No room in Auckland Lounge

Old Oct 22, 2018, 7:22 pm
  #106  
 
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Originally Posted by libertyuk
Which one? There are four (Deck, Wing, Bridge, Pier). I've been in the Wing (business) and the Bridge where there have been children before, also in the Pier First lounge, but yes the numbers are low.
We were in the Wing (20 minute walk to gate!!). It wasn’t as good as what the reviewers say but good for a bit of food, Internet and egg chair if you can score one. We tried also the hk centurion lounge (ok food but uncomfortable chairs, quite a few kids). Looked at hkg priority lounge - not a goer with that huge queue.

Best lounge we came across was the Innsbruck lounge with gorgeous view of the mountains and very styley decor. I thought air Nz should do something like that with Queenstown lounge. Priority pass is a god send when travelling further than Asia or the US and not on Air Nz. PP seem to be upping the standard of their lounges in various places.
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Old Oct 22, 2018, 11:30 pm
  #107  
 
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Originally Posted by Ellice
Priority pass is a god send when travelling further than Asia or the US and not on Air Nz. PP seem to be upping the standard of their lounges in various places.
Or if you fly enough, consider flying alternative alliances for SC over your NZ*G/E reqal. which would otherwise be wasted.

PP access is second to most flagship lounges of airlines operating from its hubs.

Strata is an exception where it's not that bad and hot food selection can exceed NZ AKL lounge at times.
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Old Oct 23, 2018, 3:53 am
  #108  
 
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Originally Posted by Ellice

We were in the Wing (20 minute walk to gate!!). It wasnt as good as what the reviewers say but good for a bit of food, Internet and egg chair if you can score one. We tried also the hk centurion lounge (ok food but uncomfortable chairs, quite a few kids). Looked at hkg priority lounge - not a goer with that huge queue.

Best lounge we came across was the Innsbruck lounge with gorgeous view of the mountains and very styley decor. I thought air Nz should do something like that with Queenstown lounge. Priority pass is a god send when travelling further than Asia or the US and not on Air Nz. PP seem to be upping the standard of their lounges in various places.
I'd rate the Bridge and the Pier (business) over the Wing (business) which looks pretty tired compared to the others. The Bridge is relatively close to the gates NZ flies out from usually too. Has barista at one end, and pizza with tended bar at the other. The Pier (business) is a bit further away, but is the best business lounge at HKG IMHO.
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Old Oct 23, 2018, 4:00 am
  #109  
 
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Originally Posted by Ellice
Im in the Cathay business class lounge at HK airport (HKG population 7m). Similar size to koru akl, busy but cant see one single child in here. Just saying...
If we're going to compare other lounges, I was in SilverKris Brisbane on Sunday night and it made Auckland International look like an oasis of peace, it was crammed 2 hours before the flight and just got worse as the night went on. Even the small room near the entry ended up filling up, albeit there was less kids than is normal in the NZ lounges.

AirNZ's lounge was nice, but closed at 9.50pm when the Etihad flight departed so I got about 5 minutes in there.

I debunked to the terminal which was actually more relaxing....
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Old Oct 23, 2018, 2:37 pm
  #110  
 
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Yeah Brisbane is always a mess but should be much better as of Monday next week when the Virgin flights are no longer eligible
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Old Oct 23, 2018, 6:06 pm
  #111  
 
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Originally Posted by NZ_Flyer
Yeah Brisbane is always a mess but should be much better as of Monday next week when the Virgin flights are no longer eligible
Agree - they really need to restrict the lounge to NZ only access around the time the 77W departs to AKL daily.

In the evening the loss the DUD flight should help....
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Old Nov 6, 2018, 8:59 pm
  #112  
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OK, it was nuts in there on Friday morning Nov 2. I was connecting and just wanted the shower room and my NZ BP because it won't come up in the app until passport is scanned - which was my experience in June.

Agent at the desk at the top of the escalator was turning people away and sending them to the other lounge. Anyway, he let me in to get the BP and such.

Not long thereafter, the place cleaned out and the noise level dropped. Although the food offerings and omelette looked very nice, all I wanted was water and then to head to my next gate.

NZ isn't the only airlines to turn people away when plunges are at capacity. Part of the problem is obviously a lot of flights and then there are those (up here at least) who have access via credit cards and so on. Interestingly, never experienced that on my visits to the NZ lounge in BNE. Rather civilized and I was also only connecting.
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Old Nov 12, 2018, 3:26 pm
  #113  
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Isnt the Strata Lounge the former Air NZ Lounge anyway?

i cant stand the new lounge - its far too small for the actual demand.

Air NZ needs two lounges in the international terminal, and the new pier really needs to be a US pre-clearance facility for HNL/IAH/LAX/ORD/SFO with its own dedicated Air NZ Lounge.
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Old Nov 12, 2018, 4:48 pm
  #114  
 
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Not quite capacity related but the behavior of people in the SYD lounge on Sunday shows all that's wrong with Koru. Standard dress was jandals, and the group of four sitting in front of me would have filled a swear jar pretty easily in the hour that I was there with their loud swearing. They drank a fair but and left half drunk bottles of wine (they were just bringing full bottles to their table) when they left. Others were sitting their with feet on furniture and others leaving their area like a tip when they left.

Should Air NZ kick these people out? No I don't necessarily think they should - but I just don't know any other lounges where that sort of behavior would even be considered acceptable by guests.
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Old Nov 12, 2018, 5:59 pm
  #115  
 
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Originally Posted by DCF
Air NZ needs two lounges in the international terminal, and the new pier really needs to be a US pre-clearance facility for HNL/IAH/LAX/ORD/SFO with its own dedicated Air NZ Lounge.
Won't happen. It costs far too much to host US CBP in your airport, and supplying all the gear and space they demand. Makes sense for airports like LHR, YVR and LGW because there are a swathe of flights to the US, but AKL doesn't really have that many in comparison.
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Old Nov 12, 2018, 6:35 pm
  #116  
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Originally Posted by sbiddle
Not quite capacity related but the behavior of people in the SYD lounge on Sunday shows all that's wrong with Koru. Standard dress was jandals, and the group of four sitting in front of me would have filled a swear jar pretty easily in the hour that I was there with their loud swearing. They drank a fair but and left half drunk bottles of wine (they were just bringing full bottles to their table) when they left. Others were sitting their with feet on furniture and others leaving their area like a tip when they left.

Should Air NZ kick these people out? No I don't necessarily think they should - but I just don't know any other lounges where that sort of behavior would even be considered acceptable by guests.
.

I think your crowd had some relatives in the AKL lounge when I was there Friday morning Nov 2. Loud talking, some yelling, poor behavior by some near the food buffet. I don't recall this nonsense in the BNE lounge.

I know many airline lounges (for sure the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges) allow in a large variety of people, not just those who are entitled due to flying a business class ticket or by virtue of status with AC or *A. There are those who gain entry with vouchers from credit cards, there are others who pay cash for the entry fee and then there are the guests of those who are allowed in. The attire in the summer is particularly bad, nibbly bits and all. LOL. The worst really are the hands on food at the buffet.

Last year when the brand new AC international lounge in YVR opened, I was waiting to depart to BNE and a 20-something woman had her barefoot on the table where people put their food. I told the lounge agents and they were too scared to tell her to move her feet off the table. I stared at both of them until the behaviour was modified. (Best part: the 20-something told the agent that all the recliner chairs were taken and she had to put her feet somewhere )
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Last edited by 24left; Nov 12, 2018 at 6:42 pm Reason: spelling
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Old Nov 15, 2018, 11:14 pm
  #117  
 
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The other half was denied entry in WLG Domestic last night as a guest of a lowly Koru....lounge attendant said they would came get us from the terminal once two flights had departed, and to their credit they did.
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Old Nov 16, 2018, 12:16 am
  #118  
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You mean you didn't leave her alone outside to wait?! (kidding...)

I suppose you didn't try the Regional Lounge having already been through security?
Great that staff did come and collect you+1.
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Old Nov 16, 2018, 12:55 am
  #119  
 
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Originally Posted by Thai-Kiwi
You mean you didn't leave her alone outside to wait?! (kidding...)

I suppose you didn't try the Regional Lounge having already been through security?
Great that staff did come and collect you+1.
I did that when travelling with the MiL once...they felt sorry for her/ashamed that I did that and let her in.

Forgot about the regional lounge...
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Old Nov 22, 2018, 1:49 am
  #120  
 
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AKL Domestic this afternoon about 1630, chokka, not a single seat. People standing etc. Even all the PC areas behind reception were full too. Horrible atmosphere. If it was a nice terminal it would be much more pleasant outside but AKL Domestic is such a s**thole
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