Summary
- Virgin Australia has reduced routes and now focuses on domestic flights.
- Despite facing competition, Virgin Australia serves five international destinations.
- Seven Virgin Australia lounges offer amenities such as free WiFi and showers.
In Australia, two main airline groups are looking to dominate the sky. Qantas Group, which owns Qantas, Jetstar, and then Virgin Australia, is the brainchild of Sir Richard Branson.
Virgin Australia once upon a time had an extensive domestic and international network to and from Australia; however, since the pandemic and its voluntary administration, the carrier has scaled back a number of its routes substantially and has practically abandoned its South Pacific and New Zealand markets. Before COVID-19, Virgin served over five destinations in New Zealand, which has now shrunk to just Queenstown.
Virgin Australia faces stiff competition, with Qantas, Jetstar, and Rex hot on its heels throughout the domestic market. While Virgin retains its base in Brisbane, it also has hubs in Melbourne and Sydney, with secondary hubs in Adelaide and Perth.
Photo: Virgin Australia
Today, according to ch-Aviation, an online aviation database, Virgin operates a fleet of over 80 aircraft to 44 home and abroad. While it serves all major Australian cities, its international network now serves:
- Nadi (NAN) – Fiji
- Tokyo Haneda (HND) – Japan
- Queenstown (ZQN) – New Zealand
- Apia (APW) – Samoa
- Port Vila (VLI) – Vanuatu
This is a far cry from what it was pre-pandemic, with Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s (now both retired) that, through history, have served as far as Johannesburg, Hong Kong, and Phuket. Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles.

Related
A Comprehensive Guide To Airport Lounges: Access, Amenities & Etiquette
The world of airport lounges can get confusing – we break things down into a simple introduction.
Domestic lounge locations
Those holding boarding passes on Virgin Australia flights can access seven lounges across the continent. These are positioned at the airline’s significant airports; let’s look at the finer details:
Airport |
Opening hours |
Key features |
---|---|---|
Brisbane International Airport (BNE) – Domestic terminal |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) – Domestic terminal |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport (MEL) – Domestic Terminal 3 |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Adelaide International Airport (ADL) – Domestic terminal – opposite gate 15 |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Canberra International Airport (CBR) – Level 3 Western Concourse |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Perth International Airport (PER) – Domestic Terminal 1 |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
Gold Coast Coolangatta International Airport (OOL) – South End of Domestic Terminal |
60 minutes before the first domestic flight of the day until the final departure |
|
For those with access, you will be treated to a range of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options specific to the time of day, all prepared onsite. For those looking for a drink, there are barista coffee options, premium tea, and a range of soft drinks. Due to local liquor licensing laws, alcoholic beverages, including curated wines and craft beers, are available from noon.
With WiFi, printing facilities, and showers at all locations, you can finish your day’s business or freshen up before your flight. Towels are also available.
Accessing the lounge
Complimentary lounge access is permitted for business class, Velocity Platinum, and Gold members, while Silver members can redeem their single-use lounge passes when awarded. If you don’t travel frequently enough to reach the airline’s frequent flier tiers, you can opt for paid membership, with details outlined below:
Joining fee |
AU $99 ($67) |
---|---|
Annual membership |
AU $450 ($305) |
Lifetime membership |
AU $9,750 ($6,593) |
Senior lifetime membership |
AU $6,750 ($4,565) |
Various Australian credit cards also offer free single-use lounge passes, which include the Westpac Altitude, AMEX Velocity Platinum, Gold and Business, and Virgin Money credit card holders, or you can opt to pay as you go, with standard entry at the door (subject to capacity), for AU $65 ($44) per adult, which is permitted up to two hours before departure.

Related
Virgin Australia Announces Australia’s First-Ever Pets Onboard
Virgin Australia is the first Australian airline to allow travelers to bring their cats and dogs onboard, with a launch planned in the next 12 months.