We arrived at Melbourne Airport three hours before our flight to Fiji. Pre-children, that would have been borderline indulgent. With a four-year-old and a 15-month-old, it was the right call – and we still used every minute of it.
I’d pre-booked the Aspire Lounge, and my husband and I had been looking forward to it ever since. As we walked past the duty-free hall with a carrier strapped to my chest and our four-year-old already complaining she was tired, I was about to find out whether a lounge pass was worth it.
A moment to breathe
The Aspire Lounge sits past customs and security towards the end of Melbourne’s international terminal, which means by the time you arrive, the hard part is behind you. I immediately notice how quiet it is. No gate announcements. Just a check-in counter that leads to couches, dining tables, a buffet, and other passengers relaxing as though they have all the time in the world.
We grab a couch next to a small dining table and, for the first time that morning, everyone sits down.
Something to eat
We arrive at 11am and the buffet is already running a proper lunch service. Spinach and ricotta ravioli, butter chicken with steamed basmati rice, a selection of chicken and veggie wraps and fresh salads – our first proper meal of the day is waiting. There was also a DIY mezze platter, slices, chocolate cake and fruit to go.
We try one of almost everything, and for a family of four used to paying departure-lounge prices for a fast-food sandwich and a can of soft drink, we quickly see the value.
Something to drink
The drinks selection is entirely self serve – wines, a spirits station, soft drinks and juice, as well as a coffee machine. After we’d all had something to eat, I pour myself a glass of wine and don’t think twice about the time (we’d been up since 5am, so it felt more like the afternoon).
And I’m glad I did. We don’t manage a drink on the flight itself – juggling a non-sleeping 15-month-old on your lap with a glass of wine is risky at best.
The practical things
There’s a washroom for cleaning up after meals. With a toddler who treats every meal as a contact sport, this is not a minor detail.
The space is generous enough that he could move and exert some energy around without causing a scene. The seating was comfortable enough that our four-year-old actually took a moment to relax too.
There’s also Wi-Fi, plenty of charging ports and magazines to browse. Everything about the lounge is designed for people who have stopped rushing – which, when you have small children, is the thing you are most trying to achieve.
Is an airport lounge worth it with kids?
It depends on how you currently travel. If you’re still arriving 40 minutes before boarding and eating at the gate, a lounge pass is probably for a different kind of trip.
But if you have young children – and you’ve started arriving hours early because you have no choice anyway – you’re already in the ideal lounge window. You’re paying for terminal food at terminal prices, eating it on a hard seat next to a charging port, listening to gate announcements for flights that aren’t yours.
We made our way to the gate before boarding was called. Fed. Ready. Nothing left to sort out.
Writer’s note: The Aspire Lounge at Melbourne Airport is currently operating from a temporary location in Terminal 2 (International), after security, on Level 1. Follow signs for “Lounges” on arrival. The permanent lounge will return to Level 3 once renovations are complete. Check the Aspire Lounges website for the latest access details before you travel.
