Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge expansion underway

Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge: The new expanded area overlooking the airtrain

The first stage of the Virgin Australia Brisbane Airport lounge expansion has been completed.

Virgin Australia is continuing to renovate the Brisbane Virgin Domestic Lounge.

The first stage of the Virgin Australia Brisbane Airport lounge expansion has been completed as the lounge doubles in size, to eventually accommodate 450 passengers.

A central part of the expansion is the Brisbane Terminal Cling-on; an expansion of the lounge over the landside part of the space, expanding this part of the terminal towards the Airtrain terminal.

This week, the wall closest to the bathrooms was carefully removed, giving a tantalising hint to the eventually feel of the lounge, which will eventually be very similar to Melbourne, but airside, and with direct landside to airside access.

This fast-track Premium Entry door will let business class and top-tier Velocity members enter the lounge straight from the kerbside valet service. Virgin Australia is planning for a September launch for the new private check-in entry.

The additional space provides natural sunlight, thought a skylight in the centre of the Virgin Australia Brisbane lounge woven into the airlines signature leaf roof pattern.

A separate addition in this area has been less-welcomed by business travellers however.

The central part of the lounge now has the Nitelife music video jukebox, which shows on the TV screens instead of Sky News. Loud music plays around the high cocktail tables close to the bathrooms; and come to that in the bathrooms and even the shower itself.

Another addition is a self-service beverage area for travellers to enjoy hot tea and coffee while waiting, along with chilled water and fruit.

Extending in the newly-built space towards what will be Virgin's valet area, there are seats which have a great view of the car park and the Airtrain station. If you want to see an aircraft you have to have one of the two pairs of seats looking over the rubbish bins, which also offer a glimpse of an aeroplane tail in the distance.

There are new high work benches designed for laptops, and as such they come complete with mains power sockets, and nifty twin USB sockets.

There are the same four slow old PCs that were in the old lounge, plus a dual laser printer and photocopier, which are temporarily placed on the construction divider while the premium entry is completed.

Another temporary addition to the lounge is a Perfect Fruit stall, which offers icecream made with 100% Aussie fruit that's whipped with air and then frozen.

Finding somewhere to eat is occasionally a problem in the lounge: there are just five tables in the hearth area. However with the lounge expansion there are cocktail tables with high stools to the left of the central skylight area, and laptop work benches which also double up as great dining tables.

For more details of the lounge, a video and 58 photos of the extension, see our sister site loungeindex with details of the Brisbane Virgin Australia lounge.