Air New Zealand opens new regional Koru lounge in Auckland
By David Flynn, December 9 2014
IN BRIEF | Air New Zealand has opened its new regional lounge at Auckland Domestic Airport, the first of several new and made-over lounges on the airline's to-do list.
Located at the regional end of the terminal building, close to the airline’s Valet Parking drop-off point, it's designed for travellers on AirNZ's regional services from Auckland.
However, those passengers can still use the airline’s existing domestic lounge at Auckland Airport if they prefer.
One cool touch, apart from the contemporary design, is that your barista-made coffee can be ordered through Air New Zealand’s tablet or smartphone app.
Air New Zealand's flagship international lounges are also undergoing a slick make-over which the airline says will echo its stylish LAX lounge, with the Sydney lounge due for completion in the second quarter of 2015 and Auckland’s International Lounge to follow by mid-2015.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Air NZ Airpoints
12 Mar 2014
Total posts 36
Nice piece David, and good to see Air NZ getting on with lounge upgrades.
Just a wee note about the new LAX lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal. It definitely looks nicer, but it is not strictly accurate to say it is an Air NZ lounge - it is now a Star Alliance lounge managed by Air NZ.
You'll note that LAX has disappeared from the Air NZ lounge list
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/international-lounge-information
and is now on the partner lounge list
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/partner-lounge-directory
While this may sound like mindless nit-picking, it matters in terms of access rules - for example, you can no longer bring in your kids under your Koru/Air NZ upper-level FF membership etc. So if you are travelling with your family, you now have to have another Koru etc. member or pay for access for your kids - subject of course to the dreaded space availability.
So while it will be a nicer lounge for all and a clear upgrade for most (those without access issues), for some it suddenly becomes a lot more expensive proposition. Win some, lose some.
20 Aug 2012
Total posts 117
And Brisbane....?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Sep 2011
Total posts 321
CHC regional lounge is very basic and not very comfortable. Koru members can't take guests - though some do by "double entering" at the automated gate. All in all it's downmarket. Hope AKL is better and more welcoming. Why is this at all important. Because NZ has many more regional flights than trunk flights. If you're not on AKL-CHC or AKL-ZQN you'll more than likely be on a turboprop, not a jet.
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