IN PICTURES: Virgin Australia unveils “lounge of the future” at Adelaide Airport

Virgin Australia has unveiled its “lounge of the future” with the opening of the airline’s swanky new Adelaide Airport lounge.

Designed by Brisbane’s WMK Architecture, the 283-seat Adelaide lounge completes Virgin’s network of seven domestic lounges across major airports around Australia.

The new lounge will act as a catalyst for all future Virgin lounge refurbishments around its domestic network.

CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the new lounge was the first of many new and exciting products for customers following the airline’s re-launch.

“We are continuing to write a new chapter at Virgin Australia and we’re incredibly focussed on creating great experiences for our guests,” she said.

“We know our capital city lounges are highly-valued by our frequent flyers and we’re reimagining the experience in a very Virgin way. Not only is the new Adelaide lounge the best airline lounge at Adelaide Airport, but it’s fun, relaxed and a place that everyone will feel welcome and comfortable.

“We plan to make significant investment in our lounges over the next few years. The new lounge we’ve unveiled will be the foundation for the Virgin aesthetic and experience we will roll out across the network.”

The contemporary design includes a breeze-block feature wall upon entrance into the lounge, with canopy ceilings, before ceramic tiling leads guests into a large light-filled space, with the centre walkway leading guests to numerous dining and seating areas featuring ambient lighting, bright greenery and Australian sustainable furniture.

The new lounge features a central café seating area, transforming from a place to unwind over a coffee during the day into a wine bar at night.

With some of Australia’s most awarded wineries on the doorstep of Adelaide Airport, Virgin has created a feature space for South Australian wineries to bring their cellar door to the lounge for seasonal wine tasting.

Separate dining areas with diverse functionality have been built adjacent to servery areas to cater to all guest’s eating preferences, including large social tables and banquette seating for more private dining.

A dedicated work area dubbed ‘The Library’ features workstations with PCs, printing facilities, power sockets and desk lamps.

Adjacent to The Library is a chill-out zone, complete with lounge chairs and a large flat-screen television.

‘The Sunroom’ offers a mixture of cosy seating arrangements, making it the perfect space to sit with a loved one, friend or colleague in comfort.

Closely located next to the servery, ‘The Long Stay’ is tucked away from the main entrance and provides guests with a wide variety of seating options.

To coincide with the Adelaide lounge’s opening, Virgin has launched a new and fresh menu for guests featuring a selection of sandwiches, salads, wraps and healthy snacks, prepared on site.  An enhanced menu will be implemented at all Virgin lounges in the coming weeks.

In an Australian airline first, Virgin is also trialling a food ordering system, offering guests end-to-end table service.

Initially available in the Adelaide and Melbourne lounges, guests will be able to order food and beverages directly to their lounge seat or table by simply scanning a QR code and placing an order on their phone.

The opening of the Adelaide lounge marks a significant moment for Virgin’s future, with the airline expected to make further improvements to its customer offering, including a new onboard menu for business class, and a buy-onboard retail menu for economy and Economy-X guests, to be revealed in the coming months.

Virgin is expected to open its seventh and final domestic lounge in Canberra later this month.