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Access to NZ Business Class lounge for UA Polaris customers

Access to NZ Business Class lounge for UA Polaris customers

Old Dec 29, 18, 7:56 pm
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Access to NZ Business Class lounge for UA Polaris customers

Have a 3 hour layover in AKL on Jan. 3 (SFO-AKL-WLG, arriving to AKL on UA917) and then a 4 hour layover on Jan 23 (departing on UA916 but arriving at AKL on NZ614 on a separate ticket from ZQN).

This is a J award.

Do my outbound and return boarding passes get me into the NZ Koru International Lounge?


Also heard that NZ won't interline checked bags on separate tickets for NZ and UA for the long-haul?
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:00 pm
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Outbound, no access unless *G (since AKL-WLG is in Y). Inbound, yes you have access on an AKL-SFO J ticket.

Interline is a question for the NZ board, but I believe you are correct.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:00 pm
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Originally Posted by wco81
Do my outbound and return boarding passes get me into the NZ Koru International Lounge?
A good resource is https://www.staralliance.com/en/lounge-finder
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:04 pm
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Originally Posted by findark
Outbound, no access unless *G (since AKL-WLG is in Y). Inbound, yes you have access on an AKL-SFO J ticket.

Interline is a question for the NZ board, but I believe you are correct.

I am *G but I thought you had to be on a J ticket and thought that maybe arriving at AKL on a flight in J would qualify?
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:11 pm
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Originally Posted by wco81
I am *G but I thought you had to be on a J ticket and thought that maybe arriving at AKL on a flight in J would qualify?
There is only one NZ lounge in each of the AKL terminals (domestic and international). As a *G with a departing Star Alliance flight, you are welcome to use them in both directions of your itinerary, in any class of service.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:15 pm
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Hmm, OK maybe I'm thinking of the *A Lounge at LAX which is run by NZ. I thought those required J boarding passes.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:19 pm
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Originally Posted by wco81
Hmm, OK maybe I'm thinking of the *A Lounge at LAX which is run by NZ. I thought those required J boarding passes.
There are very few lounges which require a J boarding pass as opposed to *G. The only ones I can think of are UA Polaris Lounges (*A long-haul J), the AC Signature Suite (own-metal, non-award, non-upgrade J), and possibly some SQ lounges (I have never flown through SIN).
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:29 pm
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Yes it will get you access. Air NZ don't have a policy to do that but I think they may at their own discretion. There isn't much of a benefit to them doing it though, since you need to collect your bags upon arrival anyway.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:33 pm
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On the outbound, do I have to stay in the international terminal to access the lounge there before my AKL-WLG flight?

Or is there a lounge in the domestic terminal which is comparable to the one in the international terminal?
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:36 pm
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You won't have access to any lounge in AKL unless you have *G for SFO-AKL-WLG. You don't have access to the international lounge as you will clear immigration, customs, and biosecurity on arrival before transferring to the domestic terminal for your onward flight to WLG.

NZ will interline on separate tickets for *A only, but YMMV if you don't have status.

You'll have access to the international lounge (it isn't a Koru lounge, that's the domestic branding) on your outbound based on your business class ticket on UA916.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:42 pm
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I am *A Gold.

So I guess I'll see how it goes.

Have Priority Pass as well but would imagine the NZ lounges are better and as close to the gates as any?
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Old Dec 29, 18, 8:59 pm
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Originally Posted by wco81
Hmm, OK maybe I'm thinking of the *A Lounge at LAX which is run by NZ. I thought those required J boarding passes.
I have definitely gotten in the *A LAX lounge on a domestic United Y ticket. If you're flying into AKL on int'l you'll have to clear customs, then you connect to a domestic NZ flight which is a separate terminal. Would you even be able to get back into the AKL int'l terminal if you don't have an int'l boarding pass? I don't think you'll be allowed into the Koru International Lounge on your outbound, not even *A gold will get you back into the int'l terminal.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 9:10 pm
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Probably not. Don't know if the NZ lounge in domestic terminal is as good.

I got PP as well but I would think NZ lounges are better than PP lounges.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 10:10 pm
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*G will be fine as long as you have your *G FF number attached to the boarding pass.
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Old Dec 29, 18, 10:10 pm
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Deleted as cross post thread in UA forum moved & merged into Air NZ thread

Last edited by Mwenenzi; Dec 30, 18 at 12:16 pm
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