When Ansett airline closed down in 2002, we became loyal to Virgin Blue then Virgin Australia.

This morning, thinking we would buy a Virgin lounge pass, we discovered there is no longer a Virgin lounge at Cairns airport.

We dropped the Apex car rental off an hour earlier than necessary at 11:00am, so that we had plenty of time to navigate roadwork delays between Port Douglas and Cairns.

Naively, we believed we would able to drop our bags off at the airport, to access the shopping and dining opportunities prior to flying at 2:50pm.

We were greeted by closed Virgin Australia check-in desks, opening at 1:20 pm. Hopefully, we sit, occasionally gazing over at Virgin staff seated behind the check-in desks.

Other passengers arrive, speak to smiling staff, they are sent away.

I had refused to believe an online review of Virgin having become a budget airline.

Sadly, it is true.