Virgin Australia Group Chief Commercial Officer, Dave Emerson, has today announced the re-opening of premium Club lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, by the end of March 2022.
"As the nation's vaccination rates increase, so too will our opportunities to travel more freely, andwe are workinghardto bein primeposition forwhen that day comes.Oneimportantelement ofplanning for the future ismaking sure we have the right product for our customers, and therefore we have recently undertakenan in-depth review ofour Club loyalty program," said Mr Emerson.
"As part of the review, weasked a group of ourmostfrequent flyers what they valued about The Club loyalty program and we've been blown away by the passion and enthusiasm they have for theprogram andour wonderful airline.
"Thedeepappreciation forthe Virgin Australiapersonalised service andthe joy they get from travelling throughour exclusive and premiumloungeshas beenhumbling, andarea key reasonwhymany ofour Club members choose toflywithus.
"Overwhelmingly, 95 per centofthesefrequentflyerssaid they would recommend the Club loyalty program to their friends or colleagues and that really demonstrates just how important the program isin our business eco-system going forward, particularly with our corporate and government clients.
"AsAustralia's most loved airline, weare committed tolistening to our customers.Therefore,we are going to re-openpremium loungesin Melbourne,Sydneyand Brisbaneby the end of the first quarter of 2022, when weexpectthat business travel demand will have recovered.
"And with Virgin Australia corporate airfares nowup to 67per cent cheaper than our competitor, it's going to be hard for any business leader to consider travelling with another airline.
"Unfortunately, while Canberra and Perth area really importantpart of the Virgin Australia network, standalonepremiumlounges in these airports are not commercially feasible and regrettably they will not re-open. We arecurrentlyexploringsome fantasticoptions to provide a premium service dedicated to our most loyal memberstravelling throughthese cities, and of course, they will continue to have access to our domestic lounges in these airports.
"We will also retire The Club' brand name for a new and fresh brand that reflects our future direction and our heartland customers,which will be launched at the same time our premium lounges re-open.
"Loyalty works both ways and we're extremelyfocussed on deliveringto ourcustomers the best valueand the best experiences whenthey choose to fly with Virgin Australia. Our unrivalledcorporateairfaresand premiumloyalty programarea testamenttothat," he said.
NOTES TO EDITOR
Virgin Australia isbuilt on loyalty to our customersand followingextensive review andconsultation(written, survey and dedicated feedback sessions) with the airline's most frequent flyers,premium Club lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbanewill re-openby the end of the first quarter of 2022,onceit is expectedcorporate and Club member travel demand hasrecovered.TheClublounges first closed on 23 March 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regrettably,Club lounges in Canberra and Perth are not commercially viable due to high operating costs andlow visitations,and they will not re-open. Virgin Australia is currently investigating alternativesto provide a premium experience for Club members travelling through these cities.
As part of the Club loyalty program review, Virgin Australia will retire 'The Club' brand name for a new and fresh name that reflects the airline's future direction. The new brand, along with updated loyalty benefitsandeligibility criteria,and thefuture premium lounge offering,will be announced soon.
While Club lounges have remained closed, members have continued to enjoy the airline's domestic lounges throughout Australia as well as Club loyalty benefits, including a dedicated phone concierge service, and complimentary Business Class upgrades.
A recent surveyfound that95 per cent ofVirgin Australia's most frequent flyerswould recommendthe premiumloyalty program(formerly known as The Club)to their colleagues or friends.Anindependent research studyby Butler Caroyealsofound that on average Virgin Australia corporate airfaresareup to 67 per cent cheaper than their competitor.
Since the relaunch of Virgin Australia in November 2020, the airline has conducted a month's long review of its loyalty programs and Velocity Frequent Flyer hasentered intonew partnerships with household name brands, including 7-Eleven,Youfoodzand Medibank.
