Air New Zealand Unveils New Flagship International Lounge at Auckland Hub

Air New Zealand has unveiled a large new flagship international lounge in Auckland that can be used by business class and high-status travellers flying on Air NZ and partner Virgin Australia's trans-Tasman flights.

It will also serve as a stop-over lounge for Australians flying on Air NZ flights to North and South America via Auckland as the Kiwi carrier targets more traffic from Australian cities outside Sydney on those flights.

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.

The new lounge in Auckland, with more than 2000 square metres of space, is 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.

Air NZ chief executive Christopher Luxon said the lounge, which will open on Tuesday, had been 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 said.

"This new lounge is significantly larger than the previous space and can accommodate around 40 per cent more customers. 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 cuisine is cooked to order at meal times as well as a buffet and a central bar area offering barista coffee as well as premium New Zealand wines and signature cocktails.

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 new lounge is another milestone in a four-year, NZ$100 million lounge upgrade program. The carrier also plans to upgrade its international lounges at Brisbane Airport and Melbourne Airport.