For the following portion of my around the world journey with dad, we flew Virgin Australia enterprise class from Perth to Sydney. On this put up I needed to overview the Virgin Australia Lounge at Perth Airport (PER). I don’t fly all that a lot inside Australia, so it’s fascinating to check the lounge scenario over there to what I’m used to in the USA, and in different components of the world.
Whereas the Virgin Australia Perth doesn’t have notably elegant decor, it has good views, nice espresso, and a reasonably good food and drinks choice for a home lounge. Let’s get into the overview.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth location & hours
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is positioned in Terminal 1, which is used for Virgin Australia’s home flights. We have been on the airport early afternoon, and the check-in space was fairly quiet.
Virgin Australia has a devoted precedence safety lane, which we have been by in no-time.
As soon as by safety, there was signage to show left for the Virgin Australia Lounge, and switch proper for home departures.
The doorway to the lounge was then only a quick stroll away.
The lounge doesn’t have constant hours, however quite is open from 60 minutes earlier than the primary departure till the final departure. So for those who’re flying Virgin Australia, you’ll be able to anticipate that the lounge will likely be open.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth entry necessities
There are a variety of alternative ways to entry Virgin Australia Lounges, and they’re all outlined right here. Amongst different methods, listed here are a few of the in style methods you’ll be able to entry the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth:
- Be a enterprise class passenger
- Be a Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum or Gold member
- Be a Virgin Australia Lounge member
- Be an Amex Centurion or Amex Platinum card member in Australia (having a US card wouldn’t qualify you for entry)
- Purchase a day go for 65 AUD
As you’d anticipate, the variety of strategies for entry imply that lots of people have entry to the lounge (I think about the commonest entry methodology is utilizing an Amex Platinum?).
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth seating & structure
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is primarily only one large room, with floor-to-ceiling home windows alongside one wall. The lounge was busy, however not uncomfortably so, all through our go to. It was a bit busier at first, however emptied out shortly earlier than we left, so I used to be in a position to get some photos with out too many individuals in them.
The lounge has a wide range of seating choices, starting from high-top seating, to bar seating, to communal workstations, to clusters of chairs for stress-free. I’ll let the photographs converse largely for themselves.
There are additionally just a few tables again close to reception, which remained empty all through our go to.
My favourite a part of the lounge was in all probability the apron views. Whereas Virgin Australia is thought primarily for its Boeing 737s, the airline additionally has some Airbus A320s and Fokker 100s, with the Fokkers being particularly cool plane for us avgeeks.
I appreciated the pure mild and appreciated that the lounge wasn’t overcrowded. Nonetheless, the lounge’s decor additionally didn’t really feel notably elegant or high-end. However with Virgin Australia not even being a full service provider, I wasn’t anticipating that both.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth meals & drinks
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth had a good collection of meals and drinks. To check it to the US, I’d say it was a greater choice than you’d discover in an American Admirals Membership, however in all probability not so good as what you’d discover in a Delta Sky Membership (effectively, besides the espresso).
As somebody who loves good espresso, my favourite function was the barista espresso station, the place I ordered a scrumptious flat white.
Sure, suffice it to say that I had manner an excessive amount of caffeine (and dairy) on this present day, particularly after having three coffees on the Ritz-Carlton Perth. However I’ve no regrets, as a result of it’s laborious to seek out espresso this good in the USA.
The meals choice within the lounge included just a few salad choices (with fairly just a few methods to customise your choice), chips and pretzels, a cheese choice, bread rolls, penne pasta, two sorts of soup, and biscuits.
Along with espresso, the drink choice included a soda fountain, nonetheless and glowing water on faucet, tea, beer, and a few wines. Apparently the alcohol wasn’t self-serve. Is that to keep away from folks getting drunk and over-serving themselves, some native regulation, or…?
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth loos & showers
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth had loos close to the doorway, which weren’t notably good for a lounge. The lads’s room had each particular person stalls and urinals, in addition to just a few sinks.
There was additionally a room with a bathe, however it actually didn’t appear to be it was used a lot.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth crowd
Maybe the factor that stood out to me probably the most in regards to the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth was the gang. Usually while you consider airport lounges, you think about enterprise vacationers in formal garments, well-off retired folks, and perhaps millennials with bank cards providing lounge entry.
Western Australia’s financial system is basically about pure assets, and Virgin Australia has every kind of flights which are in style with staff going to mines and different locations with pure assets. So a variety of the company within the lounge have been carrying security vests, which you in any other case don’t typically see in airport lounges.
Additionally, a variety of these folks have been downing alcoholic drinks as if it was water. I assume I can’t blame them — I’m guessing many have been away from dwelling for an extended task, and are able to let unfastened a bit.
Backside line
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is a superbly nice lounge. Whereas the decor doesn’t really feel that high-end, the lounge has good views, plus a reasonably good collection of meals and drinks, together with barista espresso. Don’t arrive early to spend time within the Virgin Australia Lounge, however it’s additionally not a nasty place to go a while (particularly for those who’re in search of a drink or 4, which appeared to be the first draw for many individuals within the lounge).
What do you make of the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth?
