b1m9t0

Got an email saying I've received 2 Koru lounge passes from my credit card spend today. Great timing!

drajknox

Thai-Kiwi

This bring up the old argument around what constitutes a HVC to the airline (and alliance), and what the relative 'ranking' should be (or "who merits getting booted from the lounge first") - a business passenger, an elite G/GE in economy, or a Koru Club member?

The spend required to reach NZ*G/GE status (and *G in most *A programs) is non-trivial, particularly if self-paid.

What is the right answer?

KiwiJC

To be fair, in 5 years of Elite I think I have used the additional guesting once or twice and only on a domestic flight, so I wouldn't notice if it disappeared myself - I'm sure others do use it though.

I wonder if the answer is:

1. Create a top tier lounge for Business/Elite/EP1
2. Remove guesting off Koru, but reduce the price as well to compensate
3. Reduce or remove entirely the contracting out of the Auckland International Lounge

I'm sure scenario's like this are the kind of thing that the AirNZ team is considering internally, but given the media attention over the last few days hopefully we will see a bit more movement over the next few months to fix it.

sbiddle

I also really wonder how much of a problem the Elite 5 guest allowance is.

Clearly in the domestic lounges at times there are corporate Elite's who will happily guest in multiple people and I've seen this plenty of times. For international lounges it isn't something I've ever seen.

The simple reality is that Air NZ clearly has too many HVCs - despite plenty of people in here believing they have the worst FFP in the world!

ClanJ

I just wonder with the huge increase in tourist traffic if in fact *A users could be a contributing factor given quite a few *A carriers now operate in and out of Auckland

libertyuk

Let's be honest, if you don't fly NZ internationally (and use the NZ lounge), your alternatives aren't that compelling. Until QF upgrades its lounges, its offering is poor (both the Business and First ones are overcrowded and mediocre at times). Emirates is decent, but unless you are heading Dubai and beyond or Bali (or it is open when a QF flight is operating), it's of little real interest to NZ. Contrast AKL to SYD or MEL, where there are far more choices and NZ isn't a default to attract airlines as a contract lounge, nor is it dominant.

Thai-Kiwi

My guess is that the swelling of numbers would be from Koru Club members - perhaps a sizeable (majority in domestic) proportion of those in the lounge - perhaps more so in the past 5 years with fewer public/private businesses allowing staff to travel in business class. I expect that some will have KC paid for by the company, rather than personally.

ClanJ

Have been in heaps of *A carrier lounges in the past 3 months and the most crowded one you guessed it was the Auckland one when we left. As an aside flew from Milan back home with Thai Air via BKK. in J. In the BBK to AKL had a faulty armrest in my seat which I informed them of. They got back to really quick with an apology and 5000 miles to my FF account which was totally unexpected. Great customer service.

cavemanzk

Ellice

sbiddle

I guess the one thing that really interests me about this whole issue is why things are so bad this week. Yes lounges are always busy during school holidays, but it's the end of school holidays so you'd assume most international traffic is inbound, not outbound.

I really think both AIAL and Air NZ are just as bad as each other in many respects. As we all know Auckland Airport has been a construction zone for literally the last 20 or so years with almost permanent "upgrades" taking place. AIAL's tendency is to do things long after they're needed, and if you look back at their annual reports you'll see most planned works do happen - but years after they were actually required.

As of this years annual report they're still saying the new domestic terminal will be ready in 2022 but the 2022 has a big * next to it and will probably end up being the date they finally decide on the final plans.. It'll be an awfully expensive new regional lounge if it's only going to have a life of 3 years before being scrapped.

Overcrowding at International Koru has been an issue essentially since the lounge was opened and Air NZ's response has essentially been to do very little. If they'd genuinely thought they had needed a 2nd lounge in the new pier then surely they would have begun construction of this in conjunction with the new pier, and not waited until it was complete to announce something.

gratn

WLGNZ

I raised the problem of the International lounge directly with Mr Luxon two years ago. He was very frank that they had an issue and were working on it.
Two years later and nothing has improved. It is time for Mr Luxon to walk the walk. Not just admit they have problems and do nothing about it.

In my business if we did not address client issues within two year we would have been out of business long time ago.

oranjemakker

The joys of being a monopoly. Ultimately we are stuck with them. Currently on the phone negotiating with them wanting to charge a service fee for me changing flights on a flexi which I was unable to do online.

Their charging of service fees for everything, even for Elites, is outrageous, but like this Koru lounge issue when we have no viable alternative, at least for domestic, what can we do