riteshshah

Kia ora all

With things now opening up, starting with Australia next week, and the rest of the world in mid March (and with NZ now moving to Stage 3 of the current framework), has there been any news on when the lounge in the international terminal will reopen? I can see the schedule to Australia is still pretty threadbare so wondering if it is worth their while? Haven't seen any announcements come out on this, like they did in the past. Anyone with insider info on this?

Mwenenzi

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/inte...ge-information

For NZ to AU have been no restrictions for AU entry for months (except for WA). (no quarantine)
For AU to NZ will get an initial surge (~9000 from a radio interview this morning). But AKL (departure) lounge is not part of that

riteshshah

In the AIrpoints newsletter for Feb which has just come out, seems like international lounges may open next week: [QUOTE]We’re excited to have our International Lounges opening again soon, in line with changes to the New Zealand border./QUOTE]

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Mwenenzi

Changed from yesterday
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/inte...ge-information

jbeechen2

Hi all - given the international lounge is open and airside, are they also open for transit passengers? eg. USA -> Auckland -> Australia?

Thai-Kiwi

Transit pax go through a small security check very soon after after arrival, and once through are immediately airside on departures. Usually a very fast and painless process.

So the lounge will be available.

libertyuk

Meanwhile, it's getting to be silly that NZ lounges in SYD and MEL are closed, but with QF back on the Tasman (SYD-AKL for now), QF business class and QFF Gold/OWS equivalents (and of course QFF Platinum/OWE) passengers get to use the QF 1st lounges at both airports. SQ lounges are open limited hours at both airports.

henrus

Is this actually the case or are they still using the transit holding area?

Thai-Kiwi

I last did this in 2019, so don’t know how the current system is running. Transit holding sounds less than ideal!

henrus

Prior to the bubbles it was possible to just roam the airport like a normal transit, this didn't matter too much as nothing was open.

Just before the bubbles opened (early 2021) up they turned the satellite gate areas into a transit holding area:
https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/information/transit

There is a small duty free store, vending machines and a counter to order food from the vantage bar (only if it's open). This made sense during the bubbles given they didn't want red zone international transits mixing with green zone departures to AU/CK. Obviously now with no MIQ and no green/red flights this area makes zero sense and means that transit passenger still can't access the Air NZ lounge whilst in transit.

I would have thought they'd scrap the space once MIQ goes but no one seems to be able to provide an answer as to if there is still a transit holding area. I'm hoping that by mid next month when I next fly through this will be gone and transits will be back to normal.

What makes this even more annoying is that someone flying AU via NZ to LAX with a New Zealand passport could technically enter New Zealand and then pass back through normal departures to access the normal departures area but if they chose to go via transit security or don't hold a New Zealand passport then they're stuck in the transit holding area.

AviationNZ

However, the QF lounge in AKL isn't open yet. Given the drop of isolation requirements, my guess is the Air NZ AU lounges will open in the next month or so and similarly the QF business lounges in AU and their AKL lounge will also open pretty soon.

cavemanzk

During the Tasman Bubble, the AKL QF Lounge didn't open and choose to send passengers to the NZ Lounge.

Hopefully QF will finally take the downtime at the moment to start the the AKL Lounge rebuild, and bring the lounge in the 2020s.

flyer94

Does anyone know whether the intl priority check-in area is open as well? I've got a morning flight to AU and at the time, it does have another 3-4 Air NZ flights going out. First time traveling internationally since covid began! How are the normal check-in lines these days? Are lines still pretty non-existent or will priority check-in area actually help me...?

AviationNZ

It wasn't open when I travelled 10 days ago, and there were a few flights departing around the same time (SYD/MEL/BNE/NRT). There was a separate premium check-in line (check in is done at the desks behind the kiosks, and premium is far right) and when I arrived there were only two sets of people ahead of me, so wait time would've only been 5 mins or so.

flyer94

I see - thanks! Were there any queues in the normal line? Or pretty empty?