance where security is attached directly and exclusively for lounge patrons.

I am hopeful though this change will address the bottleneck of passengers that are departing/arriving the one security checkpoint that currently exists for T3.

With the current lounge renovations I wonder if they will move the entrance to the west, where the business centre and 2nd bar is -- so it would attach directly to T4?

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