Can you bring friends and family into domestic airport lounges?

Lounge access is widely-hailed among the most appreciated perks for frequent flyers and those travelling in business class, and, like so many experiences in life, it’s often better when shared with friends and family.

Guest policies vary from one airline to the next, and can also differ depending on the ticket type you’ve booked, your frequent flyer status, and any paid airport lounge membership you may hold. That said, it is rather straightforward once you’re in the know.

Here’s how it works with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Rex Airlines.

Bringing guests into domestic Qantas Club and business lounges

Qantas domestic business class passengers, including those holding Bronze status, can be joined by one guest of their choosing in Qantas Clubs and business class lounges. The guest must be travelling on a same-day Qantas, Jetstar or Oneworld partner flight though.

That allowance rises to two guests total for Qantas Platinum and Platinum One frequent flyers, regardless of whether you’re flying business class or economy.

Guests travelling on same-day Qantas Group and Oneworld flights are welcome in the lounge.

Qantas Gold-grade frequent flyers and paid Qantas Club members are welcome to bring one guest into Qantas Club lounges when travelling in economy, or one guest into business class lounges (where available) when booked in business class.

All lounge-worthy travellers can also be accompanied by a further two guests aged 4-17 years – atop their usual guest allowance – along with infants aged three years and below.

Bringing guests into domestic Virgin Australia lounges

Unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia doesn’t allow its business class passengers to bring guests into lounges, unless the business class passenger is also a paid lounge member or holds Velocity Gold or Platinum frequent flyer status.

However, Velocity Platinum travellers booked in economy or business class can bring up to three guests into Virgin Australia lounges – one extra guest than Qantas affords its own top-tier travellers. And the guests needn’t be travelling with Virgin Australia, or indeed at all.

There's plenty of room at the inn at Virgin's Brisbane Lounge.

Velocity Gold members and paid Virgin Australia Lounge users are entitled to bring one guest into the lounge whenever they fly, and again, there’s no requirement for any guest to be jetting off. Children are on top of the standard limit. 

Guests are allowed in the following categories (children are considered to be between the ages of 2 and 17):

• Velocity Platinum: 3 adults and 3 children
• Velocity Gold: 1 adult and 3 children
• Virgin Australia Lounge member: 1 adult and 3 children
• Virgin Australia Lifetime Lounge member: 1 adult and 3 children

Travellers accompanied by guests over and above their adult or child allowance may be able to purchase access for them at a cost of $65 per person, paid at reception.

Bringing guests into domestic Rex Airlines (Regional Express) lounges

With no frequent flyer program to its name, Rex Airlines keeps things simple with its lounge access policy. Paid lounge members can bring one guest with them into Rex Lounges at no charge.

As is the case with Qantas, the guest must also be travelling with Rex that same day – they can’t merely be dropping you off at the airport, or meeting you before jetting off with a different airline.

There’s no requirement that your guest be booked on the same flight as you, only that they hold a booking of their own, and if you’d like to bring a second guest into a Rex lounge, you can do so by paying $22 on the day.