I'm in the VA Lounge thread

SYD lounge waiting for the on-time, not yet delayed, not yet cancelled, flight to OOL.

Lots of VA cancellations today.
 
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In the BNE lounge for the next 15-20, can guest 3. Coffee queue is long but the lounge is relatively quiet.
Hot/warm offering is Ham & Cheese croissants or Cheese & Tomato croissants this morning.
 
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This was mine for today.
I think since covid, while VAd is now spending money, and there are people who are using the lounge, and are eating and drinking in there, (it was not full), I think that since covid, for MEL, its has gone downhill a bit.
Since the security got moved all the way to T4, its a mess, if you think you are going to get through in
30 mins before a flight, you are dreaming.
Xray is the new system, for which I abhor.
It took me a long time to get through with the new fangled like int sec screening system.
Also its (the MEL VAd lounge), has lost its "special door" to gate 1 to 10, have to go out via the main entrance.
Food wise, I guess maybe it was the weekend, but 2 coffee zones were out, only one available zone.
The make your own tea zone was ok though.
As in pix, below: that was what I had.
Still can make your own sando, this was just about lunch.
Variety has gone downhill a bit, too, ie, cheapen.
The sando in the pix was pre made, I didn't have a lot of time.
Too much butter in it.
Everyone was picking these, so the turnover was quite fast.
 

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At VA lounge in SYD now. Quieter time of the day at midday so plenty of seating. A rather tasty Nepali soup I haven't seen before and a few better, healthier variety of salads than a few weeks ago (black quinoa, chickpea, etc.). The hot meal looked like a creamy orzo pasta but didn't take that. Staff keeping up with empty dishes and drinks area is clean. Good impression today.

Express line on ground level was empty as always.
 
FlyingKangaroo said:
At VA lounge in SYD now. Quieter time of the day at midday so plenty of seating. A rather tasty Nepali soup I haven't seen before and a few better, healthier variety of salads than a few weeks ago (black quinoa, chickpea, etc.). The hot meal looked like a creamy orzo pasta but didn't take that. Staff keeping up with empty dishes and drinks area is clean. Good impression today.

Express line on ground level was empty as always.
Click to expand...
They had a rather good Mexican beef and bean type soup yesterday. Probably one of the tastier soups I've had. I did have to give them back three or four soup bowls from that stack that hadn't been washed properly though. And there's still a rather interesting drawing in dust in one of the women's toilet cubicles although it was, ahem, adjusted this week.
 
I was in the SYD lounge Wednesday at about 13:30 and the south sydney rabhitos team were coming in. Surprisingly they just check in using their status, with some mentioning they were only on Silver and needed to be guested by others. Would have thought there would have been some kind of sponsorship arrangement or something, i guess thats an AFL deal.
 
Jonesaus said:
I was in the SYD lounge Wednesday at about 13:30 and the south sydney rabhitos team were coming in. Surprisingly they just check in using their status, with some mentioning they were only on Silver and needed to be guested by others. Would have thought there would have been some kind of sponsorship arrangement or something, i guess thats an AFL deal.
Click to expand...
Funny - I was there the same time and saw them too.
 
Jonesaus said:
I was in the SYD lounge Wednesday at about 13:30 and the south sydney rabhitos team were coming in. Surprisingly they just check in using their status, with some mentioning they were only on Silver and needed to be guested by others. Would have thought there would have been some kind of sponsorship arrangement or something, i guess thats an AFL deal.
Click to expand...
Parramatta NRL coaching staff and others were in Brisbane lounge yesterday enroute to TSV, however none of the players to be seen. I was going out on 41 so didn't check if the playing group were at the gate or out the back instead.
 
This may not be the right forum but i wonder about access to VA lounge using the Amex platinum card and guest policy:

From Amex website:

Travel with Virgin Australia domestically within Australia, and present your physical Personal or Business Platinum Card with same-day boarding pass to gain access to Virgin Australia Lounges. Access is complimentary for the Personal and Business Primary Platinum Card Member and a guest.

(As for QF lounge access) does the guest need to be travelling in order to use VA lounge, thru the Amex card?
 
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but in the MEL VA Lounge this morning and there is a self-serve automatic coffee machine toward the "secondary" buffet end of the counters. I am pretty sure it's new (almost certain it wasn't here ~6 weeks ago on my last visit).

Makes quite an agreeable Long Black! At least for now...my experience with automatic machines is they are usually not looked after quite as well as they should be and quality therefore takes a dive over time. Certainly beats waiting in the line at the barista machine at the other end if it's busy. Note it appears only one type of milk so if skim/alternate milks are your thing, it's probably not for you.
 
Must...Fly! said:
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but in the MEL VA Lounge this morning and there is a self-serve automatic coffee machine toward the "secondary" buffet end of the counters. I am pretty sure it's new (almost certain it wasn't here ~6 weeks ago on my last visit).

Makes quite an agreeable Long Black! At least for now...my experience with automatic machines is they are usually not looked after quite as well as they should be and quality therefore takes a dive over time. Certainly beats waiting in the line at the barista machine at the other end if it's busy. Note it appears only one type of milk so if skim/alternate milks are your thing, it's probably not for you.
Click to expand...
Yes I used this yesterday and it was excellent for a long black.
 

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