Why are there no/few 3rd party lounges in Australia

[williamsf1]

This is a question, not a whinge.
Just wondered if anyone had some industry knowledge as to why almost none of the lounges in Oz accept Priority Pass or Veloce.
Is it size? ------ Bristol (population 500k) has a lounge! Ditto many other UK cities so that argument doesn't hold up.
Have the Priority Pass people tried hard enough with our big two.
Is there enough volume for an independent lounge to open in say MEL or SYD
Would love to hear peoples' thoughts.

p.s. I know about Cairns and the Amex Sydney lounge - I'm thinking more about domestic and the other cities.

The private owners of Australian airports and the $$$ they charge makes it uneconomical to have their own lounges. Even if it was cheaper .. space is a issue. Also a majority of the target market would already have a lounge to access based on cabin or status, so not really necessary

 

[williamsf1]

I thought I read somewhere that VA customers can only use the Koru lounge at BNE Int when they're on a VA trans-tasman flight? Not on the VA LAX flight?
Regardless, I won't be Gold for this trip, so it doesn't matter for me anyway. I get nada Bring on May when I get status!! lol

That statement is only true if you are a VA lounge member only. Status members get access to LAX

 

[JohnK]

Now there is a revenue source - pokies in an airport lounge.

New way to ruin a holiday. All spending money gone down the drain waiting to board the flight.

Wouldn't be the first time money has gone down the drain waiting for something/someone.

 

[serfty]

They're about to open a new pay-per-use lounge at BNE International (FINALLY!!!!). Will be awesome for those VA BNE-LAX flights where you can't get Air NZ lounge access. ...

VA WP and SG indeed get access when on VA & NZ flights out of BNE & VA flights out of LAX.

 

[Duffa]

A pub which charges a flat fee for all you can drink will not survive.

Ditto, with any lounge. Or QC for that matter. Annual membership fee - unlimited entry.... Am I missing something here?

 

[medhead]

You may not yet have been to JQ's T4 at Melbourne Airport. Lack of seating generally and especially at the gates - 16 seats at each last time I counted for say 180 passengers. Zero ambience. A long walk from various other airport areas (not that a pay per use lounge would solve the latter.)

I'm not sure the sort of people who want to pay the absolute minimum to fly are going to stump up extra cash for a lounge.

Ditto, with any lounge. Or QC for that matter. Annual membership fee - unlimited entry.... Am I missing something here?

Besides the requirement to buy a flight with Qantas to use the Qantas club. Most airline run lounges will have extra cash coming in to provide the service, not just the flat fee.