Virgin Australia Unveils Future Offering

Lounges to Re-Open

The airline has confirmed that the airline’s lounges will re-open at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Gold Coast. The airline claims that as government-imposed travel restrictions ease and travel demand resumes, the domestic lounges will open at airports where high volumes of frequent flyers travel.

Virgin Australia’s first-to-market Premium Entry feature will remain and lounge membership will be extended for 12 months from the original expiry date.

Initially, the lounges will offer guests with an interim food and drink menu which will be reviewed as the lounge network gradually re-opens and passenger volumes return. The airline claims that the offerings will adhere to COVID-safe protocols and will include fresh and pre-made food.

Unfortunately, due to low visitor numbers, the airline has confirmed that the Darwin, Cairns, and Mackay lounges will close. The Canberra lounge remains under review.

New Lounges, Similar Service Overall

The recently built Adelaide Lounge will open in Q1 2021. The lounge is a prototype of the Virgin Australia Lounge of the future and will provide passengers with an experience and aesthetic more aligned to the Virgin brand. The new design of lounge will roll out to the lounge network over time.

The airline’s announcement was widely expected and anticipated following the completion of the sale process. Regular travelers wanted some reassurance about the airline’s future direction following the challenges faced by the airline of the recent months.

Overall, the announcement suggests that not all that much will change for passengers. Ms. Hrdlicka said VA will continue to evolve its offering but reassured customers “the Virgin Australia experience millions of travelers know and love is here to stay.”

Featured image: Brandon Farris