Originally Posted by
edmm
I don't agree with you or Blackcloud. You do pay for the access, either by paying for Koru Club, or flying excessive amounts to reach a high status, or by paying lots for international business class and an expensive connecting regional flight.
Regional passengers do not deserve lesser treatment than jet passengers. We usually pay more for our flights, often lots more. Of course we get smaller planes, with lesser service, but there is no reason for a considerably worse experience at the airport. I don't mind a cut down lounge, but the CHC one is too cut down. A good concept but not well executed. And it does take quite a bit of time to get to the main Koru lounge in both AKL and CHC, and lots of time to get to your flight. The best lounge in this regard is WLG, which is well suited for everyone.
As 90% of my NZ domestic flights are regional I know exactly how I am treated and it definitely is not on par with the trunk route sectors.
I do not care how one gets access, I pay for Koru Club and I know what I get for it, IMO it does not matter if it was from status or paid membership in the lounges you are treated all the same.
I agree with you that the cut back regional lounges, including the CHC "Birdcage", are not the same as the main lounges in AKL, WLG and CHC - DUD is what I feel a regional lounge should be and used to be in offerings. So not a full lounge but something that offers more substantive food and beverage than what we are currently receiving. If that happens I could even live with the disposable plates, cups and cutlery. However claims that we are treated as third class citizens is way OTT and reeks of spoilt entitlement behaviour.
Anyway back to the topic. If the short cut is an initiative between CHC and NZ then good on them for looking at a solution to the poor design of CHC.^