- Introduction: Around The World With Dad
- Review: Etihad First Class Boeing 787 (IAD-AUH)
- Review: Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Boeing 737 MAX First Class (AUH-DOH)
- Review: Hyatt Regency Oryx Doha, Qatar
- Review: Katara Hills Doha, A Hilton LXR Property
- Review: St. Regis Doha Marsa Arabia Island, Qatar
- Review: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Garden Business Lounge Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Platinum & Gold Lounge North Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways Platinum & Gold Lounge South Doha Airport (DOH)
- Review: Qatar Airways First Class Airbus A380 (DOH-PER)
- Review: Ritz-Carlton Perth, Australia
- Review: Virgin Australia Lounge Perth Airport (PER)
- Review: Virgin Australia Business Class Boeing 737 (PER-SYD)
- Review: Holiday Inn Express Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Review: Qantas First Lounge Sydney Airport (SYD)
- Review: Qantas First Class Airbus A380 (SYD-LAX)
For the next portion of my round the world trip with dad, we flew Virgin Australia business class from Perth to Sydney. In this post I wanted to review the Virgin Australia Lounge at Perth Airport (PER). I don’t fly all that much within Australia, so it’s interesting to compare the lounge situation over there to what I’m used to in the United States, and in other parts of the world.
While the Virgin Australia Perth doesn’t have particularly elegant decor, it has nice views, great coffee, and a pretty good food and drink selection for a domestic lounge. Let’s get into the review.
In this post:
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth location & hours
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is located in Terminal 1, which is used for Virgin Australia’s domestic flights. We were at the airport early afternoon, and the check-in area was pretty quiet.
Virgin Australia has a dedicated priority security lane, which we were through in no-time.
Once through security, there was signage to turn left for the Virgin Australia Lounge, and turn right for domestic departures.
The entrance to the lounge was then just a short walk away.
The lounge doesn’t have consistent hours, but rather is open from 60 minutes before the first departure until the last departure. So if you’re flying Virgin Australia, you can expect that the lounge will be open.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth entry requirements
There are a lot of different ways to access Virgin Australia Lounges, and they’re all outlined here. Among other ways, here are some of the popular ways you can access the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth:
- Be a business 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 access)
- Buy a day pass for 65 AUD
As you’d expect, the number of methods for entry mean that a lot of people have access to the lounge, especially with Velocity elite status being so easy to earn in Australia.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth seating & layout
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is primarily just one big room, with floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall. The lounge was busy, but not uncomfortably so, throughout our visit. It was a little busier at first, but emptied out shortly before we left, so I was able to get some pictures without too many people in them.
The lounge has a variety of seating options, ranging from high-top seating, to bar seating, to communal workstations, to clusters of chairs for relaxing. I’ll let the pictures speak mostly for themselves.
There are also a few tables back near reception, which remained empty throughout our visit.
My favorite part of the lounge was probably the apron views. While Virgin Australia is known primarily for its Boeing 737s, the airline also has some Airbus A320s and Fokker 100s, with the Fokkers being especially cool aircraft for us avgeeks.
I liked the natural light and appreciated that the lounge wasn’t overcrowded. However, the lounge’s decor also didn’t feel particularly elegant or high-end. But with Virgin Australia not even being a full service carrier, I wasn’t expecting that either.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth food & drinks
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth had a respectable selection of food and drinks. To compare it to the US, I’d say it was a better selection than you’d find in an American Admirals Club, but probably not as good as what you’d find in a Delta Sky Club (well, except the coffee).
As someone who loves good coffee, my favorite feature was the barista coffee station, where I ordered a delicious flat white.
Yes, suffice it to say that I had way too much caffeine (and dairy) on this day, especially after having three coffees at the Ritz-Carlton Perth. But I have no regrets, because it’s hard to find coffee this good in the United States.
The food selection in the lounge included a few salad options (with quite a few ways to customize your selection), chips and pretzels, a cheese selection, bread rolls, penne pasta, two kinds of soup, and biscuits.
In addition to coffee, the drink selection included a soda fountain, still and sparkling water on tap, tea, beer, and a couple of wines. Interestingly the alcohol wasn’t self-serve. Is that to avoid people getting drunk and over-serving themselves, some local law, or…?
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth bathrooms & showers
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth had bathrooms near the entrance, which weren’t particularly nice for a lounge. The men’s room had both individual stalls and urinals, as well as a few sinks.
There was also a room with a shower, but it really didn’t look like it was used much.
Virgin Australia Lounge Perth crowd
Perhaps the thing that stood out to me the most about the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth was the crowd. Typically when you think of airport lounges, you imagine business travelers in formal clothes, well-off retired people, and maybe millennials with credit cards offering lounge access.
Western Australia’s economy is largely about natural resources, and Virgin Australia has all kinds of flights that are popular with workers going to mines and other places with natural resources. So a lot of the guests in the lounge were wearing safety vests, which you otherwise don’t often see in airport lounges.
Also, a lot of these people were downing alcoholic drinks as if it was water. I guess I can’t blame them — I’m guessing many were away from home for a long assignment, and are ready to let loose a bit.
Bottom line
The Virgin Australia Lounge Perth is a perfectly pleasant lounge. While the decor doesn’t feel that high-end, the lounge has nice views, plus a pretty good selection of food and drinks, including barista coffee. Don’t arrive early to spend time in the Virgin Australia Lounge, but it’s also not a bad place to pass some time (especially if you’re looking for a drink or four, which seemed to be the primary draw for many people in the lounge).
What do you make of the Virgin Australia Lounge Perth?
You can tell from the photos there are a lot of FIFO workers. Normal for flights to/from Perth.
Australians are serious about their coffee, and their booze. That's why you see a barista/proper coffee machine in most major lounges (and free-flowing beer!)
@Ben “ Also, a lot of these people were downing alcoholic drinks as if it was water. I guess I can’t blame them — I’m guessing many were away from home for a long assignment, and are ready to let loose a bit.”
Nope, that’s just Australia mate!
Good review - I haven't been to this lounge in ages as I am mostly a Qantas flyer and the good thing about Qantas is they have the Qantas Club (gold FF and OW sapphire and QF club members) and then the Business lounge (for business passengers and QF platinum and OW emerald). The business lounge is very good while the Qantas club leaves a bit to be desired.
To put it into context I think this lounge is somewhere between the two QF lounges.
The mines are dry so last chance FIFO staff have for a drink is the lounge. The same across the runway at QF lounge.
Incorrect. Only some WA mines are 100% dry.
Majority of WA sites include a wetmess.
Restrictions differ site to site + BHP/RIO/etc (eg. Max of 4 low strength beers/day to only access wetmess when changing days to nights/etc).
I work within supply industry for these mines.
I can still remember a certain WA mine site ... they accidently ordered 10+ ctns of 700ml 37% bourbon from ALM ... instead of 10+ ctns mid strength...
Incorrect. Only some WA mines are 100% dry.
Majority of WA sites include a wetmess.
Restrictions differ site to site + BHP/RIO/etc (eg. Max of 4 low strength beers/day to only access wetmess when changing days to nights/etc).
I work within supply industry for these mines.
I can still remember a certain WA mine site ... they accidently ordered 10+ ctns of 700ml 37% bourbon from ALM ... instead of 10+ ctns mid strength premix bourbon cans.
And the headaches/emails it caused when order got to site.
Don’t know it*
Amex has a new card above centurion. But extremely secret. And it blows black card out water. Only about 2500 accounts I’m told. I only keep my platinum bc if issues since 99.9 percent lounge or hotel people know it. But card is spectacular. And if you call Amex they will deny it is there. Purely invitation only.
The booze thing has its basis in responsible service of alcohol regulations. In practice, I've seen SYD and BNE do self serve when it's sufficiently busy. But being Perth, the mining crowd may be a contributing factor. There's a reason they call it the Qantas Pub on the other side.
One other comment on this statement: "I imagine the most common entry method is using an Amex Platinum"
I don't think this would be accurate in Australia. There are a couple of key differences here:
1) The Amex Platinum here costs A$1,450, so is a pretty high-end niche card. It's actually far more expensive than just buying a Lounge membership direct from Virgin.
2) Unlike US airlines, you can get lounge access through status -...
One other comment on this statement: "I imagine the most common entry method is using an Amex Platinum"
I don't think this would be accurate in Australia. There are a couple of key differences here:
1) The Amex Platinum here costs A$1,450, so is a pretty high-end niche card. It's actually far more expensive than just buying a Lounge membership direct from Virgin.
2) Unlike US airlines, you can get lounge access through status - VA Gold or Platinum. That would be how most of the users get access (the guys in hi-viz fly every week to get to their workplace, so get status pretty easily)
3) You didn't mention it in the article, but Virgin Australia, while not an alliance member, also have reciprocal lounge access arrangements with several other airlines - Singapore, Air Canada, Qatar, Virgin Atlantic and a few others.
Agree. I work in big 4 services/consulting and the number of people I know in my professional and personal circles that have the Amex Platinum Charge card is zero.
However, many many people - especially in Perth due to the resources sector have status. This is commonly how I'd expect most people would have lounge access.
“ Western Australia’s economy is largely about natural resources, and Virgin Australia has all kinds of flights that are popular with workers going to mines and other places with natural resources. So a lot of the guests in the lounge were wearing safety vests, which you otherwise don’t often see in airport lounges.”
Logical assumption, but, in fact, pretty much everyone in Western Australia wears high visibility vests 24/7.
Ben, you have answered your own question regarding no self-serve of alcoholic drinks! Also, I supect it is a hangover (no pun intended) from Covid days, which VA finds convenient to keep in place.
Perth resident here (and frequent VA lounge user).
Yes, our economy is based around mining, and most mines are up in remote areas in the North of Western Australia (typically about 2 hours flight from Perth). This means our lounges are full of people in hi-viz heading out to work in the mines on a fly-in fly-out basis. Since these guys fly every week to get to work, they all qualify for status and lounge...
Perth resident here (and frequent VA lounge user).
Yes, our economy is based around mining, and most mines are up in remote areas in the North of Western Australia (typically about 2 hours flight from Perth). This means our lounges are full of people in hi-viz heading out to work in the mines on a fly-in fly-out basis. Since these guys fly every week to get to work, they all qualify for status and lounge access.
From the pictures, it doesn't even look that busy. If you thought that crowd was different, you should try the Qantas Club on the day when it's shift-change at Cloudbreak iron ore mine. Wall-to-wall hi-viz jackets.
Also, if you travel on a Sunday morning, you've probably got at least a 50% chance of sharing the lounge with a professional sports team heading back to the Eastern States.
The lounge chairs in virgin’s lounges - the circular lounge ones - are one of the ugliest designed chairs out there. They seem to pay attention to design otherwise, but the chairs are hideous and date everything.
Thanks for the review. The lounge seems like a pretty standard Virgin Australia lounge. Although, I’ve not seen the the no self-serve alcohol thing elsewhere.
It’s worth noting that Virgin and Qantas only have alcohol in the lounges after midday.
Fokkers cool? Like on Agean or Aer Lingus where, in the first row, supposedly premium, there's a solid wall? Because luggage is loaded between the cockpit and the interior? Interesting maybe, poorly designed for sure, but cool?
I'm pretty sure that if you flash your non-Australian AmEx Platinum or Centurion card they'll let you into the lounge (whether or not it's a published benefit). Also the vast majority of lounge guests are there because they are Velocity Gold or Platinum. Velocity status is VERY easy to earn, given Virgin's "Family Pooling" policy which allows you to put family members' Status Credits towards your own qualification.
The Virgin and Qantas lounge in Perth can be packed and I mean packed. They fly out the Miners to the many mines in WA and all in their fashionable fluorescent outfits n safety boots. Most have Emerald Status to boot.
We use the lounge before a late afternoon flight. We need to check out of accommodation late morning. So it is a ok lunch with decent wine and coffee. We are hearty eaters and drinkers. That consumption would cost about $100 in a city restaurant. So it represents good value. There's a train service to the airport. It is cheap. If you want to try your luck, Virgin has a bid for upgrade system. We've...
We use the lounge before a late afternoon flight. We need to check out of accommodation late morning. So it is a ok lunch with decent wine and coffee. We are hearty eaters and drinkers. That consumption would cost about $100 in a city restaurant. So it represents good value. There's a train service to the airport. It is cheap. If you want to try your luck, Virgin has a bid for upgrade system. We've been successful with $150 or so bids. Otherwise, business class airfares ( and economy) go up the closer you are to your departure date.
"Typically when you think of airport lounges, you imagine business travelers in formal clothes, well-off retired people, and maybe millennials with credit cards offering lounge access."
Dude, what? I think you need to cut out the "maybe" from that sentence and add in the all points-geeks as well.
Chill Karen
On the contrary, he should perhaps replace 'maybe' with 'probably not' as there are very few credit cards in Australia that offer anything more than two single visit lounge passes a year. General lounge access from a credit card is not much of a thing here. As others have noted airline status is most likely the way most people here have access.