Virgin Australia to open new Canberra airport lounges in March
By David Flynn, January 25 2013
Virgin Australia will open two new lounges at Canberra in March as the airport’s new Western Concourse Terminal, which will be home to Virgin and regional carriers, becomes operational.
A Virgin Australia spokeswoman confirms the airline is “on track to open the lounge in March”, adding that the exact date isn’t confirmed – although Canberra Airport hopes to cut the ribbon on its shiny new terminal extension around the middle of the month.
Virgin’s twin Canberra lounges will share a massive footprint that’s substantially larger than the old well-worn lounge.
In addition to the standard Virgin lounge for business class travellers, lounge members and Platinum and Gold cardholders in the Velocity frequent flyer scheme there’ll also be an addition to The Club network of Virgin’s invitation-only lounges for hosting politicians, top-level executives and other VIPs.
The new lounges represent a vital catch-up for Virgin Australia’s capital presence, given that Qantas has been operating three modern lounges – the Qantas Club, Qantas Business Lounges and Chairman’s Lounge – in the airport’s Eastern Concourse Terminal since late 2010.
Read: Photos & review of Virgin Australia's Capital Connest business class
Also on Virgin’s lounge list for 2013 are Cairns and Hobart plus the mid-year completion of a substantial makeover for its Sydney Airport lounge, which will become a split-level flagship lounge for the airline.
A new upper level of the Sydney lounge opened in late December, with sections of the lower level being progressively renovated throughout the coming months.
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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.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Jan 2012
Total posts 335
If you imagine the lounge space as a mirror to the QF lounges space, it seems the VA lounges will be huge! Qantas currently has three lounges in that space and has one of their biggest lounges in CBR so lets look forward to some big lounges!
20 Feb 2012
Total posts 67
I believe Virgin will not be utilising the entire space. Some of it will be reserved for pottential Internatial space.
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
The old CBR lounge really was a real rat-hole, sorry if that offends anybody from Virigh but you all know that to be true! Can't wait to see the new one!
26 Jan 2013
Total posts 1
What happened to the DRW lounge ?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
23 May 2012
Total posts 268
It's still coming, but Virgin hasn't said when it will open
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
29 Aug 2012
Total posts 23
It's opening mid next year. There were delays in starting construction at the terminal (starting in a matter of weeks), with full completion expected at the end of next year, with the first stage (which I beleive, though am not certain, contains the Virgin Lounge) opening mid next year.
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