It’s been a pretty big day for Australia, with international borders opened, Qantas starting the relaunch of its international network and also the day domestically Victoria-New South Wales borders have re-opened. To celebrate, rival Virgin Australia has given us a look at what its refurbished Melbourne Lounge will look like and unveiled a new and fresh Lounge menu, as the airline looks to the future.
First closed in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, the new-look Lounge has a familiar look and feel, but takes on a more contemporary look more akin to the new brand direction of the carrier, while maintaining the lounge’s existing structure and layout. Although it can fit more, for now 500 guests can be seated in the venue in line with COVID-19 capacity requirements. This is the largest of the ten lounges in the airline’s network.
In keeping with the new Virgin Australia signature “flair”, there’s more fun new signage within the lounge, bringing a fresh, more youthful approach to the walls, entry and exit points.
One of the biggest updates is the brand new bathrooms and shower facilities, but the airline has also updated the ambient lighting, added bright greenery and a selection of modern and refreshed furniture, all bringing a fresh lease of life to the lounge.
Virgin Australia has been thoughtful in its layout of the Lounge with spaces to sit back, relax and unwind, enjoy a delicious meal, connect with others or work on the fly – there’s something for everyone.
“Since the government announced the easing of state border restrictions, we have seen a surge in bookings for the holiday season which is great news and demonstrates the pent-up demand we’ll experience from now and throughout the summer holiday period,” says Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Paul Jones.
“Our plan is to continue to invest and evolve Virgin Australia’s fantastic Lounge spaces as part of our focus on creating great guest experiences. This is at the core of the Virgin Australia customer offering, and the reason why our loyal frequent flyers continue to travel with us,” he said.
Signature features of the Lounge will also return, including a “Wake Up” coffee and “Wind Down” wine bar offering an exciting range of beverages, including barista-made coffee, and Australian wines, craft beers and ciders.
To coincide with the re-opening of the Melbourne Lounge, Virgin Australia has unveiled a range of exciting new dishes across the airline’s domestic Lounge network as part of its ongoing program to enhance the guest experience and appeal to its heartland customer.
Dishes will be available from a range of menus that will rotate monthly, providing variety and choice to suit a range of taste buds at any time of the day from Karaage chicken served with slaw and mayonnaise to Potato rosti with crispy bacon and baked beans.
The Melbourne Lounge re-opening completes Virgin Australia’s national Lounge network, with the airline’s other lounges in Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. Virgin Australia has also committed to re-opening its premium lounges (formerly The Club) in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by 31 March 2022.
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