Virgin Australia has today revealed plans for a new era of airport lounges, including the re-opening of the airline’s invitation-only Beyond Lounge in Perth and a major refurbishment of its Brisbane domestic Lounge.
Exclusive Beyond Lounge to re-open in Perth
Virgin Australia will re-open the doors to its invitation-only Beyond Lounge in Perth early next year, marking a major milestone in the airline’s presence in Western Australia.
Once open, the exclusive Beyond Lounge network will span four cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth) with the addition of Perth timed as business travel starts to pick up in the first few months of the year.
The expansion of Beyond adds to Virgin Australia’s continued investment in Western Australia, where the airline’s corporate customer base is growing strongly, particularly across the energy, mining and resources sectors. This includes a new maintenance hangar and a fleet of eight new fuel-efficient Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, which will mainly operate FIFO mining services.
Since launching in April 2022, Virgin Australia Beyond Lounges have provided a private space to work, unwind and recharge for invited guests. These include decision makers from the airline’s largest corporate accounts and leaders from business, sport, tourism, society and beyond.
Major refurbishment of the Brisbane domestic Lounge
Virgin Australia will also undertake a multi-million-dollar refurbishment to refresh and enhance its domestic Lounge in Brisbane, with the works expected to be completed by mid-2027.
The Brisbane Lounge opened more than a decade ago, with the investment set to deliver new furniture, upgraded bathroom and shower facilities, and refreshed décor and greenery.
The Lounge will also be significantly expanded to meet customer demand, with 100 additional seats and power at every seat in the new space. Guests will also have more places to work or take a call, including a four-person enclosed meeting room and individual pods.
A new self-service beverage area will provide easy access to hot and cold beverages, including tea, coffee and soft drinks, while floor-to-ceiling windows will provide greater natural light.
The upgrade will bring the Brisbane Lounge closer in design and functionality to Virgin Australia’s domestic Lounge in Melbourne and flagship Adelaide Airport Lounge.
Virgin Australia has also partnered with Shark, the TikTok-famous beauty brand, to bring its hairdryers and hair straighteners to all Lounge bathrooms nationally as the airline continues to enhance its day-of-travel facilities.
Virgin Australia to undertake further Lounge refurbishments
Virgin Australia has also signalled that further refurbishments of its existing domestic Lounge network will be made over the coming years as the airline continues to enhance the customer experience.
WhatsApp servicing launch
Alongside its investment in Lounges, Virgin Australia is also expanding the way it provides dedicated service to its most frequent travellers, with WhatsApp customer service messaging now available to Virgin Australia Beyond members, Velocity Platinum Plus members and Virgin Australia Business Flyer members (the airline’s dedicated loyalty program for small to medium-sized business owners).
The new channel gives eligible customers greater choice and flexibility in how they connect with Virgin Australia’s customer service team with assistance available for upgrades to Economy X or Business Class seating, eligible changes to the date and time of a flight, or for general travel enquiries, subject to applicable terms and conditions.
Commentary
Virgin Australia Group CEO, Dave Emerson said the investment represented a significant step forward in the airline’s customer proposition.
“We’re investing significantly across our lounge network because we know how important the lounge experience is to our guests, particularly those travelling frequently for work,” said Mr Emerson.
“Perth is an incredibly important market for Virgin Australia, and we’ve seen strong growth among both our corporate customers and our most loyal Velocity members. Many are frequent travellers, particularly those working across Western Australia’s mining and resources sectors, so re-opening a Beyond Lounge in Perth is an important way for us to recognise that loyalty and the role it plays in our business.
“At the same time, we’re investing in our domestic Lounges to deliver a better experience for more of our guests. In Brisbane, we’re adding around 100 seats, alongside new furniture and upgraded bathroom and shower facilities. We’ve also listened to what our guests tell us matters most when they’re in our Lounges, which is why every seat in the new space will have access to power, making it easier to charge laptops, phones and other devices while they work or relax.
“Taken together, these investments reflect our commitment to giving our guests a better experience, while continuing to invest where it makes most commercial sense,” he said.
Speaking about future investments planned for the airline’s domestic Lounges, Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer, Andrew Cleary said: “We’ll continue to assess our Lounge network and invest where we see the strongest opportunity to improve the experience for our guests and support the growth of our business.
“Virgin Australia is also a vibrant, personality-filled brand, and there’s a great opportunity to bring more of that character into our Lounges, which is what you can see in the renders for the new Brisbane domestic Lounge. Our customers can expect to see more of that unique personality injected into the travel journey in the coming months.”
Commenting on the launch of WhatsApp servicing, he said: “We want to make it simple for our frequent travellers to get help in the way that suits them. WhatsApp gives eligible guests another option when they need to talk to our team about a trip. It’s a simple change, but it gives them more choice in how they reach us.”
