Air New Zealand Auckland Airport International Lounge Review

I recently had my first airport lounge experience at the Air New Zealand lounge in the international terminal of Auckland Airport. Here’s my review of the Air New Zealand lounge experience and what you need to know if you’re visiting Auckland International Airport lounges at the moment.

Accessing the Air New Zealand lounge at Auckland International Airport

In normal times, only passengers travelling on Air New Zealand (either with a business class ticket, through the Koru Club or with Elite or Gold status) or one of their Star Alliance partners can access the lounge. Full access rules are here.

However, given none of the other international lounges are open, passengers who would normally be able to access a different lounge are allowed to use the Air New Zealand lounge.  I was flying with Qantas and had several lounge invitations on my frequent flyer account, so I asked nicely at the entrance and was allowed in. 

A note though… there are no published rules on which non-Air New Zealand passengers are allowed in at the moment. If you’re flying business class you have a good chance, but it seems to come down to the discretion of the lounge staff.

Officially access is two hours before departure. This didn’t seem to be being enforced when I visited although there were significant delays to most flights which I expect staff had taken into consideration. 

Where to find the Air New Zealand lounge

The lounge is located after security. It is upstairs above the food court to the left-hand side coming from the security check. It’s well signposted after security but the access looks a bit like a dead end given the construction happening at the moment.

What it’s like inside the Air New Zealand lounge

The lunge is spacious, airy and very clean. The interior looks to have been redone relatively recently and is very on-brand in Air New Zealand colours. The atmosphere is relatively quiet. It was a long weekend when I visited so there weren’t many people working but quite a lot of family groups chatting and eating.

Facilities

The lounge is surprisingly big with several distinct areas, some of which are walled off for meetings and privacy. The main lounge includes a section of tables near the food buffet and loungers near the windows. The floor to ceiling windows bring in a lot of light and have views across the tarmac. The lounge was about half-full when I visited but is very quiet. 

There are large bathrooms as well as a separate section for showers. I didn’t check the showers, but they had nice hand creams in the main bathrooms. 

Power outlets are everywhere which is awesome for anyone wanting to work or just watch a movie. The lounge has its own wifi which was ok but a bit slow, not any better than the standard Auckland Airport wifi that I’ve used before. There are also printing facilities (does anyone use these anymore?) and meeting room-type areas should you need them.

Food

There is a main buffet section of the lounge where some hot food is available as well as a selection of cold snacks and drinks. I was there mid-afternoon and there was soup as well as sandwiches, cheese and crackers and a few sweet treats. Some big bain-maries looked like they would hold hot dishes at mealtimes. The range isn’t huge but it’s frequently restocked and is more than enough to keep you going until you get a meal on your flight. The quality is similar to what I would expect at a 4-5 star hotel’s buffet.

There are also two smaller stations, one with barista coffee and some cookies, another with drinks and some bar snacks (pretzels, bhuja mix). The drinks selection in the Air New Zealand lounge is very good. They have soft drinks on tap, and a well-stocked beer and wine fridge. I was pleasantly surprised that the alcohol range seemed bigger than what you would get on board an Air New Zealand flight. I did note that there were no spirits. 

The barista station was staffed and they also had hot drink machines which might be useful if there was a bigger wait time.

Other lounges at Auckland International Airport

The full list of lounges at Auckland Airport international terminal are:

• Qantas First Lounge
• Qantas Business Lounge
• Emirates Lounge
• Strata Lounge
• Air New Zealand Lounge

Currently only the Air New Zealand lounge is open (as at the end of April 2022) but this should hopefully change as more airlines restart flights from Auckland. 

My verdict on the Air New Zealand lounge at Auckland International Airport

The lounge was a lovely peaceful place to spend a few hours and I really appreciated having the food and drinks available since my plane was delayed 2 hours. Grab one of the cookies, they were a highlight!

The lounge is more business convenience than a luxury experience. If I was travelling for work, it would make a huge difference – power plugs and tables can be very hard to find at Auckland Airport. But if you are passing through on a holiday it’s very much just a nice to have.

Have you visited an Auckland Airport Lounge before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to sign up for my email newsletter for monthly travel tips and updates.

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Happy travelling!

Kate