For the subsequent portion of my around the world journey with dad, we flew Virgin Australia enterprise class from Perth to Sydney. On this publish 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 attention-grabbing to match the lounge scenario over there to what I’m used to in the US, and in different elements of the world.
Whereas the Virgin Australia Perth doesn’t have notably elegant decor, it has good views, nice espresso, and a reasonably good foods 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 situated in Terminal 1, which is used for Virgin Australia’s home flights. We had been on the airport early afternoon, and the check-in space was fairly quiet.
Virgin Australia has a devoted precedence safety lane, which we had been via in no-time.
As soon as via 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 brief stroll away.
The lounge doesn’t have constant hours, however slightly is open from 60 minutes earlier than the primary departure till the final departure. So if you happen to’re flying Virgin Australia, you’ll be able to anticipate that the lounge shall be open.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth entry necessities
There are a whole lot of alternative ways to entry Virgin Australia Lounges, and they’re all outlined right here. Amongst different methods, listed below are among the well-liked 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 move 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 most typical entry technique is utilizing an Amex Platinum?).
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth seating & format
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is primarily only one massive 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 slightly busier at first, however emptied out shortly earlier than we left, so I used to be in a position to get some footage 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 images converse principally for themselves.
There are additionally a couple of 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 understood 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 gentle 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 service, I wasn’t anticipating that both.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth meals & drinks
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth had a good choice 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 inferior to what you’d discover in a Delta Sky Membership (properly, 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 at the Ritz-Carlton Perth. However I’ve no regrets, as a result of it’s laborious to seek out espresso this good in the US.
The meals choice within the lounge included a couple of salad choices (with fairly a couple of 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 individuals getting drunk and over-serving themselves, some native legislation, 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 boys’s room had each particular person stalls and urinals, in addition to a couple of sinks.
There was additionally a room with a bathe, nevertheless it actually didn’t seem like 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. Sometimes once you consider airport lounges, you think about enterprise vacationers in formal garments, well-off retired individuals, and possibly millennials with bank cards providing lounge entry.
Western Australia’s financial system is essentially about pure sources, and Virgin Australia has all types of flights which can be well-liked with staff going to mines and different locations with pure sources. So a whole lot of the friends within the lounge had been carrying security vests, which you in any other case don’t usually see in airport lounges.
Additionally, a whole lot of these individuals had been downing alcoholic drinks as if it was water. I assume I can’t blame them — I’m guessing many had been away from residence for a protracted 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 choice of meals and drinks, together with barista espresso. Don’t arrive early to spend time within the Virgin Australia Lounge, nevertheless it’s additionally not a nasty place to move a while (particularly if you happen to’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?