Virgin Australia announce changes to lounge access at airports

Virgin Australia has announced changes in access to lounges at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney international airports for its business class customers in addition to those holding Platinum and Velocity Gold frequent flyers membership. These changes have become effective starting November 1, 2016. The airline has said that international airport lounges access would be available to customers depending on their respective destination.

The customers prior to taking flights to Los Angeles from Brisbane on Virgin Australia would now be offered access to Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge instead of Air New Zealand lounge. A spokesperson of Virgin Australia however said that its Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyer members taking flights to Honolulu on the airline’s partner Hawaiian Airlines would not be provided lounge access in Brisbane now under the new changes.

Media reports said that Virgin Australia is yet to disclose its plans regarding the lounge access to all those traveling between Los Angeles and Melbourne, when the service resumes in April 2017. According to the reports, the lounges in Melbourne airport’s international terminal are being currently being identified by the airline. The reports at the same time stated that the airline is considering the new Etihad Airways lounge for its customers so that the hassle of domestic trek can be overcome.

Virgin Australia said that it will be offering its customers access to Etihad Airways First and Business Class Lounge when traveling between Los Angeles and Sydney. The airline was earlier offering access to Air New Zealand lounge to its customers taking flights to Los Angeles from Sydney. However, those who are traveling on Delta Air Lines from Sydney to Los Angeles will now be offered access to the SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge instead of the Air New Zealand lounge. Virgin Australia further stated that those traveling between Sydney and Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines would be provided to the SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge instead of Air New Zealand. These changes are applicable to other destinations as well involving international airlines serving Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.