None of us have UA status. Our choice fares included a checked bag per person -- and since there were 4 of us, we had plenty.

Priority security at CBR is not needed. When they started boarding with 15 mins to departure, I realized I had left something pretty important in my Avis rental car. I had time to run back to Avis, get it with a small wait, and get back through security and board the flight (though barely). Only security line we experienced that priority would have been useful was BNE domestic on a Thursday morning - but even then it was 10 mins or less.

VA does have a CBR lounge but we did not have access to it. But we did have 72 AUD to spend at the cityhill coffee restaurant via PriorityPass and the terminal was not very busy -- so at least for CBR probably a better experience than the lounge.