Priority Pass members can now access The House lounges in Sydney and Melbourne. But, there is a catch. If you want in, you will also need to pay a $20 fee at the door on your way in.
So, you will not just use one of your Priority Pass visits, you will also be up for a $20 fee.
The same deal applies to members using LoungeKey. You will also need to stump up the additional $20 to access the lounge.
The House Lounge
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because The Lounge at each airport is the home of Virgin Australia and Etihad. It is also the lounge that British Airways prefers for its eligible passengers.
Previously the Etihad Lounge, they are now run by No1 Lounges. And one thing about No1 lounges is that they often allow entry for a fee. As with many such lounges, they have partnered with Priority Pass in a bid to get more people through the doors.
The two lounges you will have access to are:
- The House Lounge Melbourne – open from 5:30 AM until 10:30 PM
- The House Lounge Sydney – open from 5:30 AM until 10 PM
If you are travelling through Sydney, this is your only lounge option. Having said that, you will have some eateries that you could choose in stead.
On the other hand, it gives travellers through Melbourne a second lounge choice. The Plaza Premium lounge is also available without the additional surcharge.
That $20 co-payments
To enter the lounge, you will use one of your Priority Pass (or LoungeKey) visits and be up for a $20 fee. While this is a first for an Australian lounge, it has happened before. For example, in Hong Kong, there was an option to access the Plaza Premium First lounge with a co-payment.
While unfortunate, it is probably understandable. On entering a lounge, Priority Pass pays for your entry into the lounge. The operators of the lounges would have decided that there was not enough in the Priority Pass offer to make it worthwhile. The $20 co-payment could have tipped the scales in favour of allowing access.
One could argue that as far as the Priority Pass network goes, they are above average. As a result, it may make sense that there is a co-payment. Having said that, I hope that it is not a trend that spreads too widely.
