Update on VA Lounges? [BNE/SYD/MEL/PER/OOL/ADL/CBR now open]

[antycbr]

Interesting comment regarding demand - news stories state the route from Brisbane to Cairns is busier than it was pre-covid. So why not open those two lounges? The fact I have a trip booked for that route in a few weeks has nothing to do with it

Lounges can’t open until borders open. BNE-CNS may be busy but where are the SYD- and MEL-CNS flights to make the economics work?

 

[Saab34]

I would assume they are in the middle of lease negotiations with the lounges and all the contracts associated with it?

I don’t think they would even be paying rent for these spaces under such administration circumstances?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

((Guess)) we need to see what happens next Fri first.

 

[ozstamps]

Booked flights today SYD-ADL as borders (right now) are back to normal. (and fares dropped about 20% in a day out of interest)

Be curious to see if they start to open lounges, even for limited times. Must be a headache to decide.

Just booking a rental car. Fight arrives 11 am and departs 3pm. Usually I'd just kill an hour or 2 in ADL lounge and save the extra car rental days cost.

Not so sure now.

Out of interest what is Qantas doing on lounges?

 

[AIRwin]

Out of interest what is Qantas doing on lounges?

Most are open:

Service updates | Qantas

The latest updates to Qantas network, inflight and airport services.

www.qantas.com

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Sad to say this, but every booking that exist on the newly updated, VA booking website, in the past, the last 3 columns that are listed for J (business class), used to have "lounge access", with a green tick.
Now, the listing of "lounge access" is not even mentioned on the booking website.
Writing on the wall, despite VA under Bain saying, they will keep most lounges.
Up to April/May, 2021, (haven't checked further), no lounge access line appears.
Will be sad if VAd keeps J on the plane, but does not have lounge access, and on an aside, fares have jumped quite a lot post pandemic, schedules have gone downhill.
Looks like they will keep lounges closed for the forseeable future, by and by.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Booked flights today SYD-ADL as borders (right now) are back to normal. (and fares dropped about 20% in a day out of interest)
Be curious to see if they start to open lounges, even for limited times. Must be a headache to decide.
Just booking a rental car. Fight arrives 11 am and departs 3pm. Usually I'd just kill an hour or 2 in ADL lounge and save the extra car rental days cost.
Not so sure now.
Out of interest what is Qantas doing on lounges?

You could always spend time "inspecting" the newly redeveloped VA part of ADL airport, and report back.
Maybe take a photo of the VAd ADL doors, or the space that it would have occupied.
Curious to see what that space the lounge would have occupied looks like now.
The last time I was at the airport, they were putting up steel pillars, and parts of the airport had the plastic walls where they were knocking things down.
Must be better now, I haven't been to ADL airport in months.

 

[Stealthflyer]

Sad to say this, but every booking that exist on the newly updated, VA booking website, in the past, the last 3 columns that are listed for J (business class), used to have "lounge access", with a green tick.
Now, the listing of "lounge access" is not even mentioned on the booking website.
Writing on the wall, despite VA under Bain saying, they will keep most lounges.
Up to April/May, 2021, (haven't checked further), no lounge access line appears.
Will be sad if VAd keeps J on the plane, but does not have lounge access, and on an aside, fares have jumped quite a lot post pandemic, schedules have gone downhill.
Looks like they will keep lounges closed for the forseeable future, by and by.

I’ve accepted not having a lounge at my home airport, HBA, but if they get rid of lounges altogether there is no incentive for me to retain WP status. I rely on those lounges for often long transits from international to domestic.

 

[antycbr]

I’ve accepted not having a lounge at my home airport, HBA, but if they get rid of lounges altogether there is no incentive for me to retain WP status. I rely on those lounges for often long transits from international to domestic.

I doubt that the absence of the green tick is permanent, it's more about managing expectations for people booking during this period.

 

[Stealthflyer]

I doubt that the absence of the green tick is permanent, it's more about managing expectations for people booking during this period.

Good point. Fingers crossed.

 

[henrus]

Interesting comment regarding demand - news stories state the route from Brisbane to Cairns is busier than it was pre-covid. So why not open those two lounges? The fact I have a trip booked for that route in a few weeks has nothing to do with it

The Cairns lounge was never that busy and the Brisbane to Cairns route was never a premium heavy route. There is no point opening a lounge when you've got one non premium heavy route and beside that VA hasn't actually increase the BNE-CNS frequency, QF/JQ has.

 

[jase05]

You could always spend time "inspecting" the newly redeveloped VA part of ADL airport, and report back.
Maybe take a photo of the VAd ADL doors, or the space that it would have occupied.
Curious to see what that space the lounge would have occupied looks like now.
The last time I was at the airport, they were putting up steel pillars, and parts of the airport had the plastic walls where they were knocking things down.
Must be better now, I haven't been to ADL airport in months.

There were people inside the VA longe at ADL last week doing some work. My understanding was that construction and fitting out the new lounge was mostly complete just before VA1 fell over. They have since been very quite on their plans going forward but I’ve booked half a dozen flights for the next couple of weeks and have all been with QF with no lounge being the deciding factor in most of them.

 

[Happy Dude]

Well they better not dither around. Unless there's a meaningful price difference or the timing stinks, without a VA lounge my future flights will be on QF due to the QR status match. I had one recently and quite liked the BNE lounge (even if it was a "lite" version) and the priority stuff went well too.

However, it's unlikely that I could maintain that status or even achieve QF SG. But perhaps I'll try harder if the new VA doesn't hurry up.

 

[BNEFlyer]

The Cairns lounge was never that busy and the Brisbane to Cairns route was never a premium heavy route. There is no point opening a lounge when you've got one non premium heavy route and beside that VA hasn't actually increase the BNE-CNS frequency, QF/JQ has.

The CNS lounge won't be reopening, which is surprising but I suppose not unexpected. I am surprised that BNE hasn't reopened already though.

 

[Dee#]

Wondering how to maintain my platinum status. If there are no lounges in the future whats the point. In WA not going anywhere! No more free SC's since end June. Getting a few SC'c from Coles shopping, but thats it. Currently have 790 but they will be dropping off Or if not easy to do a quick and dirty short local trip hopefully . My renewal is next June 2021 but there must be a lot of people in worse situations.

 

[Milefest]

Wondering how to maintain my platinum status. If there are no lounges in the future whats the point. In WA not going anywhere! No more free SC's since end June. Getting a few SC'c from Coles shopping, but thats it. Currently have 790 but they will be dropping off Or if not easy to do a quick and dirty short local trip hopefully . My renewal is next June 2021 but there must be a lot of people in worse situations.

The vast majority of plats are in the same boat as you. I'm expecting there to be a number of generous boosts to be available later in the year/early next year for pax to maintain status, it would be suicide if they didn't try to retain their most loyal base.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Wondering how to maintain my platinum status. If there are no lounges in the future whats the point. In WA not going anywhere! No more free SC's since end June. Getting a few SC'c from Coles shopping, but thats it. Currently have 790 but they will be dropping off Or if not easy to do a quick and dirty short local trip hopefully . My renewal is next June 2021 but there must be a lot of people in worse situations.

At least as a Plat you'll soft land to Gold. I'm Gold, with not much hope of being able to retain that by May 2021. They should really consider another extension, even for 6 months.

 

[marty_gc]

Without lounges, status has lost most of its appeal to me. Guess that is why I went for another carrier (price based) for my return leg from Cairns. I hope Bain know what they are doing, but right now it does not inspire me to be loyal to VA.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Without lounges, status has lost most of its appeal to me. Guess that is why I went for another carrier (price based) for my return leg from Cairns. I hope Bain know what they are doing, but right now it does not inspire me to be loyal to VA.

I mixed it up going to CNS too, up on VA back on QF. Main reason was VA was about half the price of QF BNE-CNS. Coming back not much of a price difference so went with QF so I can use the lounge.

 

[antycbr]

The CNS lounge won't be reopening, which is surprising but I suppose not unexpected. I am surprised that BNE hasn't reopened already though.

I don’t recall CNS being closed permanently, I was aware of ASP, PER T2 and WLG