Australia’s largest independent regional airline, Regional Express (Rex) operates its own airport lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
These lounges aren’t quite up to the same standard as Qantas Club or Virgin Australia lounges. But they offer a quiet place to wait for your flight – you might even be the only person in the lounge – with snacks and drinks included. Plus, it’s easy to get in with Priority Pass or the right credit card.
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What is the Rex Lounge like?
The Rex lounges are smaller and offer fewer facilities than the Qantas and Virgin Australia lounges at the major domestic airports where they are located. But they are comparable to Qantas’ smaller regional lounges at airports like Tamworth, Rockhampton or Coffs Harbour.
Inside, you’ll find complimentary snacks such as fresh wraps, yoghurt, sandwiches, chips, instant noodles, cheese and crackers. There’s also free tea, coffee (from a machine), water and soft drinks. After 3pm, when the fridge gets unlocked, you can enjoy Australian beer and wine including red, white and rosé options.
If you have a Priority Pass membership, you’ll find better food options in the Sydney and Melbourne domestic terminals when using your airport restaurant credit.
But the Rex Lounge does offer comfortable seating in a quiet environment, with free Wi-Fi and work stations. There are no showers, but you’ll find toilets in the Sydney lounge.
Where are the Rex Lounges located?
The regional airline has lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Click below to read our review of each lounge:
- Rex Sydney Lounge review (Terminal 2, near Gate G2)
- Rex Melbourne Lounge review (Terminal 4, near Gate 30 on the lower level)
- Rex Adelaide Lounge review (near Gate 10)
How to access Rex airport lounges
There are four main ways to get into the Rex Lounge:
- Buying a Rex Lounge membership and flying with Rex on the same day
- Being a Rex Flyer Diamond member and flying with Rex on the same day
- Buying casual access when flying with Rex on the same day
- Through Priority Pass, when flying the same day with any airline
As the Rex lounges don’t generally have a dedicated reception desk, you’ll usually need to see a staff member at the nearby Rex service desk to gain entry.
Rex Lounge membership
Rex sells annual lounge membership for $329, with no joining fee. This gives both you and one guest unlimited access before or after any Rex flight. A second guest spot can be purchased for $22 per visit.
However, it rarely makes financial sense to purchase a Rex Lounge membership. In general, most people would be better off getting a Priority Pass membership instead!
Casual lounge access
If you’re flying Regional Express and aren’t a Rex Lounge or Priority Pass member, you can purchase casual lounge access at check-in or from the lounge attendant for $33.
This is available from 9am-2pm weekdays or anytime on weekends, when the lounges are less busy. There is a two-hour visit time limit.
Lounge access via Priority Pass
All three of Rex’s airport lounges can be accessed by Priority Pass members. In fact, if you have a Priority Pass membership, you can access any of these lounges regardless of which airline you’re flying that day.
A Priority Pass membership also gives you the added benefit of access to well over 1,000 other airport lounges around the world, when flying with any airline.
It costs USD469 (~AU$746) for a Priority Pass Prestige membership with unlimited lounge visits. There are also cheaper options with a limited number of included visits.
However, you could get unlimited Priority Pass visits for both you and a guest with the Citi Prestige credit card. This costs $700 per year, and also comes with a range of other benefits (as well as a sizeable sign-up bonus points offer).
As a Citi Prestige cardholder, you can also get a free meal for you and a guest whenever you fly from many Australian airports! See our guide to the best credit cards for airport lounge access for more details.
The Citi Prestige Card
- Card Name
- Citi Prestige Card
- Earn
- 1
- Signup Bonus
-
Up to 200,000 bonus Velocity Points¹
Apply by 1st Apr 2025
- Annual Fee
- $700 p.a. ongoing
- Read more
- View Offer
on everyday purchases
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Rex has lounges at 3 Australian airports – Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Each lounge is a quiet space with free Wi-Fi, work stations, a TV and complimentary snacks and drinks.
The Rex Lounges are a pleasant place to wait for your flight, but we don’t recommend buying a Rex Lounge membership because there are better value ways to get in, for example with Priority Pass.
Lounge members and guests can enjoy complimentary Australian beer and wine, including red, white, sparkling and rosé, after 3pm (or after 11.30am in the Adelaide lounge).
Yes, the Rex Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide accept Priority Pass.
