Melbourne Airport will see the opening of a Plaza Premium lounge in early 2018, providing non-status travellers with the option to pay their way into the lounge for food, drinks and shower access before their flight.
A spokesman for Plaza Premium has confirmed the lounge operator's plans and timeline to Australian Business Traveller.
The lounge will be located at the T2 international terminal on the lower departures level next to the arrivals corridor, and be run in conjunction with a new American Express lounge which will also be operated by Plaza Premium.
(This is a similar arrangement to the AMEX and SkyTeam lounges at Sydney Airport, both of which are contracted out to Plaza Premium.)
The American Express and Plaza Premium lounges will occupy the footprint of the former United Airlines lounge, and also share common toilet and kitchen facilities.
The American Express lounge will have its entrance next to the Singapore Airlines lounge.
This will be Plaza Premium's second lounge in Australia, following the June 2017 opening of a lounge at Brisbane. It will also be Melbourne's second pay-in lounge after the Marhaba Lounge.
While Plaza Premium has yet to reveal the price for using its Melbourne lounge, prices for the Brisbane lounge start at $53 per person for a two-hour stay or $62 for up to five hours. Selected top-tier credit cards, global lounge membership cards or even an eligible boarding pass from one of over a dozen airlines also qualify for complimentary access.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1224
So Plaza Premium are going where the old UA Lounge was. Does anyone know who plans to take the old MH Lounge at MEL which has been locked up for over a year?
27 Aug 2015
Total posts 26
RE: Old MH space: With MEL-LAX and soon to be daily HKG, perhaps an opportunity for VA to finally open an International lounge of their own?
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
I wouldn't expect to see Virgin open an international lounge at Melbourne (or anywhere else) any time soon, given that it runs only a handful of overseas flights from Melbourne and can more easily and cost-effectively share other airlines' lounges.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1224
I agree. They are better off sourcing good lounge sharing arrangements with shareholders EY or SQ who both have good, or in EY's case excellent, lounges in MEL.
07 Nov 2017
Total posts 28
Not going to happen. VA pax are a totally different demographic to EY and SQ premium pax.
27 Aug 2015
Total posts 26
Really? Even when you factor in daily mel-christchurch and double daily mel-akl?
20 Jun 2014
Total posts 59
Super. I have Oneworld status and prefer their lounges, but Plaza Premium are a more than acceptable substitute when I'm flying Star Alliance or others. Although in Sydney I've used their $36 credit at selected restaurants. That generally means you get a better meal than you would in most lounges, I'd almost prefer they offer that in Melbourne instead.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Many passengers may like the perceived exclusivity that comes with being in a 'cocooned' lounge with unlimited booze (even though food range may be limited.) $36 in a restaurant that's somewhat exposed to the hoi polloi may cut be thought of as 'cutting it.' I have found Plaza Premium lounges overseas quite good, and usually not very well patronised at the times I have flown.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Nov 2017
Total posts 30
This is good. The one is Brisbane is fantastic, IMO. I was going to use the Marhaba Lounge for my next flight with ScootBiz but this may make a fine choice instead!
24 Feb 2017
Total posts 5
Will Priority Pass use this new Plaza Premium lounge?
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Plaza Premium to open Melbourne lounge in early 2018