Newly Opened Melbourne Air NZ Lounge
May 11, 2017, 1:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: NZ*E, One World
Posts: 38
Newly Opened Melbourne Air NZ Lounge
In Melbourne, was very much looking forward to heading to the new lounge...
5.30 pm Melbourne time, no seating available. Yes for one person, not for two work colleagues.
Lounge looks very good, very similar to other lounges. Crockery was clean, huge improvement on the temporary lounge.
No curry on the menu tonight, don't see that often. Chicken pieces
Back in Melbourne again next week, will check it out again.
No disrespect Air NZ, but I thought the numbers of people would have been worked out more. You have the data these days, you know the members details.
5.30 pm Melbourne time, no seating available. Yes for one person, not for two work colleagues.
Lounge looks very good, very similar to other lounges. Crockery was clean, huge improvement on the temporary lounge.
No curry on the menu tonight, don't see that often. Chicken pieces
Back in Melbourne again next week, will check it out again.
No disrespect Air NZ, but I thought the numbers of people would have been worked out more. You have the data these days, you know the members details.
May 11, 2017, 6:20 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 390
In Melbourne, was very much looking forward to heading to the new lounge...
5.30 pm Melbourne time, no seating available. Yes for one person, not for two work colleagues.
Lounge looks very good, very similar to other lounges. Crockery was clean, huge improvement on the temporary lounge.
No curry on the menu tonight, don't see that often. Chicken pieces
Back in Melbourne again next week, will check it out again.
No disrespect Air NZ, but I thought the numbers of people would have been worked out more. You have the data these days, you know the members details.
5.30 pm Melbourne time, no seating available. Yes for one person, not for two work colleagues.
Lounge looks very good, very similar to other lounges. Crockery was clean, huge improvement on the temporary lounge.
No curry on the menu tonight, don't see that often. Chicken pieces
Back in Melbourne again next week, will check it out again.
No disrespect Air NZ, but I thought the numbers of people would have been worked out more. You have the data these days, you know the members details.
May 11, 2017, 12:20 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: NZ*G, United.
Posts: 194
I guess one of the problems might be that it is also a Star Alliance lounge and it wouldn't take much to be superior to the SQ lounge. One would expect most *G would use it instead at least for the first few months after opening - just like many NZ passengers used SQ while NZ had temporary facility. I am looking forward to trying the new lounge next week
If it is still overcrowded once things settle to steady state then the airline has made a decision to allow that to happen, probably based on how often they will allow the place to be full.
Flight disruptions are another matter but I expect options to model. I certainly value the lounge more when flights are delayed.
May 11, 2017, 4:38 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,563
I agree that this explains crowding in opening week. However, airlines have the perfect dataset to model lounge usage and capacity. That should include data on flyers who use other lounges, e.g. SQ in this case.
If it is still overcrowded once things settle to steady state then the airline has made a decision to allow that to happen, probably based on how often they will allow the place to be full.
Flight disruptions are another matter but I expect options to model. I certainly value the lounge more when flights are delayed.
If it is still overcrowded once things settle to steady state then the airline has made a decision to allow that to happen, probably based on how often they will allow the place to be full.
Flight disruptions are another matter but I expect options to model. I certainly value the lounge more when flights are delayed.
May 11, 2017, 4:41 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: NZ*G, United.
Posts: 194
That's my point, it is their choice for the lounge to be overcrowded from time to time. .
May 11, 2017, 5:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ , QF , MK
Posts: 1,376
Of course that assumes that they would have been able to obtain more even more space if they wanted to. Melbourne international terminal is frankly a bit of a mess. Is it possible that the new lounge space was all NZ could negotiate?
May 11, 2017, 6:23 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,745
The AirNZ page says 50% more seats for a total of 249 seats. Which is 50 seat less than Sydney.
Mel at peak has 2 Busses and a Widebody leaving within an hourish, which is similar to Syd.
Wellington only has 98 though has 2 Busses and a Virgin 738.
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/inte...tion#melbourne
Mel at peak has 2 Busses and a Widebody leaving within an hourish, which is similar to Syd.
Wellington only has 98 though has 2 Busses and a Virgin 738.
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/inte...tion#melbourne
Last edited by nzkarit; May 11, 2017 at 6:32 pm
May 11, 2017, 6:41 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NZ
Programs: NZ Gold, BA Gold, QF Silver, IHG Gold Elite, Accor Platinum, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,055
That's pretty grim. I wonder if there is a case for NZ to have separate Business/Elite lounges at at least AKL, SYD and MEL. Had I paid to go BP MEL-AKL-USA, and not been able to sit I wouldn't think highly of the product. Yes, NZ ditched first class long ago, but if you are a high-value customer flying TT and beyond, the simple point is that QF does offer (SYD and MEL) its first class lounges which are a leap above anything NZ has. Of course at AKL QF's lounges are subpar, but once they are replaced with a HKG/SIN style one, it will make a difference.
I'm in the new lounge now, and it is pleasant, very similar to SYD and AKL, although being late morning there is only one flight to AKL until the afternoon. However, I find the AKL lounge almost always a bit of a zoo, seats can be found, but it is noisy and busy (and I have yet to do an evening flight to the States from there).
It's a shame, because a lot of thought has gone into them, but is simply a combination of growth of demand and growth of people with status/KC membership just overwhelmed forecasts?
I'm in the new lounge now, and it is pleasant, very similar to SYD and AKL, although being late morning there is only one flight to AKL until the afternoon. However, I find the AKL lounge almost always a bit of a zoo, seats can be found, but it is noisy and busy (and I have yet to do an evening flight to the States from there).
It's a shame, because a lot of thought has gone into them, but is simply a combination of growth of demand and growth of people with status/KC membership just overwhelmed forecasts?
May 11, 2017, 7:55 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 390
At airports like Melbourne where there are only two Star Alliance Lounges but a number of Star Alliance carriers the operators presumably make money from use by customers of other carriers and so you would think that they wouldn't voluntarily have an area which is too small for demand - customers who are turned away either get annoyed with their own brand or a loss of revenue if from another carrier. I guess it's a compromise involving available space and cost of space leasing but if they perceived it as a huge problem you'd think they'd initially lower the Elite 5 guest benefit.
May 12, 2017, 12:24 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,435
Thing being too that now the lounge as delayed, since then the evening AKL service has been upgraded to an 772/789 pretty much daily from the A320.
They should of kept the temporary lounge, and re-branded it as contract / pay per entry lounge.
They should of kept the temporary lounge, and re-branded it as contract / pay per entry lounge.
May 12, 2017, 12:42 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: NZ*E, One World
Posts: 38
I am back in Melbourne next week, so will try the lounge again naturally..
I do miss the options that one had with QANTAS in Sydney and Auckland with the First Class Lounges... It was a great relax pre a long haul flight...
Am very surprised that Air NZ has not looked at separating lounges perhaps. Indeed it would be costly, and am sure has been looked at. However feel it needs to be done in order to keep their faithful customers...
Bottom line is I need to suck it up and get used to the fact lounges are noisy and packed to the gunnels ^
I do miss the options that one had with QANTAS in Sydney and Auckland with the First Class Lounges... It was a great relax pre a long haul flight...
Am very surprised that Air NZ has not looked at separating lounges perhaps. Indeed it would be costly, and am sure has been looked at. However feel it needs to be done in order to keep their faithful customers...
Bottom line is I need to suck it up and get used to the fact lounges are noisy and packed to the gunnels ^
That's pretty grim. I wonder if there is a case for NZ to have separate Business/Elite lounges at at least AKL, SYD and MEL. Had I paid to go BP MEL-AKL-USA, and not been able to sit I wouldn't think highly of the product. Yes, NZ ditched first class long ago, but if you are a high-value customer flying TT and beyond, the simple point is that QF does offer (SYD and MEL) its first class lounges which are a leap above anything NZ has. Of course at AKL QF's lounges are subpar, but once they are replaced with a HKG/SIN style one, it will make a difference.
I'm in the new lounge now, and it is pleasant, very similar to SYD and AKL, although being late morning there is only one flight to AKL until the afternoon. However, I find the AKL lounge almost always a bit of a zoo, seats can be found, but it is noisy and busy (and I have yet to do an evening flight to the States from there).
It's a shame, because a lot of thought has gone into them, but is simply a combination of growth of demand and growth of people with status/KC membership just overwhelmed forecasts?
I'm in the new lounge now, and it is pleasant, very similar to SYD and AKL, although being late morning there is only one flight to AKL until the afternoon. However, I find the AKL lounge almost always a bit of a zoo, seats can be found, but it is noisy and busy (and I have yet to do an evening flight to the States from there).
It's a shame, because a lot of thought has gone into them, but is simply a combination of growth of demand and growth of people with status/KC membership just overwhelmed forecasts?
May 12, 2017, 1:31 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: NZ GE, QF
Posts: 399
They really need to do something about it, both the AKL international and SYD lounges were very overcrowded the times I was there this week, and it is sad to hear that the MEL lounge is already that way. It is the norm rather than the exception in NZ lounges. They are usually much too crowded and noisy to do any work in. Maybe part of the answer is cutting guests, maybe 5 is too many for Elites (but it is one of the few distinguishing features from Gold/Koru), but I doubt it would make any real difference. Business class lounges in AKL, MEL, SYD are the only real answer, but NZ won't be willing to spend the money.
May 12, 2017, 2:31 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: NZ*E, One World
Posts: 38
Agree, I doubt it occurs that often in that Elites take in 5 guests. In saying that if 4 Elites did have 5 guests, the numbers jump real quick...
Totally agree that Air NZ will not spend the money on a separated Business Class lounge...
What it does do is force those Elites etc, once another banked year is made in a cycle, change airlines @:-)
Totally agree that Air NZ will not spend the money on a separated Business Class lounge...
What it does do is force those Elites etc, once another banked year is made in a cycle, change airlines @:-)
They really need to do something about it, both the AKL international and SYD lounges were very overcrowded the times I was there this week, and it is sad to hear that the MEL lounge is already that way. It is the norm rather than the exception in NZ lounges. They are usually much too crowded and noisy to do any work in. Maybe part of the answer is cutting guests, maybe 5 is too many for Elites (but it is one of the few distinguishing features from Gold/Koru), but I doubt it would make any real difference. Business class lounges in AKL, MEL, SYD are the only real answer, but NZ won't be willing to spend the money.
May 12, 2017, 2:05 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: NZ*G, United.
Posts: 194
Agree, I doubt it occurs that often in that Elites take in 5 guests. In saying that if 4 Elites did have 5 guests, the numbers jump real quick...
Totally agree that Air NZ will not spend the money on a separated Business Class lounge...
What it does do is force those Elites etc, once another banked year is made in a cycle, change airlines @:-)
Totally agree that Air NZ will not spend the money on a separated Business Class lounge...
What it does do is force those Elites etc, once another banked year is made in a cycle, change airlines @:-)
May 12, 2017, 6:58 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: NZ*E, One World
Posts: 38