Lounge access in NZ

[Gav123]

Hi I have velocity gold and I'm bringing my wife and two kids (under 12) to Rarotonga this month. We have a four hour wait at Aukland so I'm wondering if all four of us can access a velocity lounge in Aukland while we wait? If not, would being a platinum member change this? I will get 1000 SC after the trip there so will be a platinum member by the time we leave to come home again.

(not even sure if there is a velocity lounge in Aukland).

thanks in advance

 

[Ausbt]

No Virgin lounge in NZ of course (umm there isn't one in Sydney T1 either!) but of course you will have access to the Koru Clob Air NZ lounge in Auckland. Gold Velocity is 'member + 1 guest'. Koru conditions generally are 'kids under 12 do not require a guest card' (i.e. don't count in your guest limit). Whether or not that same condition translates to Velocity Gold members is well escapes me, sorry. Have fun in NZ, I love the place.

 

[roby]

According to below link, you won't have lounge access as Pacific Island flights are excluded from the alliance with NZ.

Lounge Access with Velocity Membership | Velocity Frequent Flyer

 

[scwappy]

There is a paid for lounge if that is very important to you, either paid and is a priority pass also. Called the Emperor Lounge.

 

[AdMEL]

Isn't lounge access not available for flights to Pacific Islands such as Raratonga?

 

[roby]

Isn't lounge access not available for flights to Pacific Islands such as Raratonga?

Not ex AKL but available ex BNE, SYD, and MEL.

 

[drewbles]

No Virgin lounge in NZ of course (umm there isn't one in Sydney T1 either!) but of course you will have access to the Koru Clob Air NZ lounge in Auckland. Gold Velocity is 'member + 1 guest'. Koru conditions generally are 'kids under 12 do not require a guest card' (i.e. don't count in your guest limit). Whether or not that same condition translates to Velocity Gold members is well escapes me, sorry. Have fun in NZ, I love the place.

According to below link, you won't have lounge access as Pacific Island flights are excluded from the alliance with NZ.

Lounge Access with Velocity Membership | Velocity Frequent Flyer

Having done this flight a few times now, I can confirm there is *no* access to the NZ Koru Club in AKL when flying to 'the islands' (including RAR).

You can pay $55 a person (I believe it's $55) per person for entry, or find a spot in the terminal.

It does suck, but they are strict on it.

 

[Gav123]

Having done this flight a few times now, I can confirm there is *no* access to the NZ Koru Club in AKL when flying to 'the islands' (including RAR).

You can pay $55 a person (I believe it's $55) per person for entry, or find a spot in the terminal.

It does suck, but they are strict on it.

You're right it does suck.

Not too keen on hanging around the terminal for 4 hours with my two kids. Any suggestions? The emporer lounge or koru club lounge? Looks like they're both $55

 

[carwashhair]

The AKL koru lounge is somewhat of a flagship lounge (even if not on par with others worldwide) so I'd probably go for that. From memory, $55 is for 3hrs.

Remember, if you are doing RAR-AKL-OZ on the return, you will have koru lounge access at AKL. If you plan to make use of that, then you could try the emperor lounge inbound!

 

[Ausbt]

Pacific Islands such as Raratonga?

Apologies ...I didn't realise Raratonga was an island. Just presumed it was a town in Unz-Id somewhere, maybe close-by Palmerston North. Seems I need a geography lesson.

 

[cavemanzk]

Having done this flight a few times now, I can confirm there is *no* access to the NZ Koru Club in AKL when flying to 'the islands' (including RAR).

You can pay $55 a person (I believe it's $55) per person for entry, or find a spot in the terminal.

It does suck, but they are strict on it.

They kind of have to be strict on that rule, otherwise they would be technically breaking the law as NZ/VA have to compete on the AKL-PI route. If they kept abuse the ruleing, its likely they would get renwewal for the Tasman Alliance. Although they have applied to added the Pacfiic Islands to the alliance.

 

[roby]

They kind of have to be strict on that rule, otherwise they would be technically breaking the law as NZ/VA have to compete on the AKL-PI route. If they kept abuse the ruleing, its likely they would get renwewal for the Tasman Alliance. Although they have applied to added the Pacfiic Islands to the alliance.

Not necessarily. I think this is an area in which VA has overlooked. For VA members on VA metals, NZ lounge should be used as a contract lounge which would have nothing to do with the NZ alliance, as long as NZ Gold/Elite were disallowed. VA uses NZ lounges in SYD, BNE, and MEL for PI flights. These flights are not part of the alliance.

 

[notzac]

Not necessarily. I think this is an area in which VA has overlooked. For VA members on VA metals, NZ lounge should be used as a contract lounge...

The VA website makes it quite clear that VFF Golds / Platinums departing from AKL on VA services to the Pacific Islands do not have lounge access (per International Lounge Access | Virgin Australia) .. annoying, but until the rules are changed there's not much that can be done

 

[drewbles]

They kind of have to be strict on that rule, otherwise they would be technically breaking the law as NZ/VA have to compete on the AKL-PI route. If they kept abuse the ruleing, its likely they would get renwewal for the Tasman Alliance. Although they have applied to added the Pacfiic Islands to the alliance.

The strange thing is, the BP reader scans green. The agents look at the segment though and go 'sorry no go'.