General Virgin Australia Lounge Discussion

[Clayton]

As a couple Mrs Clayton and I usually fly J class out of ADL airport on either VA or QF domestic or Internationally with QR or SQ (hopefully with CX again in due course). We find the ADL Virgin lounge comfortable, uncrowded but most uninspiring in its food and liquid refreshment offerings. As ADL is becoming recognised as Australia's most pleasant International airport with a good selection of quality airlines, the lounges are totally missing the mark albeit the QF upgrade may bring it up to a more suitable standard. Surely , now is the time for VA to up their game. The terminal has a good array of reasonable food and beverage outlets, so its very tempting to stray outside to pick up palatable food options and bring them back into the lounge to consume. Perhaps Uber Eats could deliver to the VA lounge to shock the management into upping their game. It also wouldn't hurt to provide a selection of mixers to supplement the fairly uninspiring wines offered, especially as QR flights tend to depart in the late evening.

 

[EneleAUS]

has anyone noticed how messy and unkept the Sydney lounge is? Towels laying around in the toilet/shower. Bathrooms are dirty. Sparkling water on tap is flat, consistently. Food is pretty average and bread rolls are mostly cold. Food is a little disappointing. Plates, glasses and cutlery left on tables long after passengers have left. Just seems pretty non-lounge like.

Which lounge in your opinion is a good lounge to visit in Australia?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

has anyone noticed how messy and unkept the Sydney lounge is? Towels laying around in the toilet/shower. Bathrooms are dirty. Sparkling water on tap is flat, consistently. Food is pretty average and bread rolls are mostly cold. Food is a little disappointing. Plates, glasses and cutlery left on tables long after passengers have left. Just seems pretty non-lounge like.

Which lounge in your opinion is a good lounge to visit in Australia?

Yup, all those things you mention are spot on, particularly at peak periods.

But hey, members supposedly want a barista employed rather than a person to go round clearing tables. Probably can’t have your cake and eat it too!

 

[ols]

Which lounge in your opinion is a good lounge to visit in Australia?

Adelaide is the nicest I believe.
Perth's alright once the early morning fifo's have moved on.

 

[Mattg]

I was in the Melbourne lounge this morning and a lot of tables had dirty plates/cups/etc. on them. Nobody cleared them in the two or so hours I was in the lounge. It was a pretty sad sight, to be honest.

About half the unoccupied tables in the lounge looked like this:

 

[EneleAUS]

Honestly it’s pretty terrible the upkeep of these lounges- really unimpressed

 

[Harrison_133]

I was in the Melbourne lounge this morning and a lot of tables had dirty plates/cups/etc. on them. Nobody cleared them in the two or so hours I was in the lounge. It was a pretty sad sight, to be honest.

It was in a similar state, if not worse, when I was there at the end of November.

Spent over 3 hours in the lounge that day because of thunderstorms and nothing got cleared during that time. Couldn't see a single staff member making rounds. Most of the unoccupied tables had plates piling up. Definitely the worst I'd seen it in a long time.

My friend who was rightfully appalled sent these photos off to Virgin via the feedback form. The response was very generic, but at least it's documented. It's really quite embarrassing when they let it get to this state:

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

It all comes back to staffing. If the lounge isn't staffed appropriately and managed (as well) then things like this don't get done. Keep sending feedback people.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Brisbane Lounge is looking for a new Lounge Manager - SEEK: Lounge Manager | Virgin Airport Lounge from Trippas White Group -

 

[Saab34]

Didn’t they use to be in house on the Va payroll?

I somewhat think having the three main lounges with an internal VA Manager would probably be better.

 

[henrus]

Didn’t they use to be in house on the Va payroll?

The lounge manager role above is for the food/beverage/cleaning department. The staff at the desk remain VA staff.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Make do with less.
That is what cost control is all about.
Earn as much as you can for the business, spend the least possible, any left over is gross, and then net profit.
If you only get provided with 5 FTE, for the cleaning and serving ops, of course that is the limit.
You cant get any extra people, as if you go above budget, then you will be called into the office to please explain.
As for the pix of the unkempt MEL VA lounge, can only assume that is mean narrow strict KPI staffing.
If they wont employ enough people, of course, then standards will go down, but profits will be high.
All the non core activities are all outsourced.
The crew behind the desk would be VA, but the others, in the lounges would be outsourced.
Bet the food and drinks, are all costed, to be min cost.
At $65 per casual entry, if not in J and no included entry, ie no VFF or partner status, $65 is steep, and you eat only about $35 worth of stuff, unless you are a lounge lizard, they still keep $25 as gross profit.

 

[Saab34]

Looks like Dutton was doing live press conferences from the old VA lounge today in CNS.

I guess never say never but perhaps under incoming new management they might re negotiate.

 

[PERLHR]

It was in a similar state, if not worse, when I was there at the end of November.

Spent over 3 hours in the lounge that day because of thunderstorms and nothing got cleared during that time. Couldn't see a single staff member making rounds. Most of the unoccupied tables had plates piling up. Definitely the worst I'd seen it in a long time.

My friend who was rightfully appalled sent these photos off to Virgin via the feedback form. The response was very generic, but at least it's documented. It's really quite embarrassing when they let it get to this state:

View attachment 420035
View attachment 420036
View attachment 420038

Does anyone actually send these pics to VA for comment? Surely worth a few points compensation.... For balance, I was in the MEL lounge on Thursday last week early afternoon. While I did notice some tables similar in nature, staff were out pro actively cleaning.

 

[SeaWolf]

For balance, I was in the MEL lounge on Thursday last week early afternoon. While I did notice some tables similar in nature, staff were out pro actively cleaning.

I was in the MEL lounge yesterday evening and noticed the same, there were a few staff there bustling around with trolleys, collecting up cups and plates and wiping down tables.

 

[Stuser]

Make do with less.
That is what cost control is all about.
Earn as much as you can for the business, spend the least possible, any left over is gross, and then net profit.
If you only get provided with 5 FTE, for the cleaning and serving ops, of course that is the limit.
You cant get any extra people, as if you go above budget, then you will be called into the office to please explain.
As for the pix of the unkempt MEL VA lounge, can only assume that is mean narrow strict KPI staffing.
If they wont employ enough people, of course, then standards will go down, but profits will be high.
All the non core activities are all outsourced.
The crew behind the desk would be VA, but the others, in the lounges would be outsourced.
Bet the food and drinks, are all costed, to be min cost.
At $65 per casual entry, if not in J and no included entry, ie no VFF or partner status, $65 is steep, and you eat only about $35 worth of stuff, unless you are a lounge lizard, they still keep $25 as gross profit.

Not sure how anyone could eat $35 worth of food in the VA lounge.... food is so obviously lowest-cost. More like $2 all you can eat... haha

It's been a while since i was a regular lounge-user, and quite frankly I'm amazed / even low-key shocked at how .... disappointing.... the VA food offering is these days.... and the"free" coffee isn't even that great

 

[PERLHR]

Not sure how anyone could eat $35 worth of food in the VA lounge.... food is so obviously lowest-cost. More like $2 all you can eat... haha

It's been a while since i was a regular lounge-user, and quite frankly I'm amazed / even low-key shocked at how .... disappointing.... the VA food offering is these days.... and the"free" coffee isn't even that great

The hot food is bad. Why do they have soup at +30 outside? ,. Well we know why. . it's cheap. The wraps are ok. Everything has no imagination. Which is a disappointment. Processed nonsense.

 

[MooTime]

The hot food is bad. Why do they have soup at +30 outside? ,. Well we know why. . it's cheap. The wraps are ok. Everything has no imagination. Which is a disappointment. Processed nonsense.

not to fail to mention the $6 Hardy's vino (although known to be poured in some middle eastern First Class lounges)

toastie's toastie's toastie's, where are they???
can't go wrong with those IMO.

 

[PERLHR]

not to fail to mention the $6 Hardy's vino.

toastie's toastie's toastie's, where are they???
can't go wrong with those IMO.

Actually they had toasties on offer at Perth the other morning. ! I had a "fiz" wine or two at MEL. It was chilled enough and was ok. The Chardonnay on board (it might have been because of my mood) actually tasted ok and I had a few re fills!!. Perhaps my tastebuds are away to pot!!

 

[henrus]

not to fail to mention the $6 Hardy's vino.

You mean Dubai first class wine?