Virgin Blue planning express security lane for Melbourne Airport lounge?

By David Flynn, April 20 2011
Virgin Blue planning express security lane for Melbourne Airport lounge?

Melbourne could get its own twist on of Virgin Blue’s ‘fast track’ Sydney lounge when Melbourne Airport’s renovated lounge in Terminal 3 re-opens next month.

Australian Business Traveller has been tipped that the new lounge may provide streamlined lounge-to-gate access with a dedicated security channel for the benefit of Virgin Blue’s premium passengers.

Unlike most airport lounges, including all of Virgin Blue’s Australian lounges, its Melbourne facility is located before the security checkpoint.

This means guests must currently exit the lounge and join the queue at the security checkpoint before moving to the boarding gates inside Terminal 3.

The time-consuming and many would say time-wasting arrangement has been a long-standing annoyance to business class passengers, high-status members of Virgin Blue’s Velocity frequent flyer program or those who have paid for lounge access through through annual membership or with a Priority Pass.

But according to our source, when the lounge reopens in May - after being closed from April 8 for an intensive building and refit programme – passengers will be able to cool their heels for longer in the refurbished lounge and then make their way straight to their flight’s boarding gate through an exclusive security lane.

The lounge’s re-opening is likely to coincide with Virgin Blue’s relaunch as a more full-service airline, which will include a new name (the smart money is on Virgin Australia) and the debut of its new Boeing 737 fitted with the slick Sky Interior, new seats and an in-flight entertainment system which will put a video screen into every seat.

Those advances come on top of recently-announced changes including

The introduction of the dedicated ex-lounge security channel is certain to be welcomed by Virgin Blue’s most frequent flyers as well as new business travellers sampling the airline as it goes up against Qantas to boost its share of Australia’s business and corporate travel market.

That said, it won’t appease some Melbournites who would like nothing more than a complete replication of the kerbside valet service and straight-to-the-lounge express lane which Virgin Blue opened in Sydney earlier this week.

However, that’s rendered impossible due to Virgin Blue’s Melbourne lounge being located far inside the airport, next to the entrance to Terminal 3.

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.

The 'planned' express security for Gold and Premium Virgin customers is already operating at Melbourne T3. There is a dedicated Express Lane, to the left of the usual security lanes. The big challenge is to have the express security lane accessed from within the lounge itself....thus eliminating the need to leave the lounge at all. I guess all will be revealed when the new lounge opens this Thursday


Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Virgin Blue planning express security lane for Melbourne Airport lounge?