This was published 4 years ago
Virgin Australia and No1 Lounges open new lounge at Brisbane Airport
By Kylie McLaughlin
Virgin Australia's newest airport lounge in Brisbane has an unusual twist: It's open to all passengers, flying any class of ticket.
Operated by UK-based No1 Lounges, "My Lounge" at Brisbane's international terminal is the latest pay-as-you-go lounge to open in Australia.
This is the third No1 Lounge to operate in Australia, with Melbourne and Sydney-based lounges taking over the old Etihad spaces, with another point of difference – it will be aimed at the leisure traveller.
In the new Brisbane lounge there is less of a focus on the "quiet spaces" and work areas of most traditional business-class lounges. Instead, visitors will be encouraged to spread the pre-holiday vibe and socialise among shared tables and lounges, before they fly Brisbane's popular routes to destinations such as Bali, Fiji and Los Angeles.
The colourful and casual spot is, unusually, located along the bright corridor that leads to the departure gates, which will put the departing flight within stumbling distance.
While admitting that creating a lounge along a corridor was a "crazy idea", chief operating officer of No1 Lounges, John Upton, said the aim of the new lounge in Brisbane was to try to "democratise access to lounges".
"The location is an amazing spot to show people that lounging is accessible," he said, while adding that the entry fee of $60 was comparable to what travellers would spend on food and drink prior to departure outside the lounge.
Paul Scurrah, Virgin CEO, said "It was a wonderful lounge experience catering to all ends of the market, from business to leisure. Our guests love the lounges in Melbourne and Sydney, which gave us the confidence to move forward in Brisbane."
Scurrah added that the focus on leisure travellers was vital to the lounge's success.
"We have half a million passengers heading to 12 destinations from Brisbane, so getting the balance right was absolutely crucial.
"It's different to what everyone else offers in this space, and we want people to book with us for the things that make us different, not the same."
Priced from $60 entry for online bookings, the lounge will feature a selection of meals and snacks, a coffee machine and a bar, which will have a selection of local beer, wines and rum as well as a signature pink-gin-based cocktail called the Virgin Flamingo. Cuisine will be rotated every month and food will be locally sourced.
There is also free Wi-Fi, showers and amenities such as hairdryers.
The tarmac-facing space also features an area for kids with a foosball table and a large television playing children's programs.
Virgin Velocity Platinum, Gold and other members of the lounge program will have priority access to the lounge, but, with a time limit of three hours, Virgin and No1 are confident that managing flows shouldn't be an issue.
No1 Lounges now have 15 lounges around the world, with 12 in airports across Britain.
See also: Airline review: Is Virgin's extra legroom 'Economy X' worth the price?
See also: The secret to getting into airport lounges when you're flying economy
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