Air New Zealand Air Points - *Gold with Passenger, can I use Business Class Check-in Auckland

Hi all

I am passing through tomorrow, flying NZ to Sydney then onto LAX with UA.

Can I check in with Air New Zealand using the Business Class line in that special area, even though I have a companion?

Has anyone done this before?

I though there was some kind of thing out saying it was only for Gold members but cant seem to find it.

Any help would be fantastic.

Many thanks

Dave

MRSTARALLIANCE,

In my experience, it has never been a problem checking in using the Business line with a companion that doesn't have any status. As long as one of the passengers has status, that's usually all the agent cares about.

Have en enjoyable trip http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

You can definitely use it as Star Gold, with a companion. The only time I have heard of people having difficulties is when they are connecting from domestic to international at AKL, already have boarding passes (issued at the originating airport) but want to pay their departure tax there and use the dedicated customs agent to avoid the queues.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by MRSTARALLIANCE:
Hi all

I am passing through tomorrow, flying NZ to Sydney then onto LAX with UA.

Can I check in with Air New Zealand using the Business Class line in that special area, even though I have a companion?

Has anyone done this before?

I though there was some kind of thing out saying it was only for Gold members but cant seem to find it.

Any help would be fantastic.

Many thanks

Dave</font>

I'm star gold and i often check in with 3 non-gold members in Wellington and Auckland. Never had a problem. Apart from this loser attendent "Anton" in Auckland. Ever having back treatment in auckland, look for the name badge, high change it will say Anton

For reasons that I have never understood, if you are checked in from elsewhere (e.g. CHC, SYD, MEL etc etc) you can use the special checkin area (e.g. to change seat, confirm upgrade etc), can buy the tax sticker but then have to leave and go through the main entrance - there is a priority queue in there as well.

So if, you are transiting and checked in in SYD, but your friend starts in AKL. Then he/she will be able to use the special checkin with you and go straight through, but because you originated travel elsewhere will have to go round the long way.

Go Figure and I guess AirNZBoy can explain the exact rules.

Mark

[This message has been edited by Koru Flyer (edited Feb 28, 2004).]

Fantastic! Thanks for everything.

Yes, the special checkin at AKL is definately not avail if you already have a BP from a regional airport - i had the absurd situation where regional flight was running late and I arrived at international terminal as the flight to MEL was boarding - went to business class check in area expecting to purchase tax and speed up the escalator - no can do - had to line up at BNZ to buy tax and then go through the normal queues - suffice to say I held up the plane...

That is kinda dumb.

This is interesting - I routinely get to use it when I've checked in elsewhere (usually BHE or WLG). Most recently was only last night: checked in at CHC for CHC-AKL-SYD, wandered into the priority check-in at AKL, managed to confirm my upgrade, paid my departure tax and was ushered through the priority queue. After all the recent horror stories of AKL congestion, it was a very pleasant surprise: from arrival at the desk to getting through immigration and security took about 4 minutes, with not a queue in sight (this was about 4.30pm Monday). I've managed this in the past, too, when I wasn't Star Gold (but was upgrading to business so that was my excuse).

So, it is *sometimes* possible! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
Most recently was only last night: checked in at CHC for CHC-AKL-SYD,</font>

Hey! I was on the AKL-SYD flight last night; NZ107 @ 17:30... was this your flight too?


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Latitudes.

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

Hey! Small world - yes it was! Were you in business or economy? Either way, the chances are that you saw me embarrass myself... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
Hey! Small world - yes it was! Were you in business or economy? Either way, the chances are that you saw me embarrass myself... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif </font>

Please tell us if mad_atta embarrassed himself ! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Will arrive in SYD tomorrow for Mardi Gras.



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Qantas - Air New Zealand

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by igel:
Please tell us if mad_atta embarrassed himself ! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif</font>

Unfortunately, that's a pretty common occurrence! I think the 8 glasses of wine had something to do with it (hey, I was just trying to keep up with MrSydney (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum81/HTML/004329.html))! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Bugger! I was a few rows back in coach. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

The dividing curtain was closed, so no, I didn't see you embarrass yourself. Can I watch if you do it again?

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Latitudes.

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by igel:
Will arrive in SYD tomorrow for Mardi Gras.</font>

Happy Mardi Gras igel! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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Latitudes.

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

Unfortunately the dividing curtain didn't save me from embarrassment! OK, here's what happened.

After hanging out in the lounge for as long as I dared, I wandered down to the gate (incidentally, although it was almost 20 minutes before scheduled departure, the monitors in the lounge and concourse were showing "Flight Closed" by this stage) to find that just as I arrived they were announcing pre-boarding. Usually I miss this bit as I'm still in the lounge at this stage, so I savoured the novelty of not queueing with everybody else and was in fact first on board. This gave me plenty of time to enjoy my pre-departure champagne and familiarise myself with the business-class cabin of the A320, as up until now I've only flown in the back of that particular bird. As the great unwashed filed past towards the cheap seats (only joking, Latitudes http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif ) I heard a loud voice say "what are you doing here?" It turned out that unbeknownst to me, a couple of my friends were on the flight, coming back from a wedding in Auckland. They stopped and chatted for a while before heading to their seats somewhere further aft. Strangely, I felt slightly embarrassed to be spotted in J while they were in Y... I'm not sure why this was - inverted snobbery perhaps?

Anyway, as is my usual habit I made the most of my hard-earned upgrade. My pre-departure bubbly (and its predecessor in the lounge) was followed rapidly by a glass of the real stuff (Nicolas Feuillatte) after take-off, then a delicious Alana Estate sav blanc with the seafood appetiser, then at least 3 or 4 glasses of the excellent Palliser Pinot Noir to accompany the superb lamb main course and the not-so-inspiring cheeses. I also watched 'American Wedding' (slapstick but fun - the gay bar dance-off scene in particular!) on one of the personal DVD players - what a great feature they are. There were a few more bumps inflight than is normal trans-Tasman, but I was enjoying myself far too much to notice.

After I finished the movie, it suddenly occurred to me that I should go find my friends and see if they would like a lift home from the airport - they live just around the corner from us, and my partner was going to be picking me up. Flushed a little from the warm cabin and my overconsumption, I rose unsteadily to my feet and pushed boldly through the curtains towards economy class. Scanning the faces on each side, I attempted to make my way down the aisle, however to my embarrassment I proved incapable of walking in a straight line! My progress down the aisle, such as it was, consisted of an unseemly zigzagging as I ricocheted off the seats on either side... I found this somewhat surprising, as being such a hardened drinker I am usually still capable of at least some semblance of sobriety no matter what my actual state. I was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable, not only because the entire economy cabin seem to be watching me, but also because I had almost reached the back of the 'bus and still couldn't see my friends. Fighting the urge to turn and flee, I pressed heroically on... when a sudden movement from the back caught my eye: it was a flight attendant, signalling in no uncertain terms that I should proceed *at once* to my seat. Accepting defeat, I turned around... only to see that the fasten seatbelts sign had been on all along. Slowly it dawned on me that the reason for my difficulties was in fact turbulence rather than just intoxication! Blushing furiously, I struggled my way forward, once again ricocheting off the seats on either side, muttering apologies to the startled occupants. Navigating those 20 rows seemed to take an eternity! It was with considerable relief that I finally reached the curtain to business class... whereupon I did the only sensible thing under the circumstances and immediately requested another glass of that fine pinot noir! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

You may be interested to hear that I did have a rather more successful journey down the back a little later once the turbulence had died down. It transpired that my friends were in the 2nd to last row of Y, yes they had seen my little performance, and yes they did fancy a lift (once they had been reassured that I was not to be the driver http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif). I rather regretted my offer as I waited in the jetway for them to emerge: we ended up being the very last people through passport control, as there were only 3 desks open. (This resulted in a PTE time of 35 minutes, whereas it probably would have been under 10 had I pressed on ahead and made the most of being first off the plane and with priority-tagged luggage.)

So there you have it - just another humiliating day in the life of mad_atta. I am, however, grateful for life's small mercies... like the fact that Latitudes was seated near the front of economy, and therefore unable to see the full glory of my extended performance as I sashayed up and down the aisle...! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif

Right, that's more than enough from me. Thank you and goodnight!

[edited for spelling... and no, I have not been drinking - what a rude suggestion!]

[This message has been edited by mad_atta (edited Mar 03, 2004).]

Oh! So that was you I saw!?! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Let me see... If I remember correctly: you are tall, slim, wearing a blue shirt? Right? Or was that another Business Class passenger staggering through coach?

Thanks for a great story. Had I known it was you I would have ribbed you for it. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

(I'm flying to WLG this Friday if anyone else wants to try and top mad_atta's antics.)

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Latitudes.

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Latitudes:
Let me see... If I remember correctly: you are tall, slim, wearing a blue shirt? Right? Or was that another Business Class passenger staggering through coach?
</font>

I think I was wearing a white shirt, but apart from that the description fits... except you forgot the red face! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif