Virgin Australia and its Velocity Frequent Flyer program boast a strong array of airline partners, such as Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, United and Etihad. And while most of these partners offer reciprocal international lounge access to elite Velocity Gold and Platinum members, the rules are anything but simple.
Because Virgin Australia and its partners have a ‘pick and choose’ relationship rather than all being part of the same alliance, lounge access rules differ between each airline. Complicating matters is that Virgin Australia doesn’t operate any international lounges, even in Australia.
Here’s a brief cheat sheet on which lounges you can access with Velocity Gold or Platinum status, as of 12 September 2022.
1. Before Virgin Australia international flights
Unfortunately, Virgin Australia does not currently offer lounge access in any port before any of their international flights. You may want to consider accessing an independent lounge through schemes such as Priority Pass or a rewards credit card (such as American Express).
In some cases, you could visit a Virgin Australia domestic lounge before your flight if it’s nearby. For example, let’s say you’re flying from Gold Coast down to Sydney to connect to Fiji. Your luggage is checked through and you have both boarding passes.
If there’s enough time in between, you could get off your first flight at Sydney T2 and use the domestic Virgin Australia lounge to freshen up, before you exit and change to the international terminal. But you should take into account travel time between the domestic and international terminals.
2. Before United Airlines flights
- Access United-owned and operated lounges when travelling on a United Airlines-operated flight as part of an international itinerary with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. This means domestic-only United flight bookings aren’t eligible. Business Class passengers can use associated lounges due to the class of travel.
- Also, relax in the Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounge in Sydney and Melbourne when departing on a United Airlines flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children.
3. Before Etihad flights
- Access Etihad-owned and operated lounges and associated third-party lounges when booked on an Etihad Airways-operated flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status.
- Velocity Gold members can use the Al Dhabi Lounge in Abu Dhabi when flying in Economy. Meanwhile, Velocity Platinum members can relax in the Etihad First Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children.
4. Before Qatar Airways flights
- Access Qatar Airways-owned and operated lounges and associated third-party lounges when travelling on a Qatar Airways-operated flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. Make sure to get a lounge invitation from the check-in counters before heading to the lounge.
- In Doha, both Velocity Gold and Platinum members can use the relevant Gold or Platinum lounge. In most other ports, they can use the same lounge as Business and First Class passengers. But in places where Qatar Airways operates its own Premium Lounge, only ticketed First and Business Class passengers can get in. Velocity Gold and Platinum members may be allocated a different lounge.
- At most airports, Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children. But in Doha only, children under 11 years old don’t count as guests. Bring them all!
5. Before Singapore Airlines flights
- Access Singapore Airlines-owned and operated lounges when travelling on a Singapore Airlines operated flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. Business Class and First passengers can use associated lounges due to class of travel.
- In Singapore, both Velocity Gold and Platinum members can use the KrisFlyer Gold lounge. In all other ports, they can use the same Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounge as Business Class passengers.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children.
6. Before Air Canada flights
- Access Air Canada-owned and operated Maple Leaf lounges when travelling on an Air Canada marketed and operated flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. Business Class and First passengers can use associated lounges due to class of travel.
- Unfortunately, there is no lounge access in Sydney or Brisbane for Velocity Gold and Platinum members, because Air Canada does not operate lounges there.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children.
7. Before Virgin Atlantic flights
- Access Virgin Atlantic-owned and operated lounges when travelling on a Virgin Atlantic operated flight with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. Upper Class passengers can use associated lounges.
- Velocity Platinum members are also granted access to the London Heathrow Revivals Lounge upon arrival, but with no guests permitted.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children. This excludes the Revivals Lounge in London Heathrow.
8. Before South African Airlines flights
- Access SAA-owned and operated lounges when travelling on South African Airlines with Velocity Gold or Platinum status. Business Class passengers can use associated lounges.
- Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children.
Summing up
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Gold and Platinum members can usually kick back in a lounge when flying with these seven partner airlines. But only Qatar Airways and Etihad provide access to associated lounges in ports where those airlines don’t operate their own lounges.
American Express Velocity Platinum
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 100,000 bonus Velocity Points¹
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- 1.25 Velocity Points earned per $1 on all eligible spend except for government bodies⁵. 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on selected Virgin Australia purchases⁵. 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on Government spend⁵
- Annual Fee:
- $440 p.a.
- Offer expires
- 30 April 2026
- The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has 70,000 bonus Velocity Points on offer for new American Express Card Members who apply, are approved and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval, plus an additional 30,000 Velocity Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 30 April 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) Includes several perks such as Virgin Australia Lounge Access² every time you fly domestically with Virgin Australia, 2 VA Guest Lounge Passes³ each year and a Complimentary Domestic Return Virgin Australia Flight⁷.
For all the other partners, you can only enjoy lounge access when you’re departing from a port where the airline owns and operates its own lounge. And some other partners, such as Hawaiian Airlines, don’t even have reciprocal lounge access arrangements yet.
You can find the latest Virgin Australia international lounge access policies on their website.
Hi, can you access Virgin Domestic Lounge in Australia..flying economy , after transferring off A Singapore business flight, kind of like the One world rules?
Hi Jeremy, unfortunately, that is not possible.
Hi Brandon,
How about if u are velocity gold, but flying scoot mel-sin-pen?
Cheers
Hi, unfortunately there are no Velocity benefits before Scoot-operated flights, even if they have the SQ codeshare.
Is the United Airlines section still accurate? The VA website mentions ‘ex Melbourne and Sydney’ can use the Kris Flyer lounge. This makes me think it is not available and United/VA have no lounge option in Melbourne.
Hi Brandon, If when i booked I was platinum but have since become silver, and will be silver when flying, will i be eligible for access to the lounges?
Hi Rhys, unfortunately not. Status benefits depend on your status at the time of flying. Your boarding pass will have ‘Silver’ printed on it if that’s your status by then.
It’s ridiculous that Virgin hasn’t got an arrangement with a partner airline at Australian international airports for Business Class passengers at the very least.
Hi,
I am a Velocity Gold member and will be flying on a SQ ticket from Adelaide to Capetown via Singapore.
My husband and I have a 10 hour layover on our journey to South Africa so can we access a lounge in Changi Airport?
If so, which one/s can we go into?
I have read somewhere that the access has no time restraints which is great but can we go in and out during our layover?
Also if we can access a lounge, can we also access the lounge on the return visit to Adelaide?
Thanks,
Helen
Hi Helen, you can access the KrisFlyer Gold lounge in Changi in both directions, assuming it’s an SQ flight.
Such a helpful article! I am flying Singapore Airlines from Amsterdam to Singapore, and am Velocity Gold – will I be able to get access to any lounges in Schiphol with my VA gold, or is that wishful thinking?
Hi Charlie, Velocity Gold only unlock SQ-operated lounges and since there isn’t one in Amsterdam, you won’t have lounge access.
Thanks greatly Brandon!
Hi Brandon, regarding access to platinum lounge in Doha for velocity platinum members. Is it still : At most airports, Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children. But in Doha only, children under 11 years old don’t count as guests. Bring them all!
I’m a VA gold and I was denied entry to the Business Class Lounge at AUH today. They were trying to palm me off to the Al Dabhi Lounge in Terminal 1.
I’ve always found partner airlines (except for SQ) to not really know or care about status with VA. Being part of an alliance would certainly clear this mess!
Hi Brandon
I’ve looked on the Air Canada website but can see no reference to ‘ Velocity Gold and Platinum members can bring one guest, including children’ for lounge access. Do you have a link? Also do you know if Velocity Gold/Platinum includes free baggage allowance for Air Canada domestic flights? Thanks
Hi Jamie, the information is from Velocity: https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/at-the-airport/lounge/international/#aircanada. At this stage, the partnership appears to cover lounge access only. The Velocity website does not mention any additional baggage perks: https://experience.velocityfrequentflyer.com/flying-status/flying-with-status/platinum-membership#40
Hi Brandon
sorry for my ignorance but when it says ‘…1 guest, including children’ does that mean if I have a partner and child, I can only get 1 person in or 1 guest plus children?
Yong
Hi Yong, when a lounge specifies that guests include children, it means that they’ll generally only accept one person overall, regardless of age. You can always try your luck at the desk, but it’s up to the discretion of the lounge agents.
Seriously, I wish they would just pick an alliance (Star) and get on board! What a great customer experience this complicated mess is… not!
An actual list comprising of what lounges are available in specific airports would be of great benefit. Not overly insightful as it stands. E.g As VA gold flying QR what lounge will I be able to access when departing SYD. Cheers
Hi there,
You forgot to mention that when flying with Qatar out of Australia, Gold, Platinum and Business can access any Air NZ lounge in international prior to boarding Qatar 🙂