Air New Zealand Air Points - OT:NZ G Status access at Maple Leaf Lounge LAX

I was recently at LAX in the NZ Lounge and asked the very pleasant French gentleman at the front desk if I could pop next door and check out AC's lounge. He said' Just flash you AP G Card and they will let you'. Sure enough I got to the main desk and the women refused me point blank admission. I informed her I was Gold status and was entitled access but, no, I am told i must be flying with AC that day. I began to argue the point but gave up and returned to the NZ lounge and informed Terrie (the french chap) what had happened. He went ballistic and dragged me back to the AC Lounge and argued point blank with the women who then consulted her rule book and said 'Oh, yes he can come in.The rules for admission change daily'. Terrie proceeded this ruling had not changed in 10 years. I said to Terrie ' I wonder how many hundreds she has refused admission on her interpretation of the rules.

As an aside, I only ended up staying in the Lounge for 10 mins having a very lousy Canadain Chardonnay that tasted like the Ghangis on a hot day.

Terrie is fantastic. I hope he stays with the NZ lounge if AF go ahead with their own lounge in T2.

Terrie is fantastic. I hope he stays with the NZ lounge if AF go ahead with their own lounge in T2.

I agree - he is just brillant and really knows his job. He assured me he is staying.

He is up there with the famous UA Annie at SYD Koru Lounge

Concur....:D

I was glad to hear his voice - making his oh so distinctive announcements - on Tuesday night...^

Too bad the chocolate eclairs came round while I was in da shower!!!;)

Question: Is it only the LAX lounge that does the "escort" to the plane? Can't recalll it in SYD fr'instance.... Looks a bit much like a school outing.. but it is a nice touch...

OT - the flight to AKL on NZ5 took a touch over 13 hours.... I can't recall ever being in the air for that long before on that route....??

LAX and LHR are the only places NZ escort pax from lounge to gate, other than VIPs.

13 hours doesn't seem that unusual in my experience - a bit longer than normal.

Have to agree with everyone here - Thierry is fantastic. He's helped me out on numerous occasions. Great story re the Air Canada lounge.

Remember flightcomment is still a great way to pass on feedback for exceptional service - flightcomment@airnz.co.nz.

Cheers, Zac

Have to agree with everyone here - Thierry is fantastic. He's helped me out on numerous occasions. Great story re the Air Canada lounge.

Remember flightcomment is still a great way to pass on feedback for exceptional service - flightcomment@airnz.co.nz.

OT: But do you think flightcomment or myvoice is better for letting NZ know about really good staff?

Well it works both ways. I can remember when I was GE on NZ but was flying AC and Maple leaf had no showers at LAX. Asked NZ lounge if I could use the showers and then would go back to AC lounge: absolutely no way allowed to do so. I did not push it.

This may be retaliation for NZ not letting Air Canada *Gs in sometimes.

As an aside, I only ended up staying in the Lounge for 10 mins having a very lousy Canadain Chardonnay that tasted like the Ghangis on a hot day.

In my experience, all Canadian chardonnay should be avoided at all costs. It's like bad Californian chardonnay made worse. Unfortunately Air Canada seems to feel obliged to stock only Canadian or (cheap) French whites onboard their aircraft in J, meaning that I spend many of my AC flights pining for a decent NZ sav blanc. Or single-handedly polishing off their supply of champagne, a feat which is unfortunately quite easy to do.

But I digress. I might try accessing the AC lounge when in LAX in Dec waiting for NZ1 to AKL. Although I'm flying NZ I do have an AC*G card, so will be curious to see if that makes a difference... not that I anticipate spending much time in there even if I do successfully gain entrance. Having said that, AC do have some semi-respectable lounges - for a North American carrier their lounges are bordering on miraculously good, in fact.

The AC Lounge at LAX is actually quite nice. After that excursion, I popped into the now closed NW Lounge and the words 'shabby beyone belief' springs to mind. I couldn't bring to look the Wine oo offer - Wal Mart wine I suspect!:td:

Is it only the LAX lounge that does the "escort" to the plane?

How long has that been happening? It's a while since I flew through LAX ... and a while longer since I was Gold (I know the two issues are related!!!), but I don't recall ever having seen it.

How long has that been happening? It's a while since I flew through LAX

A few years now. It doesn't happen for every flight - depnds how busy they are. It's not a long walk but the gate area at LAX can get quite congested.

LAX and LHR are the only places NZ escort pax from lounge to gate, other than VIPs.

13 hours doesn't seem that unusual in my experience - a bit longer than normal.

I've always been escroted to the gate when flying out of Rarotonga. :)

OT: But do you think flightcomment or myvoice is better for letting NZ know about really good staff?

Sorry NZ_Flyer - only saw this now (need to log on to FT more often ;)).

I haven't tried myvoice yet, but I know flightcomment works well and I suspect it's better. I sent an email to flightcomment about 3 months ago to say thanks to a particular member of staff for excellent service, it was passed on to their line manager and I got a note back from the person in question saying thanks. Not that this will always be the response, but it does show these are taken seriously.

Cheers, Zac

P.S. absolutely thrilled to be GE again! :D It's not easy from the UK you know ;)

LAX and LHR are the only places NZ escort pax from lounge to gate, other than VIPs.

This is news to me... What exactly do they do? Will they do this for NZ 002 Aug 05 do you think? Sounds like an interesting new experience :)

Slightly OT, but didn't want to start a new thread for this.

Does anyone know what time the NZ/Koru? lounge opens at LAX. Next year when I do Thailand, I want to hang around in the NZ lounge and go to the Bradley terminal just in time for TG flight boarding since the Star lounges are terrible at Bradley terminal. We would arrive on AC from YYZ so we would be in the right terminal (2), just wouldn't have our boarding passes for the Thai connection.

-Kinglobjaw

kinglobjaw,

It opens about 1.30pm. I don't blame you for wanting to stay in the NZ lounge rather than TBIT.

I presume you are US Gold?

On aug 5 we waited in the AC lounge until 1:00 when the NZ lounge opened.

kinglobjaw,

It opens about 1.30pm. I don't blame you for wanting to stay in the NZ lounge rather than TBIT.

I presume you are US Gold?

Yes, US Airways Platinum= Star Alliance Gold. Still, I would be flying Thai Airways business class from LAX-BKK so I would still get entrance privileges, right? I guess so. Or should I say, I hope so?

Now, I wouldn't have the onward boarding pass for Thai, but a confirmation showing business class would be fine, no?

-Kinglobjaw