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Bloomberg
Virgin Australia opened three small invitation-only airport lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, renewing its push under new owner Bain Capital into a business-travel market dominated by Qantas Airways Ltd.
The lounges are accessed through unmarked doors and have a boardroom for guests and freebies such as meals and refreshments. Together, they seat fewer than 250 people, the company said. There are no boarding calls — members are asked in person to join their flights when the time comes.
The new facilities are only open to “Virgin Australia Beyond†members. To join that club, you need an invite from the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Jayne Hrdlicka or other management. Membership includes four free business-class upgrades every year.
The rooms are Virgin Australia’s answer to Qantas’s invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge, targeting industry leaders and executives controlling corporate travel budgets.
Virgin Australia collapsed shortly into the pandemic as travel evaporated.
Under Bain Capital, it is aiming to undercut Qantas and win contracts with companies that have become
more price-conscious since Covid-19.
Virgin Australia carried 34% of domestic passenger traffic in Australia in January, up from 22% in November 2020 when it emerged from administration, according to the competition watchdog.