everywhere

This can't be right given that they refuse to take you money to join Koru if you are Gold Elite.

Well maybe...

Shazzadude

Bah, that's not good news. I don't want to be put in an embarrassing situation where I take two people up to the lounge and get told it's a no-go.

Thai-Kiwi

Exactly why I checked. Mrs TK is not into lounge entry face-offs ever since that one time with QANTAS at SYD in 1999......a hopeless failure of customer service by QANTAS!

jeremykjtan

Had an interesting situation at the AKL Domestic Koru Lounge today, as was up for business with two of my colleagues and I had only joined Koru beginning of last month (early June) before the change occurred.

In the booklet I was told I read that I was allowed to take up to 3 guests with guest passes but after reading through this forum, seems now that 18 July has passed I am only allowed +1. Interestingly I never received any official confirmation from AirNZ of this change - Maybe they missed me seeing as I joined just after the official announcement to members?

So, I thought that we could go to the Koru Lounge for our return flght to WLG and brought my colleagues along with some guest passes to guest them in - The lady asked for my boarding pass to confirm my Koru status and informed me that the rule is for myself +1, however they were accepting guest passes until the end of August and as I was allowed +1 (as per the standard rule), for my extra guest they would be allowed access and I just needed to supply 1 guest pass. So ended up with myself + 2 guests and we were all happy, however the lounge at that peak time (6pm) was VERY full, took a little while to find a seat - But was good to grab a bit of dinner before the flight.

Anyways, thought that this might be interesting for anyone that might be looking to guest more than 1 person over the next month or so (provided you have enough guest passes as well of course)

birder

That is very helpful jeremykjtan - thanks very much! It's very surprising that you never got any official notification of the changes.

Thai-Kiwi

This has previously been reported on this forum as being what should happen, but good to hear it actually has!

Blackcloud

I nor my wife (KC member) ever received notification of this rule change.
I guess the rule for *G Koru Gold is still +1 guest. Can anyone confirm if this is different?

brenrox

I'm not suprised people havn't been notified of the change - I'd imagine the website hasn't even been updated.

I was told by a member of the premium team that you can't be both Koru & Gold and once you reach Gold, your KC membership is refunded (pro-rata).

I have asked a lounge attendant in AKL and they told me Gold get two guests.

wayoutwest

Maybe true but my Koru and Gold anniversary dates are the same date 31 December and they never said anything when I paid 2 years Koru and then Gold was achieved 4 weeks later.

If you are currently Gold and that expires - dates and travel just out by about 7 days - can you then join Koru without the joining fee - this for her in doors.

everywhere

Not trying to be particularly disrespectful here, but it is people bringing guests at peak times that makes it difficult to find a seat.

It is simply unsustainable to have jet aircraft leaving every quarter of an hour or so with 70 or more passengers from each being in the Koru Lounge prior to departure - particularly given the frequent and expected delays of these peak timed services.

This issue was raised by someone (not me) at the most recent general meeting of the unofficial NZ FT North Island executive committee; at which surprisingly little (if any) liquor was consumed.

Other airlines that have similar problems and offer paid memberships have taken the step of opening more lounges specifically for their highest tier passengers (which funnily enough adds value to that tier and all the evidence points to increased revenue networkwide from that highly profitable segment of customers as a result), but New Zealand's scale and general operating environment appears to preclude such capital and operational expenditure.

I have not enquired as to the impetus behind the Koru Guest Pass switch (as I have termed it) but I do not expect it will result over time in any reduction in crowding.

The simple solution would be a straightforward rule - for the comfort of other passengers, no guests permitted in any domestic lounges between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays excluding public holidays.

It is for this reason I am also against the "children are not counted as guests" rule too.

Thai-Kiwi

I watched 'Fair Go' last night - which featured a story on the variability of the definition of a child.

I wonder if Air NZ can provide the criteria for classification as a child for lounge access? (not you personally, of course )

everywhere

You mean as defined in term 1.1 of the Koru Terms & Conditions?

Thai-Kiwi

C'mon, that is no fun.....

Leaving aside lounge access issues.....the following are also from the NZ website:

or

Shazzadude

Christchurch has an overcrowding problem, but I don't think Auckland or Wellington do outside the weekday 5pm-7pm weekday rush.

everywhere

Are you trying to start a Faculty of Law in the Manawatu Thai-Kiwi?

Shazzadude, that may be so. But it is still an overcrowding problem. In the same way that Auckland has traffic problems, even though they only apply for a few hours a day.