Where is the Brisbane Virgin Australia Lounge Located?

After clearing security in the domestic terminal turn right and proceed past the food court where you’ll find the Brisbane Virgin Australia lounge near Gate 41. On the right hand side you’ll then see the main lounge.

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

As with most Virgin lounges they open daily from 60 minutes before first Virgin Australia flight departure until the last Virgin Australia flight departure.

Lounge Design and Seating

Virgin Australia’s Lounge in Brisbane 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 at Brisbane and arriving around 2pm it was clear the lounge was busy with most tables and chairs occupied although the crowds did drop off however as the 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 to many private spaces in this lounge. Unfortunately at this lounge there is no direct views of the tarmac although there is still some natural light coming in with views of the rear of the airfield parameter which looks onto the Brisbane Airport Airtrain platforms

Food and Beverage

Self Service Buffet

As with other Virgin Lounges food and beverage is 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 meat, 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 lounge also has a well stocked bar on offer that opens at noon and offers several white and red wines, a selection of local craft beers such as Green Beacon and Balter and of course local Queensland favorite Great Northern and crowd pleaser Asahi. Completing the selection is a good range of soft drinks and juices which are available at several locations throughout the lounge. The bar is tendered and not self service. Overall the lounge provides a good selection of drinks although its a slight shame that there is no beers on tap.

The lounge also has a tendered barista station offering a good quality caffeine hit for those in need of a caffeine kick whilst self service tea and coffee is also available for those in a rush

Service and Staff

Despite the busy nature of the Virgin Australia Brisbane 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 Brisbane 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 Brisbane 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 comfortably being able to broadly cater to the large passenger base.