The Rex Lounge in Sydney Airport isn’t just for Rex Lounge members. Located in Terminal 2, the domestic terminal serving all airlines other than Qantas, you can also get in using Priority Pass – regardless of the airline you’re flying.
The Rex Lounge may not be the flashiest lounge in Sydney Airport, but it offers a comfortable, quiet space to wait for your flight with complimentary snacks and drinks included. There are also a few work stations, as well as clean bathrooms.
This review shows what you can expect when you visit the Rex Lounge in Sydney Airport Terminal 2…
Contents
Lounge Details
Airline | Regional Express (Rex) |
Airport | Sydney (SYD), Australia |
Terminal | Terminal 2 (Domestic) |
Location | Lower level, near Gate G2 |
Star rating |
Seating
The Rex Lounge in Sydney isn’t a huge space, but it is the biggest of the three Rex Lounges. It has enough seats for around 60 people, and with only three other people in the lounge when I visited on a Sunday afternoon, it was really peaceful and quiet. The only thing breaking the silence was the regular boarding announcements for Rex flights (and fair enough, too – after all, this is a Rex Lounge)!
As well as plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and some high tables with stools, there were three work stations at the far end of the lounge.
The lounge offers a partial view of the runway and there’s a decent amount of natural light. This, combined with the dark blue and bright orange seating, makes the space airy and pleasant.
Ironically, the orange and blue colour scheme exactly matches Jetstar’s new brand colours. Should Rex go out of business and Jetstar would, for some reason, want a lounge in Terminal 2, this could easily be converted into a Jetstar lounge without the need to even buy new furniture!
Lounge Food, Drinks & Service
There’s a small self-service buffet selection including snacks and drinks. During my visit, the food options included apples, cookies, cheese, crackers, chocolates, yoghurt, instant noodles and fresh wraps.
It’s a fairly basic selection, but enough to tide over your hunger. The wraps in the fridge looked quite nice and were the pick of the bunch, in my opinion.
Tea and coffee was available.
There were also a range of cold drinks including water, juice and soft drinks. Beer and wine, including a red, white, rosé and sparkling option, is available from 3pm. However, as I visited around 2pm, the fridge containing the beer and wine was padlocked shut. For what it’s worth, you can get beer and wine in the Qantas and Virgin Australia domestic lounges from around midday.
Rex does not allow outside food into its lounge, nor can you take food with you out of the lounge.
There was one staff member keeping the lounge clean and the fridges stocked. She was doing a great job – the place was spotless.
Lounge Facilities
The Rex Lounge offers most of the basics, including clean toilets, a few power points, a printer and a selection of magazines to read. There was a TV at one end of the lounge, switched to the ABC News channel.
There’s also a small display cabinet of Rex memorabilia.
There doesn’t appear to be a dedicated Rex Lounge Wi-Fi network, but I was able to connect to the free Sydney Airport Wi-Fi. This is the only Rex Lounge without a massage chair.
Lounge Access
Rex passengers can access the lounge with a Rex Lounge membership or by buying one-time access. However, most passengers these days seem to be getting in with Priority Pass or LoungeKey. This is also how I got in.
To gain access, you just need to see the staff outside the lounge at Gate G2.
All of the Rex Lounges accept Priority Pass cards, which you can get by buying a membership or as a benefit with several different credit cards. In fact, if you have an American Express Platinum or Citi Prestige card, you can get in for free whenever you fly!
Credit Cards with Unlimited Priority Pass Lounge Visits
- Card Name
- Citi Prestige Card
- Earn
- 1
- Signup Bonus
-
Up to 200,000 bonus Velocity Points¹
Apply by 20th Jan 2025
- Annual Fee
- $700 p.a. ongoing
- Read more
- Go to offer
Citi Rewards (Prestige) Points on everyday purchases
- Card Name
- American Express Platinum Card
- Earn
- 2.25
- Signup Bonus
-
150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points
Apply by 14th Jan 2025
- Annual Fee
- $1,450 p.a.
- Read more
- Go to offer
American Express Membership Rewards points on everyday purchases
Rex Lounge, Sydney Airport
Final thoughts
Much like the airline, the best days of the Rex Lounge at Sydney Airport are probably behind it. Overall, I think it feels like a bit of a relic of the past. That said, it exceeded my expectations.
Getting in with Priority Pass was easy, and with so few Rex passengers using the lounge, it was a peaceful and pleasant place to wait for my flight. It was clean, there were enough snacks to keep me full, and space to get some work done. If I was flying Virgin out of Sydney after 3pm, I might even consider stopping in here on my way to the Virgin Australia Lounge for a brief moment of peace and quiet – and a decent glass of wine.
You can leave a comment on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum.