Where is the Virgin Australia Lounge Located?

The Virgin Australia lounge is located in Sydney Airport Domestic Terminal 2. Shortly after clearing security proceed up the stairs or escalator whereby you’ll find the large entrance to the lounge on the left-hand side.

Who Can Access the Lounge and When is it Open?

Virgin Australia as an operator of a single stream of all-user lounges it is no surprise that the lounge has been designed to attract a large amount of travelers using a variety of different pathways which include:

Business Class Passengers flying on Virgin or arriving from Virgin Flights

Virgin Velocity Status Gold and Above (+1 guest except Platinum +3 guests)

Virgin Lounge Membership (+1 guest)

Airline Partner Status including gold and above on Delta, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, South African Airway, United and Virgin Atlantic (+1 guest)

Select American Express Card Holders

Single entry pass holders departing on a Virgin Australia Flight

Paid access at the door – $65 subject to availability

Lounge Design and Seating

Virgin Australia’s Lounge in Sydney very much conforms to the uniform design and service standards that one has come to expect of Virgin’s lounges. As Virgin only operate one type of lounge at its major city airports it means they have to cater to a larger pool of travelers ranging from Lounge members, passengers with Gold status and above, those with partner airline status and of course those flying Business. This means Virgin have very much found a sweet spot for their lounges with the standard of service and comfort coming in between that of the Qantas Club which cater primarily to economy passengers at airports where they have a business lounge and that of Qantas’s domestic business lounges themselves. 

Virgin’s lounge is unsurprisingly very large in Sydney and arriving around 4pm it was clear the lounge was busy with most tables and chairs occupied although the crowds did drop off however as the late afternoon went by. Virgin have very much the usual assortment of seating arrangements at this lounge as per there other lounges and generally cater well to those both working or relaxing in the lounge although don’t expect too many private spaces in this lounge. Unfortunately at this lounge there is no direct views of the tarmac which are obscured by the roof of some of the terminal buildings Infront although there is still some natural light coming in with views partly obscured views of taxiway and runway in the distance which reveals just how busy Sydney Airport is!

Food and Beverage

Self Service Buffet

As with other Virgin Lounges food and beverage is a strong point especially for a lounge catering to big crowds. Expect a semi-self serve buffet with several pre-plated dishes on offer depending on the time of the day in addition to an all day spread including cold cut meats, cheeses, soup and breads and snacks such as Red Rock chips and cheese and crackers. Virgin’s famous fried chicken was also on offer which always appears to be a crowd pleaser. 

The Bar and Barista Station

The Virgin Australia Lounge also has a well stocked bar on offer that opens at noon and offers several white and red wines and selection of local beers notably including the likes of Four Pines although unfortunately there is nothing on tap. The bar is tendered and not self service. To complete the offering there is also a good range of soft drinks and juice offerings scattered around the lounge. A tendered barista station also offers a good quality caffeine fix for those that need it although self service coffee is also on offers for those in a rush. Overall the lounge provides a good selection of drinks.

Service and Staff

Despite the busy nature of the Virgin Australia Sydney Lounge we found the level of service in the lounge from the reception area to the bar and barista station to be of a high standard and were generally able to handle the large crowds going through. Despite the large volumes of passengers coming and going through the lounge the cleaning staff worked hard to clear tables and keep amenities tidy.

Lounge Amenities

Whilst the Virgin Australia Sydney Lounge is by no means the most exclusive or luxurious lounge in Sydney overall it does a good job of getting the basics right and this includes with its amenities. Bathrooms with shower suites are available within the lounge and appeared to be well kept during our visit. Free Wifi was reasonably fast and more than adequate for most tasks and work a user might need to do before there flight. Power points to charge devices are available within the lounge but are certainly not next to all seating so it pays to check before settling in if you need power.

Summing Up

Whilst it is safe to say that the lounge is a heavily visited ‘one size fits all’ lounge for Virgin Australia that is far from the most exclusive or luxurious place to spend before your flight it does however tick most of the right boxes for ensuring a solid lounge experience overall. Virgin Australia’s Lounge in Sydney very much conforms to the uniform design and service standards that one has come to expect of Virgin’s lounges and can rely upon. As Virgin only operate one type of lounge at its major city airports it means they have to cater to a larger pool of travelers and we think objectively that Virgin have very much found a sweet spot for their lounges with the standard of service and comfort able to broadly cater to the large passenger base.