Air New Zealand opens new regional lounge in Auckland

Air New Zealand’s new regional lounge opens to passengers at Auckland Airport this weekend as part of a $NZ60 million upgrade across the country. The new facility has been under construction since October last year and will cater for up to 265 customers — three times the seating of the previous regional lounge — when it opens this weekend. READ: Airline chiefs cancel Hong Kong conference as turmoil escalates. Located on Level 1 of the Auckland Airport domestic terminal, it is above the airline’s old regional lounge and offers expansive views over the runway. A new valet service area features a new and expanded undercover drop-off zone directly below the new space. This provides valet customers with an easy transition from the drop-off area to the lounge and regional departure gates. “Our regional lounge at Auckland Airport has always been extremely popular with both business and leisure travelers so it’s great to be able to welcome customers to this brand-new space and have it up and running ahead of the busy summer travel period,’’ Air New Zealand chief marketing and customer officer Mike Tod said. “There are a number of different zones in the new lounge to meet the needs of our customers – this includes a bar/barista, buffet and light refreshments, a self-service drinks station, as well as business, lounge and quiet areas. “I know our customers will enjoy a fantastic experience in this much larger new space before they fly.” The $NZ60 million investment in lounges throughout New Zealand over the next two years includes a refurbishment of the airline’s domestic lounges at Auckland and Wellington airports as well as new regional lounges in Nelson and New Plymouth. The opening comes as AirNZ won the South Pacific Regional Pacific passenger choice award at the Airline Passenger Experience Association Asia Awards in Singapore. The airline said the vote by passengers recognized its overall commitment to customer experience.