Plaza Premium delays reopening of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane lounges

The three airline-independent lounges will provide a welcome option for many travellers.

By David Flynn, May 19 2021
Plaza Premium delays reopening of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane lounges

Plaza Premium has pushed back the reopening of its airport lounges at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

All three of the airline-independent lounges are now slated to unlock their doors to international travellers on May 31, 2021.

Admittedly, that pool of international travellers remains rather shallow right now and consists almost entirely of passengers bound for New Zealand under the trans-Tasman bubble.

Plaza Premium has also advised Executive Traveller of new opening hours for each lounge, which are shaped in turn by the departure times of overseas flights.

The Plaza Premium Sydney lounge will now be open from 6am to 2.30pm seven days a week.

The Plaza Premium Melbourne lounge will open between 6am and 10am, and then again from 8pm to 11pm, seven days a week.

The Plaza Premium Brisbane lounge will be open from 6.30am to 2pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 6.30am to 12 noon on Sunday; and will be closed on Wednesday.

As previously noted, each lounge operates on a pay-in basis, with walk-up rates or online bookings made in advance at plazapremiumlounge.com.

Priority Pass holders can visit any of these lounges until June 30, 2021, but their card won't be recognised after July 1 when Plaza Premium cuts its ties with Priority Pass while ramping up its own lounge access program.

The PPL Pass scheme will offer a two-visit pass for US$75, with four visits at US$150 and six visits at US$198 (a current promotion for members of Plaza Premium's Smart Traveller rewards program offers a 10% discount on those rates through to May 30).

PREVIOUS [14 May 2021] | Right now we'll take any sign of international travel returning to normal, and that includes the reopening of Plaza Premium's airport lounges at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

After all three lounges were abruptly closed in late March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, they'll roll out the welcome mat in the back half of May.

And they'll be a welcome addition to the loungescape, standing as an independent option to the airline-run Qantas/Oneworld and Air New Zealand/Star Alliance lounges at the international terminal of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports.

With Qantas' Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane lounges operating on restricted hours built around Qantas' own departures – not the flights of its partners or even its own low-cost Jetstar arm – the Plaza Premium lounges could also be the only option for many travellers.

That said, Plaza Premium advises that the opening hours of these lounges have been curtailed from the pre-COVID schedule – we've detailed the current hours (accurate as at May 14, 2021) below.

The Plaza Premium Sydney lounge reopens May 17, 2021. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday it's open from 6am to 8pm; on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, from 6am to 2pm.

The Plaza Premium Melbourne lounge reopens May 31, 2021 from 6am to 1pm every day of the week.

The Plaza Premium Brisbane lounge reopens May 20, 2021 from 6.30am to 2pm every day of the week except Sundays, when it shuts at noon, and Wednesdays, when the lounge will be closed completely. The adjacent Wellness Spa remains closed.

Each lounge operates on a pay-in basis, with walk-up rates or online bookings made in advance at plazapremiumlounge.com.

Priority Pass holders can visit any of these lounges until June 30, 2021, but their card won't be recognised after July 1 when Plaza Premium cuts its ties with Priority Pass while ramping up its own lounge access program.

The PPL Pass scheme will offer a two-visit pass for US$75, with four visits at US$150 and six visits at US$198 (a current promotion for members of Plaza Premium's Smart Traveller rewards program offers a 10% discount on those rates through to May 30).

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.

29 Sep 2017

Total posts 2

Any word on the Sydney & Melbourne Amex lounges?

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2558

They're still closed, AMEX has not been able to advise when they'll re-open. 

United Airlines - Mileage Plus

12 Sep 2011

Total posts 333

But Amex Platinum Charge card holders still have access through Amex ?   Not entirely clear - but we can't travel  anyway  so  time to ditch the Plat Amex charge card


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