Review: Regional Express Rex Lounge, Sydney Airport T2

Overall Rating

By Chris C., May 18 2016
Regional Express Rex Lounge, Sydney Airport T2
Country

Australia

City

Sydney

Airport

Sydney - Kingsford Smith

Alliance

None

Airline

Rex

Cabin-class

Any

Notes
The Good
  • Limited announcements keep things quiet
  • Eight varieties of Nespresso coffee
  • Decent selection of food and snacks for a regional lounge
The Bad
  • No ideal space for laptop work
  • Business zone with outdated computers
X-Factor
  • A quiet place to relax and unwind
Location
Dining
Work
Overall

Introduction

While Qantas and Virgin Australia certainly dominate the domestic travel market, many jetsetters don't realise that other airlines have domestic lounges too – case in point, Regional Express, or REX, which has an unassuming lounge of its own at Sydney Airport, and others in Melbourne and Adelaide.

Simply branded the REX Lounge and tucked away in Sydney's Terminal 2, it's a quiet haven in which the airline's passengers can work, grab a coffee and a bite to eat before their flight, or simply put their feet up and watch TV in more comfortable surroundings than sitting at the departure gate.

Location & Impressions

After clearing security in Sydney's Terminal 2, make a right turn and follow the REX Lounge signs until you reach Gate G2:

Given the relatively low volume of passengers who use the space, the lounge is often quiet – and on this visit, practically empty:

Plenty of light flows in thanks to tarmac views on the right...

... and also windows to the left which line the general passenger concourse, but are somewhat see-through:

You'll also spot airline-themed artwork in one corner...

... and a variety of merchandise at the other, which oddly isn't for sale from the lounge and needs to be ordered online.

Access

Without a business class service or shiny frequent flyer tiers, the Rex Lounge purely serves paying guests.

Annual membership sells for $329 and allows the member to stop by its lounges in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne prior to any Rex flight.

These travellers can bring up one complimentary guest into the lounge, and a second guest at a cost of $22.

All other Rex passengers can purchase one-off access for $33 between 9am and 2pm on weekdays and whenever the lounge is open on weekends: a great option if you fly less frequently.

As of April 2018, members of the Priority Pass airport lounge scheme can also access this lounge when travelling with any airline from Sydney – whether that's Regional Express, others such as Virgin Australia and Jetstar from Terminal 2, or even Qantas and QantasLink from Terminal 3, if the traveller is willing to clear security twice.

Read: Priority Pass now gets you into Sydney Airport's T2 Rex Lounge

Dining

While we wouldn't expect much from a lounge that costs but $300 a year to access, there were a respectable number of breakfast options available including cereals, fresh fruit, toast and yoghurt...

... joined by an easy-to-use Nespresso machine with eight different coffee types.

Tea drinkers aren't forgotten...

... and nor is the wine crowd, with alcohol available free from 3pm daily:

Easy snacks like chips and chocolates are also on offer...

... but which reside near a somewhat confronting sign written in all capital letters, practically exclaiming "DON'T TAKE OUR TASTY TREATS!!! THAT'S RIGHT, YOU, IN THE BLUE SHIRT..." – and true to its word, sits directly below a security camera.

That's a bit 'direct' when something like "We happily provide complimentary food and beverages for consumption while visiting the lounge. Please help us keep lounge membership costs low by not taking these with you" would be much more polite, and in theory, work just as well.

Work

Forgot to pack your laptop? A number of functional but somewhat outdated Windows XP workstations stand at the ready...

(When was the last time you saw a computer with a 4:3 monitor?)
(When was the last time you saw a computer with a 4:3 monitor?)

... while WiFi is available for the better-prepared. Our tests showed speeds of 6.54Mbps down, 1.58Mbps up and ping speeds of 22ms, which is more than ample for a solo user but would grow cumbersome during busier periods.

Awkwardly, there's nowhere particularly great to set up your laptop – a bench at the far end would suit but is mostly blocked by the lampshade, which takes up the one available power point...

... and is also directly next to the TV, which won't help your concentration.

There's one other bench with stools and an available power point further away, but which is completely taken up by reading material and provides nowhere to actually put your laptop and other belongings without disturbing the neatly-stacked magazines.

In this instance, you can either shift a keyboard forward at a computer terminal and plonk your laptop there, or simply pop it on your lap.

On the upside, only one announcement was made during our entire visit which certainly helped our productivity, compared to the plethora of boarding commentary that comes as standard in the major airline lounges.

Relax

Most chairs in the lounge are well-suited to kicking back with a beer or glass of wine, with singles and duos filling the space...

... and larger sofas for groups, networking and mingling:

Along with the magazines you'll have spotted earlier, there's a larger reading nook over by the food...

... and two massage chairs, with the one on the right providing a reasonable back, neck and shoulder massage, but for the legs did nothing more than squeeze and release them...

... to the point that it was more comfortable to remove them from the chair's grip than leave them in.

All up, it's a respectable lounge at a reasonable price – and certainly miles better than sitting out in the terminal – but not one I'd look to spend hours in before every flight.

Also read: Virgin Australia Sydney Airport lounge review, Terminal 2

Chris Chamberlin was a guest of Regional Express

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.

04 May 2015

Total posts 267

Literally didn't know this was a thing until now! Has anybody seen what the others in Melbourne and Adelaide are like?

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

21 Aug 2014

Total posts 504

Would surely use this space if they allow a one-off fee for visiting

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

17 Aug 2012

Total posts 2207

They do - I take it you mean that it would be good if they offered access for the same fee (or slightly more) if you were on another carrier, particularly JQ?

@Chris, are there any shower facilities, or indeed, an internal bathroom?

24 Apr 2012

Total posts 2449

Hi watson374, yes to the bathrooms, no to the showers.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

17 Aug 2012

Total posts 2207

Cheers!

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

31 Aug 2015

Total posts 123

I think this is very decent and sufficient for a regional airline.

VA

17 Dec 2013

Total posts 48

I used to use the Sydney one a bit when REX did the Armidale run. It's simple but a break from the T2 rat run. Was always under-utilised.

If you aren't on VA, there is no other lounge access in T2. There's always MoVida but a user pays lounge would offer some solace for the Jetgo, JQ, TT, Aeropelican pax. I reckon there's a market opportunity there for REX.

Nice to see a small Domestic lounge reviewed. Maybe next month Chris could pull on his boots and swing out to the QP at Tamworth. Do a series on obscure lounges or something.

24 Apr 2012

Total posts 2449

Nice idea, but unless a new lounge has just opened somewhere and we're flying in to check it out, we wouldn't normally travel solely for a lounge visit as we see enough of them as it is! :)

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

17 Aug 2012

Total posts 2207

I reckon there's a market opportunity there for REX.

I agree - even without showers, it offers an excellent opportunity to escape the hullabaloo of T2, and if I was on JQ, I'd happily cough up to get into the REX lounge.

Still, it could be the thin end of the wedge...

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

08 Sep 2012

Total posts 240

Totally agree. I live in Europe and use Priority Pass a lot. VA lounges were previously part of that scheme but no longer for understandable reasons.

The Rex Lounge could be a nice SYD T2 addition but I wonder if the demand would outstrip supply giventhe small size.

NZ Elite

03 Jul 2014

Total posts 110

Apologies if this is a little off topic, but I was interested in this line:

While Qantas and Virgin Australia certainly dominate the domestic travel market, many jetsetters don't realise that other airlines have domestic lounges too

Out of interest, other than Rex's SYD, MEL and ADL lounges, what (if any) other airlines (other than QF/VA) have domestic lounges in Australia?

24 Apr 2012

Total posts 2449

REX is that other airline, plus of course QantasLink and VARA. ;)

Jetstar also used to have a dedicated 'Jetstar Lounge' at Gold Coast/Coolangatta for paying visitors plus Qantas Platinum and above, but which was since refurbished into a Qantas Club when the Roo returned to the airport.

CX

16 May 2015

Total posts 23

'Awkwardly, there's nowhere particularly great to set up your laptop' . True, but it looks as though it's still easier to work here than in the QF International First Class lounge which seems to have got rid of work stations.


Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Regional Express Rex Lounge, Sydney Airport T2