Etihad's Sydney and Melbourne lounges adopt new The House brand

By David Flynn, October 17 2018
Etihad's Sydney and Melbourne lounges adopt new The House brand

Etihad Airways' international business and first class lounges at Sydney and Melbourne airport will be taken over by independent operator No1 Lounges this month and rebranded as The House at the end of this month.

The lounges will continue to host eligible Etihad passengers ahead of flights to Abu Dhabi, as well as Virgin Australia travellers on flights to Los Angeles, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and flights from China's Hainan Airlines.

Read more: Virgin Australia reveals new 'international lounge network'

Access to The House lounges on a pay-to-enter basis by passengers on other airlines will also be offered “subject to availability," a spokesman for No1 Lounges confirmed to Australian Business Traveller.

Both the Sydney and Melbourne lounges will be refurbished next year and see the introduction of new quiet-zone 'reading rooms'.

The House in Sydney will also be reconfigured and expanded "to create a new entrance, private room and lounge area, increasing capacity by 50 percent," with the No1 Lounges spokesman sayining "the aim is to reconfigure available space." 

The private room will be availability to passengers booked into The Residence on Etihad’s daily Airbus A380 flight from Sydney along with other “VIP guests.”

No1 Lounges introduced The House brand and its Etihad lounge take-over strategy earlier this month at Etihad's London Heathrow T4 lounge, with the airline expected to similarly rebadge most of its other airport lounges outside of Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways has described The House initiative as offering an "exclusive and improved ground experience for the airline’s eligible guests at key locations outside Abu Dhabi.

Read more: Etihad rethinks future of its airport lounges under The House brand

David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

24 Aug 2011

Total posts 1208

I assume in MEL and SYD, the signage will say "Home of Virgin Australia, Etihad and other leading airlines".

..you'd like to think so!

24 Apr 2012

Total posts 2447

Information sent out today by Etihad in reference to the Sydney and Melbourne lounges says "To be known as 'The House, home of Etihad Airways'...".

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2559

Reeves35 - nope, same branding around the world. Etihad gets first name-check as it’s the common partner in all locations, with other airlines in any location covered by the generic catch-all of “other leading airlines”.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

23 Oct 2013

Total posts 702

Some of the branding on the Virgin Website refers to "The House, home of Etihad Airways & Virgin Australia" so maybe we might see it branded differently in Australia.

17 Oct 2018

Total posts 1

Given I am sitting in the lounge now in Canberra which is over full with not enough seating- hopefully these combined lounges will accommodate the expanded group? Will need more than 100 seats my friend.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

20 Nov 2017

Total posts 114

They'd better get a move on with increasing capacity in SYD, as it's going to get a whole lot busier from 28 Oct.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

20 Jan 2016

Total posts 62

In terms of consistency of product it would be sensible I expect at some point for the VA LAX lounge to move out of the current Emirates space back to the EY lounge once its rebranded to House. Not sure I think this is a good thing. Will have to wait to see what no1 does with the current lounges. From being initially amazing the current EY lounges are poor.

VA Platinum

21 Nov 2013

Total posts 20

You’re probably right but would be a shame as the EK lounge at LAX is far better than the EY!

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

01 Mar 2013

Total posts 169

I'll be in AUH if a few weeks flying up and back in First. Will be interesting to see and feel any changes. Cheers.


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