Melbourne Tullamarine: which lounge to wait for your flight in

Terminal 2 concentrates the international offer, while the domestic terminals each have the lounge of their own airline: Qantas in Terminal 1, Virgin Australia in Terminal 3, with a bar served by baristas on the mezzanine, and Rex in Terminal 4, the one of the low-cost and regional airlines. For domestic flights, then, there is no choice: you use the lounge of the airline you fly with, if your ticket or status allows it. Those leaving for abroad, on the other hand, have many more alternatives, all gathered in the same building.For international flights Qantas has two levels. The Qantas International Business Lounge, on level 1, welcomes Business and status members; the Qantas International First Lounge, on level 3, is for First and status members and offers à la carte dining inspired by chef Neil Perry. Hours vary depending on the day of the week, but both open early in the morning. The other airlines work in time bands. The Emirates Lounge, near gate 10, opens only in the evening and in the dead of night; it serves Moët and Veuve Clicquot champagne but has no bar with a bartender. The Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge comes alive in several windows spread through the day, while the Air New Zealand Lounge, on the ground floor, is reserved for the airline's passengers. With an Amex Platinum or Centurion you instead get into the American Express Centurion Lounge, on level 1. Those with none of these requirements choose among the paid lounges, all open to any passenger. The Plaza Premium Lounge, near gate 9, one floor below departures, is the only one of the group for which Priority Pass is confirmed; besides the buffet it has an à la carte menu and workstations in pods. The Marhaba Lounge, between gates 9 and 11, is the one that opens earliest among the open-access lounges, and is worth it for dawn flights. The Aspire Lounge, at the level of the concourses, stays open until late at night and is the natural candidate for those departing late.

In short, in Melbourne the ticket chooses for you when you fly Qantas, Emirates, Singapore Airlines or Air New Zealand in a premium class, while the Centurion solves the problem for those with the right Amex card. For everyone else what matters is the time of the flight: Marhaba for dawn departures, Aspire for late-evening ones, Plaza Premium if you have Priority Pass or want to work in peace. On domestic flights there is only one rule: the lounge is that of your own airline.