Turbulence April 2014

turbulence t ravel ne ws th at wi l l e xc it e y o u

Welcome to Turbulence

Well April has arrived and with it, the heat of summer, or so it seems in the southern states! Funny how summer gets later and later each year, and Autumn seems a long way off! But school holidays will be upon us before we know it, so start planning now and check out some of the great deals we have on offer.

And do check out the special deals available in the Sean Simmons Travel online store. The new JUNO range from Antler is THE BIZNESS when it comes to travelling in style! (Check out Virgin Australia’s VOYEUR Magazine!). So get shopping!!

And finally, we are incredibly proud to announce our two nominations, for the second year running, in the AFTA sponsored National Travel Industry Awards. These prestigious awards are strong validation of our ongoing determination to offer ALL of our valued customers, real value, real service and a real friendly attitude. We will keep you posted!

A CULTURAL IMMERSION

OLD MEXICO

A p ril 2 0 1 4

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Ajijic and Guadalajara in Mexico’s State $2,880 of Jalisco 8–17 November 2014

pp twin share

LAND ONLY

At over 5,000 feet (1,600 metres) in elevation Ajijic (pronounced Ah-hee-heek) is a popular tourist village located in the colourful state of Jalisco. Ajijic nestles in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains on the northern shore of Lake Chapala. Only 30 minutes from Guadalajara international airport, Ajijic remains a quaint, cobblestoned village, a rustic reminder of an earlier time but with all the normal services of the 21st century.

The Lake Chapala area has a year round moderate climate. National Geographic magazine rates it as one of the three best climates in the world. During our visit in November we can expect the weather to be dry and temperatures in the early to mid 20’s with cooler evenings.

Package Inclusions:

• 9 nights in 4 star accommodation • Experienced and knowledgeable guides who will help you discover this stunning area its art and culture • All meals as indicated including wine, beer and soft drinks • Exclusive access to private homes and unique experiences • Individually designed special interest programs

• O pportunities to meet the ex-pat locals to discover more about life in a Mexican village • Group visits in comfortable air-conditioned coaches to surrounding places of interest and markets with English speaking guides.

• 9 breakfasts • 2 lunches with glass of wine, beer or soft drinks • 5 dinners with wine, beer and soft drinks

CONTACT The Sean Simmons Travel TRAVEL TEAM ON: Phone: +61 3 9429 3294 (local) Fax: +61 3 9429 3293 Suite 6, 53 Coppin Street, Richmond VIC 3121 ABN 48153795129

Toll Free: 1300 391 590 (interstate) Email: enquiries@seanstravel.com.au seansimmons travel.com.au

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Unpack once – so much variety from one base – do as much or as little as you want – soak up the ambience of this delightful village which includes an active and engaged ex-pat community who chose it for its perfect climate, friendly and welcoming locals and home to the largest artisan Fair in Mexico. A small group tour yet personalized to accommodate individual interests and hobbies such as painting, photography, bird watching, cooking, colour design all can be readily accommodated plus unique access to private homes featuring spectacular architecture, decor and gardens.

Terms and conditions:- Package is land only. Subject to availability.

Prices correct as at 7 April 2014. Single supplement surcharge of $415pp applies. Prices may incur credit card and booking fees.

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TAKE A TOUR OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS!

HBO’s award winning television series Game of Thrones has extensively used the stunning scenery within the Causeway Coast and Glens to represent everything from Winterfell to the King’s Road, the Iron Islands to Stormlands. Now you too can stand on the spot where Lannisters schemed, stroll in the footsteps of Starks and gaze on grasslands crossed by the Dothraki horde.

The Causeway Coast and Glens Game of Thrones itinerary is a three-day voyage of discovery that lets you experience the fantasy world of author George R.R Martin for yourself. Plotting a path through the scenic splendour of the Seven Kingdoms, it takes you to where many of the pivotal scenes were shot.

Basic Itinerary (click here for full itinerary) Day 1: Belfast - Glenarm

Day 2: Glenarm - Ballycastle

Day 3: Ballycastle - Londonderry Package inclusions • 3 Nights Accommodation • Daily breakfast • Heritage Island Touring Guide and discount card Pricing

224pp twin share $ 4 Star Accommodation from 435pp twin share

B&B Accommodation from

$

Terms and conditions:- For sale until further notice and for travel until 31 December 2014. Prices shown are for land only and do not include car hire, insurance, entrance fees, meals not otherwise specified or gratuities. Subject to availability and seasonal supplements. Prices correct as at 3 April 2014 and can change without notice. Subject to credit card and booking fees.

BITESIZE BREAKS

Fancy a blitz tour of the European continent or are you overseas on business with a little extra time to spare? From under $500*, these great three-night packages are the answer!

Amsterdam

London

Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Eden Hotel – Hampshire Eden Amsterdam • Daily breakfast • “Hop on, hop off” bus / boat sightseeing

Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Best Western Burns Hotel • Daily breakfast • Return transfers • The Original London sightseeing tour

Berlin

Rome

From $405pp twin share

From $304pp twin share Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Berlin Mark Hotel • Daily breakfast • 1 day “hop on, hop off” sightseeing tour

From $487pp twin share

From $387pp twin share Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Hotel San Marco Rome • Daily breakfast • Return transfesr • “Hop on, hop off” sightseeing tour

Prague

From $470pp twin share Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Astoria Hotel • Daily breakfast • Return airport – hotel transfers • Cesky Krumlov day tour

Istanbul

From $488pp twin share Package inclusions: • 3 nights at the Arena Hotel • Daily breakfast • Full day Classic Istanbul tour

Other fantastic 3-day mini-stay deals available for other destinations including Madrid, Paris, Dublin, Copenhagen and more! Call now for details.

Terms and conditions:- For sale until sold out and for travel until 31 October 2014. Prices are based on per person twin share and are land only. All prices are subject to availability. Prices listed are based on low season travel and are correct as at 7 April 2014. Prices may change at any time without notice and are subject to booking and credit card charges.

CONTACT The Sean Simmons Travel TRAVEL TEAM ON: Phone: +61 3 9429 3294 (local) Fax: +61 3 9429 3293 Suite 6, 53 Coppin Street, Richmond VIC 3121 ABN 48153795129

Toll Free: 1300 391 590 (interstate) Email: enquiries@seanstravel.com.au seansimmons travel.com.au

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DID YOU KNOW THE STORY BEHIND AIRPORT CODES? Three-letter airport codes are part of the alphabet soup of travel, and while some are glaringly obvious others are completely cryptic. So what’s really in an airport code? Let’s start with some homegrown examples.

The airport codes for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth – SYD, MEL and PER – make perfect sense, being drawn from the first three letters of each city’s name. But this simple convention can’t always be followed. For example, Brisbane is BNE instead of BRI because that code had already been allocated to an airport at the Italian city of Bari. (Bari missed out on the more sensible BAR because that moniker was assigned to the now-abandoned Baker Army Airfield on a tiny uninhabited atoll in the Pacific Ocean).

Even when a few letters are skipped, airport codes like BNE, Adelaide’s ADL, Auckland’s AKL and Hong Kong’s HKG are still a close fit to their locale.

Other airport codes, however, step further away from making immediate sense. Almost every traveller knows that Los Angeles and LAX are one and the same – but where did that superfluous X come from?

That’s a remnant from the early days of air travel when airports were referred to by a two-letter ‘weather station’ codes, which in this case was simply LA. When the growth of air travel created the need for three-letter codes, the airport’s original designation had an ‘X’ amended to ease the transition, as did Portland (PDX). Dubai followed suit due to DUB already belonging to Dublin, Ireland – so the airport code of DXB was chosen with the ‘X’ having no meaning other than to fill out the three characters.

Closer to home, the proposed Sydney West Airport at Badgery’s Creek has already been christened as SWZ for similar reasons.

In the case of London, the city’s three major airports take the first letter of the city’s name and append a two-letter code for the airport itself. That’s how we ended up with LHR for London Heathrow, LGW for London Gatwick and LCY for London City.

But even then things aren’t always consistent, with London Stansted Airport – home to many low-cost airlines – tagged as STN instead of L-something.

WTF? No, there isn’t an airport burdened with WTF, but those three letters could well represent the reaction of firsttime travellers to airport codes which bear no resemblance to their location. Beijing is a well-known example, with the code of PEK. PEK represents the old anglicised name of Peking, which was changed to Beijing after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Both Latin spellings are approximations of the city’s Chinese pronunciation, which sounds a little like “pay-cheeng”.

Although the city name changed in the west, the airport code never did.

Another is Chicago’s ORD. While officially known as O’Hare International Airport, the original O’Hare Field strip was adjacent to a small farming community named Orchard Place. The airport soon took the name Orchard Field Airport, which became ORD. Canada throws another curveball. All of the nation’s airport codes beginning with the letter Y, regardless of the city’s name.

That’s another holdover from Ye Olde Days of Aviation, but this time to do with radio transmitters instead of weather stations.

In the early days of broadcast radio the North American market was divided into three geographic zones, each

Virgin Australia is extending its ‘UpgradeMe Premium Bid’ system to bookings made through travel agents, allowing passengers to make offers in a cash auction for upgrades to business class.

Similar to the upgrade auction systems are already offered by Etihad and Air New Zealand – both of which are Virgin Australia partners and financial stakeholders – UpgradeMe Premium Bid asks travellers to make a cash bid for business class and international premium economy seats.

Those upgrades were previously restricted to flights booked directly with Virgin Australia. Tickets issued by corporate travel agents were specifically excluded, which meant that many business travellers were unable to bid at all.

But as of today that all changes, with any traveller eligible to bid the upgrade auction.

“We’ve received great feedback on the (existing) system and have decided to extend the UpgradeMe Premium Bid to customers who have purchased (flights) through trade partners,” a Virgin Australia spokesman told Australian Business Traveller.

Upgrades are priced and made available on a sector-by-sector basis using a range of criteria for both domestic and international flights, although the airline remains tight-lipped on how the minimum bidding prices are calculated.

On international flights to Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles, the upgrades are limited to the next cabin only – economy

That at least explains Vancouver being YVR and Ottawa being YOW. Toronto’s appellation of YYZ is more of a puzzler, and came about because YTO was already assigned as Toronto’s generic region code (rather than being assigned to a specific airport).

YYZ happened to be the radio transmitter at a village called Malton, which is where Toronto Pearson International Airport is located today, so the oddball call-sign stuck.

So, there you have it: airport codes are a little more than three randomly-assigned letters stuck onto luggage, and sometimes there’s a bit of a story behind each one.

The new facility will be located at Badgerys Creek, about 45km west of the Australian city’s central business district.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who revealed the news at a press conference in Canberra this morning, said construction is scheduled to begin in 2016.

passengers can only bid for an upgrade to premium economy, while guests with confirmed premium economy tickets are free to bid for a seat in business class.

ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES LAUNCHES DREAMLINER TO MELBOURNE Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has launched its Dreamliner service from Melbourne Tullamarine to Brunei International Airport.

At 5:50am AEST this morning, RB’s new 787 Dreamliner arrived at Tullamarine Airport and was greeted on landing by Royal Brunei’s chief commercial officer Karam Chand and country manager Brett MacDougall.

The service will operate between Melbourne and Brunei and then onto London via Dubai.

RB’s deputy chairman Dermott Mannion said that RB’s arrival would secure its place as a force to be reckoned with in the Australian aviation market.

“Australia represents an important market for RB and the long awaited arrival of our Dreamliner will serve to cement our growing status as a real competitor in this market,” Mr Mannion said.

Royal Brunei Airlines operates across 15 major cities and has won many awards including Best Airline Provider in Asia 2013 in the European Asia Awards.

The move is designed to take pressure off Sydney Airport, which has “first right of refusal to build and operate the [new] airport”, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Debate surrounding the building of a second airport in Sydney dates back to 1946 and has seen 20 sites up for consideration at one point of another.

Mr Abbott said: “It’s a long, overdue decision which, to be honest, has been shirked and squibbed by successive governments for far too long.

“I also want to stress that the government’s approach will be roads first, airport second, because we don’t want the people of western Sydney to have an airport without having the decent transport infrastructure that western Sydney deserves.”

National airline Qantas welcomed the announcement.

CEO Alan Joyce said: “Qantas has long supported the building of a second airport at Badgerys Creek, as have a number of detailed studies. After decades of debate, we applaud today’s announcement by the prime minister.

“The role of second airports has been well-established in several of the world’s major capitals. Sydney is the key gateway for air traffic in Australia. The benefits of having two major airports will be felt nationwide.

“Airports are key pieces of infrastructure that facilitate a huge amount of economic activity, and they take a lot of time to plan and build. We look forward to being part of this process as Badgerys Creek moves closer to reality.”

SECOND SYDNEY AIRPORT GIVEN GO-AHEAD A second international airport will be constructed in Sydney at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion (£1.4 billion), it was

CONTACT The Sean Simmons Travel TRAVEL TEAM ON: Phone: +61 3 9429 3294 (local) Fax: +61 3 9429 3293 Suite 6, 53 Coppin Street, Richmond VIC 3121 ABN 48153795129

US stations were assigned W if they were located east of the Mississippi River and K if they were west of the mighty Miss. All radio stations in Canada were to begin with – you guessed it – Y.

announced today.

Industry news VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EXTENDS PAID BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADES TO TRAVEL AGENT BOOKINGS

carrying a regional-specific letter to be used in front of a station’s callsign.

Toll Free: 1300 391 590 (interstate) Email: enquiries@seanstravel.com.au seansimmons travel.com.au

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Industry news (Continued) ETIHAD & FIJI AIRWAYS SIGN GROUNDBREAKING INTERLINE AGREEMENT Now UAE based Etihad Airways wants to connect Europe, Africa, and North America with the Pacific holiday and visitors’ paradise Fiji. This is good news for the tourism industry on the Fiji islands. On April 16 Fiji Airways and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced a new and far reaching interline agreement between the two carriers.

This agreement will allow reciprocal sales from and to 12 cities in Europe, 17 cities in the Middle East, 5 cities in Africa, 5 cities in North America, 29 cities in Asia and 3 cities in Australia to and from Fiji. The agreement comes into place with immediate effect and is the starting point of further negotiations between the 2 airlines.

forward to a long relationship with Qatar Airways.”

Qatar, the national carrier of the state of Qatar, has won awards for its business class service, with angle-flat seats, top-flight wines and meals, luxurious lounges, modern planes, and customer-friendly service.

TAM & US AIRWAYS JOIN ONEWORLD TAM Airlines and US Airways have officially completed their transition from Star Alliance to Oneworld.

Both carriers started offering Oneworld services and benefits from their first flights as of 1 April. The transfers are the largest single-day expansion for the airline alliance since its inception 15 years ago. As a result, Oneworld now has just under 100 new destinations in its network, almost a 10 per cent increase.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Fiji is a great holiday market and we are happy to offer Fiji as an additional destination in our global network.

The agreement also connects the outer South Pacific Islands to our network which creates more opportunities for our worldwide sales force. “

TAM’s entry will help consolidate Oneworld’s position in Latin America — LAN Airlines, TAM’s partner in the LATAM Airlines Group, has been a full Oneworld member since 2000.

In addition, TAM has now added nearly 45 destinations within Brazil to the alliance’s network, with its home base in Sao Paulo now acting as a hub in the southern hemisphere for Oneworld.

Stefan Pichler, Managing Director and CEO of Fiji Airways commented: “We are proud to be part of the global Etihad Airways network and this partnership will help us to put Fiji on the map in countries where we had no presence before. Etihad Airways will help us to reach out for new customers and to diversify tourism streams for our country. It is definitely a major step for Fiji Airways.”

Meanwhile, having become a part of the American Airlines Group, US Airways is now one of the world’s ten largest airlines.

With both American Airlines and new recruit US Airways onboard, Oneworld has strengthened its position in the US, the world’s largest air travel market.

The Fijian Attorney-General and Minister for Tourism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has hailed the agreement as an exciting new development for Fiji Airways and the entire Fijian economy. “This opens up a whole new lucrative market for our tourism industry, enabling us to attract affluent visitors from Abu Dhabi - Etihad’s base - the other Gulf States, the rest of the Middle East and beyond,” he said.

The Minister added that the Fijian Government hopes that this agreement will strengthen both Fiji’s national airline and the national economy for the long-term benefit of every Fijian.

Etihad Airways joins Fiji Airways’ impressive list of codeshare or interline partners, which includes American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Ait New Zealand.

QATAR ADDS PHILLY TO ITS GROWING LIST OF US DESTINATIONS To cheers and a water-cannon salute on the airfield, Qatar Airways arrived in Philadelphia just after 8:15 a.m Wednesday, opening the Philadelphia area’s first non-stop route to the Persian Gulf.

“Philadelphia joins our existing North American hubs: Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., Houston and Montreal,” said Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker, stepping off the flight from Doha, the capital of Qatar, which borders Saudi Arabia.

The daily flight to Doha will depart here at 10:15 a.m. daily, arriving at 6:10 a.m. the next day, to connect to flights across the Middle East, Africa, India, Europe, and Asia Pacific region.

About 80 percent Doha passengers travel on to other places.

Qatar is the first new foreign-flag carrier to fly out of Philadelphia since Swiss Air started service in 1990, airport CEO Mark Gale said.

The inaugural flight, a Boeing 777-200LR, was packed with international media, business and leisure travelers, and airline management.

Al Baker was joined at a welcoming ceremony in Terminal A-West by Mayor Nutter and Philadelphia International Airport CEO Mark Gale.

“We are very proud to have an international carrier of Qatar’s acclaim serving our airport,” Gale said.

“Qatar’s vast network in the Middle East, Africa and Asia is the perfect complement to the extensive network of flights and destinations throughout North and South America provided by our hub carrier, the new American Airlines,” Gale said. “We look

It should be noted that the integration of American Airlines and US Airways has not been fully completed and, therefore, US Airways and US Airways Express will currently operate as Oneworld affiliate members under the American Airlines umbrella. During this time, both AA and US Airways will maintain their existing individual loyalty programmes.

US Airways’ entry into Oneworld sees the addition of more than 50 destinations worldwide. While most of these are within the carrier’s home turf (including key hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington DC’s Reagan National), there are also two in Canada and one each in Ireland and Mexico.

For frequent flyer programme members of both carriers, the switch from Star Alliance to Oneworld does not affect their tier status and all points/miles earned up to the point of entry have been retained.

New cards bearing the Oneworld logo have been posted to them and can be used immediately to accumulate and redeem points on all flights operated by Oneworld member airlines.

Likewise, the 140 million members of established Oneworld airlines frequent flyer programmes can earn and redeem wards as well as tier status points when flying on TAM and US Airways.

Being able to access any of the Oneworld member lounges is a significant new perk to US Airways passengers in particular, as American carrier lounges typically have less attractive offerings than those operated by international airlines from other countries, especially those of Asia.

Sri Lankan Airlines will be the next airline to become a Oneworld member on May 1.

TOURISM & TRANSPORT FORUM: WEALTHY VISITORS SHOULD GET TO PAY FOR QUICKER PROCESSING The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) has recommended that wealthy tourists coming to Australia be able to pay to avoid Australia’s customs and immigration lines.

Under a proposal by the forum, wealthy tourists from Asia and other places around the word would be able to access user pays premium visitor model, the Herald Sun reported.

“Premium processing is a great opportunity to deliver a quicker process for visitors willing to pay more,” TTF chief executive Ken Morrison said.

“This could include shorter turnaround for the approval process and a VIP experience on arrival in Australia, “This doesn’t reduce the level of scrutiny,

CONTACT The Sean Simmons Travel TRAVEL TEAM ON: Phone: +61 3 9429 3294 (local) Fax: +61 3 9429 3293 Suite 6, 53 Coppin Street, Richmond VIC 3121 ABN 48153795129

Toll Free: 1300 391 590 (interstate) Email: enquiries@seanstravel.com.au seansimmons travel.com.au

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just speeds up the process for application and once they get here.”

The plan follows on from similar schemes from around the world which allow preferential treatment for those who pay to be expedited through border points.

For instance, the UK system allows visitors to pay a fee to skip the lines at the UK’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

This is whilst in Dubai, tourists can pay AUD $95 to expedite the customs and border process.

Qantas also allows preferential treatment for diplomatic, first or business class passengers Mr Morrison said that the government should build on the success of the three year, triple entry visas for Chinese businesspeople by extending the same right to Chinese leisure travellers.

QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER FREE MEMBERSHIP – LIMITED TIME ONLY QANTAS has launched a “limited time” offer allowing passengers to join the Qantas Frequent Flyer Scheme at no cost. Normally priced at $89.50, for some years there have been free membership loopholes, such as a no charge signup page associated with the Woolworths Everyday Rewards program. In the latest offer, QF says free membership is only available to 30 June, 2014. Click here for details.

MELBOURNE AIRPORT RAILWAY LINE GETS GOAHEAD The long-promised but always-delayed railway link for Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport is back on the agenda, with Victorian Premier Denis Napthine today promising the line will be built under his government.

The state government’s May budget is expected to outline the timetable and cost for the city-to-airport line, which would see new tracks built between the Melbourne Airport to Albion, from where it would “join the existing rail network and run through to Southern Cross Station” Napthine said.

Trains would run as frequently as every 10 minutes during peak periods with a total travel time of 25 minutes between Southern Cross station and the airport.

“This project has been on the books for 40 years” Napthine said during his address to the state Liberal Party’s council meeting on Sunday. “It is time this rail link was built.”

Napthine and his party head to the polls in the Victorian state election on 29 November 2014.

TRAVEL TIP: VIRGIN AUSTRALIA FREQUENT FLYERS GET PRIORITY WITH VIRGIN AMERICA Here’s a handy shortcut to ensure that Virgin Australia’s toptier frequent flyers get priority treatment when travelling on Virgin America.

Although the two Virgins are partners – with codeshare flights, reciprocal frequent flyer rights and lounge access – AusBT contributor and regular US flyer Liam Rasmussen notes that Virgin America’s system doesn’t flag your Velocity Gold or Platinum status with Virgin Australia.

As a result, you’ll miss out on the time-saving priority triple play of priority check-in, priority screening and priority boarding on Virgin America flights.

“But if you show your Velocity card to any Virgin America staff member at checkin they’ll put a Priority sticker on your boarding pass” Liam says.

“The stickers are at the Virgin America’s priority check-in desk at any US domestic airport and are good for security and boarding.”

“Even though your boarding pass may say boarding group A or B, I was encouraged to board with the ‘Virgin America Elevate Gold, Silver and partner airlines’ group” Liam reports.

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Industry news (Continued) REVIEW: VIRGIN AUSTRALIA’S MELBOURNE AIRPORT LOUNGE After months of renovations and standing at over 100 metres from end to end, the revitalised Virgin Australia Melbourne lounge now boasts space for 608 guests, along with new espresso and wine bars.

With the previous Melbourne lounge having only been renovated in 2011, Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti told Australian Business Traveller last year that “the problem with Melbourne – and it’s a good problem to have – is that when we built it with 80 or 100 percent more seating capacity than the old one, we were expecting it to last us for another two or three years.”

So come in, take a look around!

Location & Impressions. Awkwardly positioned in the ‘landside’ space between two departure piers (below), the lounge itself remains before security screening.

However, from July, lounge lizards will gain a new ‘Premium Exit’ – offering two dedicated screening lanes for passengers bound for gates 1-10 on the northern pier.

When you first enter the lounge, you’ll notice its spaciousness – vivid colours and timber finishings avoid the near-’clinical’ appearance of its predecessor.

Travellers are catered for at all times and stages of the day – the winding table above has AC and USB power for charging devices and sending those all-important emails, while the stools below (located behind the morning espresso bar) are great for a quick coffee while catching up on the latest news.

Access. Virgin Australia’s business class passengers can access the lounge before their flight, while Virgin Australia lounge members are also granted access with a guest in tow.

Velocity Gold and Platinum flyers can enter the lounge before or after a flight with Virgin Australia – Gold-level flyers may bring a guest, while Platinum-grade members can bring three, and in any either case these additional guests don’t need to be travelling.

Eligible members of Virgin Australia’s partner airline programs can also access the lounge, as follows: • Air Berlin: Topbonus Gold and Platinum members, plus one guest • Air New Zealand: Koru Club and Gold, plus one guest. Gold Elite members, plus five guests (subject to space) • Delta SkyMiles: Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion members, plus one guest • Etihad Guest: Gold and Gold Elite, plus one guest • Singapore Airlines: KrisFlyer Elite Gold, PPS Club and Solitaire PPS Club members, plus one guest • Virgin America: Elevate Gold members, plus one guest • Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club Gold members, plus one guest Once you’ve got your access sorted, you can enter by using the self-service machine (below), or by speaking to one of the friendly staff at the front desk.

As these machines provide no physical barrier to lounge entry, we’re told that the staff at reception receive a visual queue when an eligible membership card or boarding pass is scanned.

With that in mind, if you were planning to attempt a sneak in, put your efforts to good use and just pay for entry instead – travellers without lounge access of their own (including guests beyond the published frequent flyer limits) can pay $65 to enter no earlier than two hours prior to departure.

Dining. The new Virgin Australia espresso bar in Melbourne Cornerstone to the expanded lounge is a new espresso and wine bar, pumping out an astonishing 1,500 coffees each weekday morning.

Although the barista staff in Melbourne are more than capable of cranking out a cappuccino, here’s one crafted by yours truly under the expert guidance of Grinders’ Arch Giotopoulos and

Shae Macnamara:

along with juice on tap for their portable devices:

Espresso coffee remains available throughout the day, with alcohol service kicking in at 11am.

Relax. Whether it’s by the windows with a beer or on the social, winding benches with a nice glass of wine, you’ll find it easy to relax here.

Selections of red, white and sparking are rotated quarterly, while Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Peroni Leggera are available on tap.

With no espresso machine in the normal buffet area, it’s much easier to grab a drink in the afternoons – people aren’t constantly bumping into one another, which makes for a nice change in such a busy lounge.

A sign directs passengers to the new espresso bar For lunch, it’s a choice of salad ingredients and dressings while more substantial options of pasta, rice and sandwich ingredients (along with a toasted sandwich maker) are found in the adjacent buffet.

If Peroni’s not your thing, you’ll find plenty to choose from in the well-stocked bar fridge: Between 3pm and 4:45pm each day, ‘pass arounds’ are on offer throughout the lounge, with today’s option a hearty party pie with tomato sauce.

Work. Tucked away at the far end of the lounge is the business zone, although frequent flyers could be forgiven for confusing the subtle entryway with a staff access door.

Inside, users are greeted by a number of Windows XP computers featuring Microsoft Office software, along with a combined copier/printer.

With Microsoft officially ending its support for the dated operating system on April 8, Howard Mitchell, Virgin Australia’s Manager, Lounges, confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that all computers on the airline’s national lounge network are slated for operating system upgrades later this year.

Two meeting rooms are available for hire, with the boardroom offering 14 seats at the table and space for 16 more around the room: I’ve dubbed this room the sanctuary of the Melbourne lounge – once the door is completely closed, the boarding calls and delay announcements disappear completely, making it easy to be super-focussed on the task at hand.

If you were planning to give a presentation, you’ll find a connectivity station arising from the centre of the table, with HDMI, VGA and 3.5mm connections available for presentations and video conferencing – while a power point is conveniently located in the middle.

In true Australian Business Traveller fashion, we tested that this nifty gizmo actually worked – HDMI output from the laptop was quick to appear on the screen after pressing the ‘laptop’ key, and audio could easily be adjusted or muted from the same panel. The result: If you’re going to call shotgun, we’d definitely suggest a seat directly facing the windows – what a view for a meeting room!

Wi-fi is available throughout the lounge, with no noticeable change in speed throughout my day-long visit.

Connectivity-wise, AC and USB power outlets are available throughout the lounge, while a well-designed standing area near the wine bar provides travellers with space for a drink,

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My only gripe is that the boarding announcements seemed excessively loud, which meant pausing conversation whenever a flight was called – not ideal if you’re having an important yarn with the boss or a client.

If reading material is what you seek, you’ll find a good selection of magazines and newspapers available, along with thousands of other titles through the free PressReader app.

On the other hand, if you’d prefer to perch yourself close to the buffet (hey, we won’t judge!), then you have that option too.

You’ll also find a dedicated function space – a first for a Virgin Australia lounge: Although nothing is currently on the agenda, performances by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, dining events and viewing parties for the FIFA World Cup were all mooted by Mitchell during a recent tour of the newly-extended Melbourne lounge.

The Verdict. With more than double the capacity of the previous space, the lounge expansion is Virgin’s latest attempt to pry more of the lucrative corporate travel market from the Red Roo – and they appear to be succeeding.

From a traveller’s perspective, you don’t feel that you’re “missing out” on a better lounge experience as you sometimes can in Qantas Clubs – knowing that there’s a better lounge within metres of your table doesn’t make anyone feel great!

Travellers at the Gold tier will find a better coffee experience in the Virgin Australia lounges than in the Qantas Clubs... given that the Virgin Australia lounge serves up lattes in glassware and has the new, dedicated espresso bar, it’s definitely a cut above the Qantas Club’s disposable cup experience.

Seemingly designed as a hybrid of membership and business class lounges, the Melbourne facilities are well-pointed to satisfy business travellers, while still meeting the needs of lounge members jetting off with families down the back of the bus.

Qantas Clubs and its domestic business lounges and have a distinct advantage in the alcohol department, with spirits noticeably absent from Virgin Australia’s lounge network.

When quizzed on this aspect of the service, Mitchell revealed that “spirits are always on the radar”, although admits that any introduction in the short term would likely be through “(temporary) promotions with spirit houses looking to develop and promote their brand”.

Overall, the lounge now feels much more spacious and inviting, and should serve the airline well for at least a few years (or so John Borghetti would hope!).

E & OE “Fares and costs subject to change at any time subject to notifications from suppliers. Whilst all endeavours are made to ensure all details are correct, Sean Simmons travel Pty ltd cannot be held liable for any omissions or errors that may be contained within this newsletter.

Should you have any reason for comment or complaint, please contact complaints@seanstravel.com.au at anytime

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