Programs: NZ*S, NZ KC, PC Platinum, Amex Platinum, QF Bronze, Accor Advantage Plus
Posts: 159
Question re * lounge access
Recently found this on the * web site
Quote:
Paid Lounge Membership Customers:
Customers have access to any Star Alliance member carriers' owned Business Class lounges.
Customer must present a valid paid lounge membership card
Customer must also present a boarding card for a same day Star Alliance flight departing from the local airport.
Customer is entitled to one guest
Does this mean KC members have access to other * carriers' lounges? I wasn't aware of this being the case. I thought access was restricted to *G and higher and I've been missing overseas lounge access since I dropped back to NZ*S.
Programs: BA Gold, NZ Gold, BD Gold, CO Gold, Velocity Silver, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, PC Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 97
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidrnz
Recently found this on the * web site
Does this mean KC members have access to other * carriers' lounges? I wasn't aware of this being the case. I thought access was restricted to *G and higher and I've been missing overseas lounge access since I dropped back to NZ*S.
I too have struggled with this terminology, but the answer as I understan it is no.
The paid access programmes are United Red Carpet Club and US Airways Club.
This is demonstrated on the benefits list on the recently posted link for that star alliance staff website:
in reading it is use is ambigous , i ahve already read it both ways but reality is if u rock up to LH business lounge with KC card , she is a no go bro
Last edited by rich5011; Jan 4, 09 at 3:12 am.
Reason: wring interpretation
According to that chart, a United Red Carpet Club membership will get you access to both the NZ international lounges and the Koru Clubs (which I assume means the domestic KCs since the international lounges are listed separately), but according to United's web page, you don't get access to the international lounges with a UA RCC membership: http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,3113,00.html
Does anyone know what the rules are? Can you use a UA RCC card to get access to international lounges at LAX, LHR, etc.?
in reading it is use is ambigous , i ahve already read it both ways but reality is if u rock up to LH business lounge with KC card , she is a no go bro
Not sure which LHR Lounge you are referring to, but in October 08, my wife and I got access to the Star Alliance Lounge in LHR with a Koru Club membership and a Guest Pass (neither of us had status at the time). We were on the Air New Zealand flight to HKG, and just asked if KC card and Guest Pass allowed us access. They were more than happy to let us in, and the guy behind the desk had obviously accepted guest passes before.
Location: The southernmost national capital in the world
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Koru Club membership is different to the US/UA/AC International options. Access is only available (with guests) for lounges that NZ has contracted with: eg the LHR lounge.
I agree, * should really spell out which paid memberships they are meaning
Programs: NZ*S, NZ KC, PC Platinum, Amex Platinum, QF Bronze, Accor Advantage Plus
Posts: 159
I figured that was the case but Star Alliance really do need to spell it out a bit better.
IIRC with Red Carpet Club you are only buying lounge access, unlike KC where you get other other benefits also. That may well be why they refer to it as paid lounge membership.
I remember ten or more years ago being able to use various lounges in the USA on a KC card but not now.
Quote:
Not sure which LHR Lounge you are referring to, but in October 08, my wife and I got access to the Star Alliance Lounge in LHR with a Koru Club membership and a Guest Pass (neither of us had status at the time). We were on the Air New Zealand flight to HKG, and just asked if KC card and Guest Pass allowed us access
That's a little different as you were on an NZ flight and as a KC member are entitled to use the lounge.
Programs: BA Gold, NZ Gold, BD Gold, CO Gold, Velocity Silver, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, PC Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 97
Quote:
Originally Posted by nkhk
Not sure which LHR Lounge you are referring to, but in October 08, my wife and I got access to the Star Alliance Lounge in LHR with a Koru Club membership and a Guest Pass (neither of us had status at the time). We were on the Air New Zealand flight to HKG, and just asked if KC card and Guest Pass allowed us access. They were more than happy to let us in, and the guy behind the desk had obviously accepted guest passes before.
I think the poster was refering to Lufthansa, not LHR. :-)
I have found that Koru club works only on Air New Zealand tickets. So you can access a Star Alliance Lounge with Koru Club, if it is an Air New Zealand ticket. An example would be flying from Manchester to Auckland; if booked thru BMI lounge access would not be available; if booked through AirNZ then would get access at Manchester (probably) and LHR (certainly).
Gold status gives a lot more access to overseas lounges than Koru does.
New Zealand Koru has let me have access to the Auckland international lounge when flying star alliance to destinations that Air NZ does not fly to; I'm sure this courtesy is not extended to a 'one world' ticket.
Sometimes a lounge will let you in anyway, sometimes not.
I have found that Koru club works only on Air New Zealand tickets. So you can access a Star Alliance Lounge with Koru Club, if it is an Air New Zealand ticket. An example would be flying from Manchester to Auckland; if booked thru BMI lounge access would not be available; if booked through AirNZ then would get access at Manchester (probably) and LHR (certainly).
Gold status gives a lot more access to overseas lounges than Koru does.
New Zealand Koru has let me have access to the Auckland international lounge when flying star alliance to destinations that Air NZ does not fly to; I'm sure this courtesy is not extended to a 'one world' ticket.
Sometimes a lounge will let you in anyway, sometimes not.
Here are the rules, just as you thought.
Quote:
5.6 Access to Air New Zealand International Lounges is subject to the following conditions:
(a) Members must present their Membership Card and Air New Zealand International boarding pass or ticket for same day departure on an Air New Zealand ticketed and operated international flight departing from that airport;
(b) Please note that in some airports, Members will be issued a lounge invitation at check-in for access to the lounge in that same airport;
(c) Access to an Air New Zealand International Lounge or associate airline's lounge is only available to the Member prior to the Member's boarding of an Air New Zealand International flight or at such other times as determined by Air New Zealand in its sole discretion;
