An Australian man has shared his method for sneaking into the Virgin Australia Lounge to enjoy complimentary food and drinks, but his revelation has sparked backlash from frequent users. Josh Walker-Davis, the 2024 Bowls Australia Male Bowler of the Year, claimed he has been accessing the members-only lounges at Sydney and Melbourne airports for years using a surprisingly simple technique.
The method revealed
In a TikTok video posted this week, the 24-year-old explained the first step involves lingering near the exit of the Virgin Australia Lounge in Sydney. 'There's an escalator that comes down to the food court, which is where people exit the Virgin Lounge,' he said. 'You've got to walk around and wait for the right opportunity to go up.'
At Melbourne Airport, the procedure is slightly different. It involves waiting for a paying member to exit through a sliding door. 'Once you go through security and go right, you've got the Virgin Lounges and once you go down this carpet, there's a sliding door on your left and that's where the lounge is,' Mr Walker-Davis explained. 'All you do is stand there and wait for someone to exit. There's no security cameras on the ceiling [of the hallway], so no one can catch you.'
Once inside, he said the bar staff had no idea he was not a member. He filmed himself holding a large glass of free wine and showing off his snacks, commenting, 'It's that easy. Beaaautiful.'
Backlash from lounge users
However, many Australians were quick to criticise the lawn bowler, with those who had been using the same hack chastising him for sharing it online. 'Great, now they will put security at the exit and this little hidden gem that we all used is no longer available,' one person said. 'This guy literally just spoiled it for everyone,' another added. 'I did this in Cairns for a good while and had the best time,' a third wrote. 'I would have kept it to myself, they will have security there next week,' another commented. 'So annoyed this has been outed. I've been doing this for years,' another wrote. 'My brother and I did this when we went to Sydney a few years ago. I can't believe more people don't do it,' another Aussie said.
Virgin Australia responds
A Virgin Australia spokesman told the Daily Mail it was 'aware of the videos' and was 'reviewing the matter with its airport teams'. While the airline does not consider the behaviour to be common, the spokesman said it reviews any reported incidents and takes appropriate action. 'Access to Virgin Australia Lounges is restricted to eligible guests only, and we have processes in place to monitor entry,' he said. 'Anyone attempting to access Virgin Australia Lounges without eligibility may be refused entry or removed from the lounge. Where appropriate, matters may also be referred to authorities.' Virgin Australia team members monitor lounge entry and eligibility, including reviewing CCTV.
