birder

Hi everyone, I am new to Velocity - came over from Air NZ on a status match. We are moving to Canberra in a few days and I look forward to flying Virgin Australia/VAustralia. It is terrible that you can't use upgrades on international long-hauls, but at the very least the Y seat is much more comfortable than Air NZ's. (VAustralia's long-haul Y seat is 18.5 inches; Air NZ's is 17.1 inches on their new 773.)

I have a question about the Melbourne airport. I'll be coming in from Auckland on an Air NZ flight and switching to a Virgin Australia flight to Canberra. We will have a lot of bags and my partner has a injury so won't be able to help with the bags (and we also have a preschooler). At the Sydney airport, you collect your bags, go directly to customs, and then you can walk a few feet to the Virgin Australia transfer desk and drop your bags there. Is it like that in Melbourne, or do you have to haul the bags a long way? If so, are there porters easily available?

Also, there's a Velocity lounge available in the Melbourne domestic airport, right? Since I'm platnium, we'll hang out there until our connecting flight.

One last quick question. As Gold Elite on Air NZ, I'm allowed to bring 2 carry on bags. Will this be OK on Virgin Australia?

Dontprocrastinateaviate

Hi Birder.

Melbourne Airport is easy to negotiate. There is one building (excludes Tiger LCC shed) - international sits in the middle between Virgin and Qantas. You'll be able to exit Customs, catch a lift or escalator upstairs and check-in for the domestic flight pretty easily. The walk isn't far, you'll just need a couple of trolleys. But not sure about porter service there to help given difficulties.

Virgin lounge at Melbourne is very new and nice. As Platinum, you and three guests will have access. After check-in, there'll be an escalator you go down and then turn left, entrance is then about 50m on right.

There's no differentiation re carry-on and status levels. It's seems to be policed very liberally, only issue may be if you hang out in the lounge too long and get on a semi full plane with lots of bin space already used. Virgin has priority boarding for Plats and Gold so you may want to take advantage of that, but if you miss the first call, it will usually just expedite your place on a packed aerobridge.

Cheers

Mwenenzi

Welcome to Oz
Click on the link in my signature to go to the Oz Fest CBR thread
All are welcome for 1 activity or the lot !

Rotodavid123

As a newly status matched platinum, I was in the Melbourne lounge for the first time last week. Nice surroundings and a pleasant atmosphere. IMO much better than the Melbourne Koru lounge.

ozstamps

Thanks Mwenenzi for the ozfest plug.

The MEL lounge is huge, and very new and nice. They have showers there too if you need it after a trip from NZ.

thadocta

Is the Melbourne lounge still before security? I remember I was there in Jan '10, and there was a delay at security, resulting in the "extra special" boarding call for those of us that had been in The Lounge.

Dave

Dave

qwertyuiop

Yes, still before security - which can be a pain sometimes but it's a great lounge.

serfty

While the lounge is "landside" and there is one security stations each pier, they both have a priority queue. If you have access to the Lounge than you'll be generally be eligible for the priority queue.

Only issue is that most leaving the lounge when your flight is called will be likely wanting to use the same priority queue.

thadocta

Even if it is paid access, using the single-entry pass? If so, how will security know, since it isn't on the boarding pass?

Dave

serfty

If you have anteed up the $65/$55 to access the lounge on a paid basis I'm sure holding your entry receipt will gain access to the (unpoliced) priority queue.

notzac

Last couple times I've been at MEL, the priority queue was being policed - a VA staff member was at the entrance to the queue, turning a number of ineligible folk away. Good to see it in operation (especially when the regular queue is quite long..!)