Auckland Airport: Air New Zealand's new lounge

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This was published 8 years ago

Auckland Airport: Air New Zealand's new lounge

By Jamie Freed
Air New Zealand's Auckland lounge upgrade is a strategic move to capture more Australian traffic.

Air New Zealand's Auckland lounge upgrade is a strategic move to capture more Australian traffic.

Air New Zealand's new flagship international lounge in Auckland is another milestone in a four-year, $NZ100 million ($91 million) lounge upgrade program. It's also a strategic move to capture more Australian traffic. It will serve as a stop-over lounge for Australians flying on Air NZ flights to North and South America via Auckland.

The new lounge has more than 2000 square metres of space, significantly larger and more modern than the old one and in a different part of the terminal. It can seat more than 375 customers comfortably.

The lounge was designed by Gensler, the same global architecture firm that partnered with Air NZ on its new lounge at Sydney Airport as well as the Star Alliance lounge it manages at Los Angeles International Airport.

Significantly larger than its predecessor, the new Auckland lounge can seat more than 375 customers.

Significantly larger than its predecessor, the new Auckland lounge can seat more than 375 customers.

Air NZ chief executive Christopher Luxon says the lounge was designed with feedback from customers in mind. "With a growing network and customer base, the number of high-value customers using our lounge has grown and one of the most common pieces of feedback we receive on our Auckland International Lounge is around space," he says.

"Also recognising that our customers travel for different reasons and have different needs, we've created a mix of separate zones to offer the utmost comfort and convenience for those looking to relax, refresh or get some work done before they fly."

There is a business zone with a range of seating and tables with electronic charging, Wi-Fi and printing facilities, a kids' area modelled on a Kiwi tree house, a dining area where dishes are cooked to order at meal times as well as a buffet and a central bar area offering barista coffee, premium New Zealand wines and cocktails.

The new lounge will serve Australians flying on Air NZ flights to North and South America via Auckland.

The new lounge will serve Australians flying on Air NZ flights to North and South America via Auckland.

The New Zealand-centric design also features large-scale digital screens with looping time-lapse imagery of local scenery and a "digital ceiling" over the bar area reflecting the changing New Zealand sky.

The carrier also plans to upgrade its international lounges at Brisbane Airport and Melbourne Airport.

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