Virgin Australia’s “secret” new Beyond Lounges are a bit like a meat-free burger – shrouded in mystery, tasty and – apparently – addictive.
Whether you think they are an unnecessary appendage to the ‘meat and potatoes’ style lounges we already have, or whether you think they look very, very cool, we’ll leave up to you. The fact of the matter is that they’re here – just not for everyone.
Virgin Australia’s new Beyond lounges are reserved exclusively for their corporate partners, super high-status Velocity Frequent Flyer members and “key opinion leaders” throughout Australia. They’re so secret that no one else, supposedly, knows where the entrances are.
Virgin Australia yesterday officially opened invitation-only Beyond Lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, hosting an event at Sydney Airport to mark the occasion.
At the event, Virgin Australia unveiled a new Beyond à la carte breakfast and all-day dining menu. They also revealed that access to Beyond Lounges would be through discreet doors that only members know the location of.
Once inside, members can enjoy leather-clad and oak timber walls, plush Chester-style armchairs, fiddle leaf trees and privacy pods with built-in charging stations.
Showers will be available from the 1st of July 2022. The airline also has revealed that private offices and board rooms are available to book in each Beyond Lounge.
The a la carte menu features light and substantial fresh menu options using the finest Australian produce. The airline says “all food is freshly prepared on site and can be ordered with the airline’s dedicated Beyond Lounge Hosts who are on hand to deliver a personalised service experience.”
The menu will rotate regularly based on supply and seasonality, and includes the following dishes:
• Breakfast options including eggs made to order
• Superfood salads
• Sandwiches and healthy wraps
• Seafood and meat pastas
• Decadent desserts
• Cheese boards featuring some of the best Australian cheesemongers
• Virgin Australia’s signature truffle fries
“To complement the mouth-watering menu, Virgin Australia Beyond members will have access to a wide range of carefully selected beverages, including spirits, Australian wine (pink, white and red), cocktails, freshly squeezed juices, sparkling and still water, tea and coffee,” Virgin Australia announced.
According to the Virgin Australia newsroom, “Beyond members sit in the highest tier of loyalty at Virgin Australia and include decision makers for the airline’s corporate accounts and key leaders in many industries across the country.”
The airline said that in a survey of Beyond members (formerly The Club) last year, 95 per cent said they would recommend the invitation-only loyalty program and benefits to their friends or colleagues.
Virgin Australia also affirmed it is targeting a bigger piece of the business market and doubled down on its 33 per cent domestic market share goal.
Virgin Australia Beyond is now the highest level of loyalty to which Virgin Australia customers can belong, and sits next to the airline’s award-winning Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program which continues to offer Red, Silver, Gold and Platinum status.
Benefits of belonging to the Beyond club include a 12-month annual membership for the primary member with the option to also nominate a spouse/partner for Beyond membership to enjoy the same benefits (membership is reviewed each year), access to dedicated Beyond lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, a dedicated phone concierge service to make or change bookings, four complimentary upgrades to Business Class each year and one complimentary Velocity Gold membership for the primary member’s executive assistant.
Not bad for some.
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