Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to view

[JRT]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Ooooo, bloody favouritism!

Mayoral benefit?

 

[JohnK]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Tried sending a PM to Virgin Australia but the invox is full.

Am I right in assuming that as a QF Platinum I can visit the VA Lounge in BNE tomorrow even though I am on a QF flight?

 

[markis10]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Tried sending a PM to Virgin Australia but the invox is full.

Am I right in assuming that as a QF Platinum I can visit the VA Lounge in BNE tomorrow even though I am on a QF flight?

Yes, there were a few WPs who had no issues visiting the MEL lounge on Saturday despite having no onward flights :shock:.

 

[LiamR]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Yes, there were a few WPs who had no issues visiting the MEL lounge on Saturday despite having no onward flights :shock:.

Technically you are only meant to have a guided tour, and not enjoy the lounge.

Last Saturday we managed to get a few QF Platinums in, without having an onward flight. They were with one person who was travelling Virgin. Not sure if that helps or not.

 

[kevrosmith]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Are you considering a move to 'the dark side', JohnK...? Or just curious to see how 'the other people' get by...?

 

[JohnK]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Are you considering a move to 'the dark side', JohnK...? Or just curious to see how 'the other people' get by...?

Just curious to see how the VA Lounge compares.

 

[nlagalle]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Technically you are only meant to have a guided tour, and not enjoy the lounge.

Last Saturday we managed to get a few QF Platinums in, without having an onward flight. They were with one person who was travelling Virgin. Not sure if that helps or not.

I was told by the Virgin girls on the desk I have access to the lounge til the end of August as a WP

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Also, we would like to extend the invitation to experience the new Virgin Australia Lounges to Qantas Platinum, Gold and Chairman's Lounge members (this may include one guest also).
This invitation is also available for use in our Melbourne and Sydney Lounges, valid through to 31 August 2011 and does not require same day Virgin Australia boarding pass.

Technically you are only meant to have a guided tour, and not enjoy the lounge.

Not sure that a guided tour would be the same thing being able to experience the lounge

 

[JohnK]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

I didn't end up going yesterday as QF were flow forwarding and I only had carry on for a change.

Will see if I can have access to the BNE VA lounge in the next 3-4 weeks.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Tried VA BNE lounge on Friday evening and regretfully I have to say I wasn't impressed. The White floor, one week in, is discusting. Filfthy, scuffed and looking very down-market. The food selection was... Um, ordinary, at best and the Jetsons chairs just didn't do it for me.

Sorry DJ, I am a fan, but please don't wreck SYD lounge like BNE and please, please, please don't create a modern monstrosity like BNE in either OOL or MKY!

I was so looking forward to the new BNE lounge, now I just want the old one back....it was warm and casual... The new one reminds me of a trip to the proctologists....very clinical. I found myself just waiting for that dreaded gloved finger being inserted just where I don't appreciate it!

Sorry guy's & gals @ DJ, you've done so well up 'till now......but the BNE lounge has all the appeal of a tooth abscess!

 

[LiamR]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Is sitting in the Virgin BNE lounge now. If anybody is around shout out LIAM!

 

[Noob]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Tried VA BNE lounge on Friday evening and regretfully I have to say I wasn't impressed. The White floor, one week in, is discusting. Filfthy, scuffed and looking very down-market. The food selection was... Um, ordinary, at best and the Jetson chairs just didn't do it for me.

Sorry DJ, I am a fan, but please don't wreck SYD lounge like BNE and please, please, please don't create a modern monstrosity like BNE in either OOL or MKY!

I was so looking forward to the new BNE lounge, now I just want the old one back....it was warm and casual... The new one reminds me of a trip to the proctologists....very clinical. I found myself just waiting for that dreaded gloved finger being inserted just where I don't appreciate it!

Sorry guy's & gals @ DJ, you've done so well up 'till now......but the BNE lounge has all the appeal of a tooth abysis!

I have to agree with you. From a design prospective some areas of the lounge lack "balancing" and the white seemingly takes over. The Sydney Qantas First lounge is a great example of white, clean and futuristic design balanced - The american oak is what achieves this. Overall, I do love the design of the new lounge - but it just needs a bit more 'warmth' and 'homeliness'. It could easily be ''balanced'' without much cost with simple additions/subtractions of lounge components.

The food offering is not fantastic, nor is it bad, I have to agree 'ordinary' is the best way to describe it - we want warm dishes (see this thread http://www.australianfrequentflyer....tralia-velocity/virgin-lounge-menu-32011.html)

This is also, obviously, coming from a happy VA fanboy and I think sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Is sitting in the Virgin BNE lounge now. If anybody is around shout out LIAM!

Geeze Liam, I landed right about then.........if I were gold rather than lowly silver (), I could have had anytime access and said G'day!

 

[LiamR]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Geeze Liam, I landed right about then.........if I were gold rather than lowly silver (), I could have had anytime access and said G'day!

I always just miss you!! I had a guest spot so could have guests you into the lounge.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

it just needs a bit more 'warmth' and 'homeliness'. It could easily be ''balanced'' without much cost with simple additions/subtractions of lounge components.

My wife was with me (I was going to type "flew" with me, but thats another story for another time, which revolves around me getting 1640 mixed up with 6.40 ) and her first comment was, "Sydney lounge is so much nicer", quickly followed by "Oh, listen to me, I sound like a coughroach saying Sydney this, Sydney that........." (she's a true blue canetoad), but I agreed. Let's hope Noob, DJ bring in some "homely" touches and some nicer food!

 

[Noob]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

My wife was with me (I was going to type "flew" with me, but thats another story for another time, which revolves around me getting 1640 mixed up with 6.40 ) and her first comment was, "Sydney lounge is so much nicer", quickly followed by "Oh, listen to me, I sound like a coughroach saying Sydney this, Sydney that........." (she's a true blue canetoad), but I agreed. Let's hope Noob, DJ bring in some "homely" touches and some nicer food!

I think the Sydney lounge has so much potential, it truly is a lovely space with fantastic large windows and many separate spaces - what a fantastic gift from Ansett Australia.

With both upstairs and downstairs I would think it will be a pretty big space as well.

 

[LiamR]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

So after using arrivals access in BNE. I tried out the new Virgin Lounge. I was quite impressed, I for one am for the modern style that Virgin using. For a Sunday afternoon it was pretty quiet, around 15-20 people.

Things I liked:

Design
All day barista service.
Good lounge staff - Ordered a coffee and they offered to bring it over to me!
Spacious open area, nice and quiet.
Sandwich Toasters (Couldn't find the Priority Toasting Lane... But that's a First World Problem)

Things I think need to be improved:

Cheese! - In the little serving area full of meats and other foods to put on your sandwich, there was no cheese. I asked one of the staff to fetch me some, but she said it wasn't the norm to have it out. More than one type would be nice, even if it was just the generic cheese.... What toasted sandwich doesn't have cheese!

No hot food! (Soup doesn't count)

Pizza, Curry Puffs, Party Pies and Sausage Rolls would go a long way.

Bathrooms (And signs pointing to them)

Has anybody else tried finding the bathrooms in this lounge? I seriously got lost trying to find them. There is a small sign on the roof that points towards the kitchen. When in fact... You walk to the back of the lounge, past the sign, turn right and walk to the end, do a u-turn, walk up a ramp, turn right, turn right again, walk down a corridore and then turn left to enter.

There is nothing wrong with the bathrooms, intact they are quiet nice. The hand products were great, so much so, I purchased some for home.

Am I being dramatic? Maybe a little. But it would be really nice having some signs pointing me in the right direction.

Overall it was a really nice lounge, the design is great, the staff take really good care of you, but there are a few tweaks that need to be made.

 

[JRT]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Bathrooms (And signs pointing to them)

Has anybody else tried finding the bathrooms in this lounge? I seriously got lost trying to find them. There is a small sign on the roof that points towards the kitchen. When in fact... You walk to the back of the lounge, past the sign, turn right and walk to the end, do a u-turn, walk up a ramp, turn right, turn right again, walk down a corridore and then turn left to enter.

There is nothing wrong with the bathrooms, intact they are quiet nice. The hand products were great, so much so, I purchased some for home.

Am I being dramatic? Maybe a little. But it would be really nice having some signs pointing me in the right direction.

Not just you LiamR, was only that I was familiar with old lounge so thought to approach from far right, round the corner. And then directed others who looked lost to do the same on my back, and on return visits to bar & buffet.
The no cheese is odd, in my experience has been out at brekky, lunch and dinner - agree though, a toasty is not a toasty without cheese! This will surely cause an uproar in the TSAS!

 

[samh004]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

Bathrooms (And signs pointing to them)

Has anybody else tried finding the bathrooms in this lounge? I seriously got lost trying to find them. There is a small sign on the roof that points towards the kitchen. When in fact... You walk to the back of the lounge, past the sign, turn right and walk to the end, do a u-turn, walk up a ramp, turn right, turn right again, walk down a corridore and then turn left to enter.

There is nothing wrong with the bathrooms, intact they are quiet nice. The hand products were great, so much so, I purchased some for home.

Am I being dramatic? Maybe a little. But it would be really nice having some signs pointing me in the right direction.

It seemed a little odd to me that at the top of the ramp to the toilets there couldn’t be stairs (a couple really) down towards the bar area. It would be far simpler and I don’t think a wheelchair pax is going to accidentally roll too far and down the stairs.

 

[LiamR]

Re: Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge to open – Invitation to AFF Velocity members to

It seemed a little odd to me that at the top of the ramp to the toilets there couldn’t be stairs (a couple really) down towards the bar area. It would be far simpler and I don’t think a wheelchair pax is going to accidentally roll too far and down the stairs.

I agree. It was a fairly long walk considering the bathrooms are no more than a few steps away.