Air New Zealand "Regional Lounge" access for Velocity Platinum

[Eggsbenedict]

I over heard a Velocity Platinum member being rejected access to the Queenstown Air NZ lounge because he had two teenage children and his wife with him. He was informed by the lounge staff that no one is allowed to bring in more than one guest in "Regional Lounges" I left really bad for the guy and the family and being a Velocity Platinum myself I was very interested in this. After looking all though the Velocity Website I can not find any mention of reduced guest's for Regional Air NZ lounges.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand owned and operated domestic and international lounges**

You and a guest on presentation of membership card and boarding pass for same day departure on Air New Zealand. Platinum members are entitled to 3 guests when travelling on Trans-Tasman and domestic New Zealand services.

Anyone encountered this?

 

[anat0l]

It's interesting that if you check the T&Cs of NZ Airpoints, the Velocity Platinum equivalent tier in Airpoints - Airpoints Elite members - are allowed five guests at (regular) Koru Clubs, but only one guest at Regional Koru Clubs.

Perhaps this is what the agent / staff member was working on and may not know of the information which exists on the Velocity website. That said, an agent could also just proffer the "catch all" or "get out" reason - capacity control.

It's funny in a way because Regional Koru Clubs are usually unstaffed. To enter the Club, you need to either scan a boarding pass or membership card, or enter a PIN given to you at check-in. There is frequently no agent at the door to check who enters the club, and I doubt the door is smart enough to count or control how many people go in once access is granted (unless the entrance is visible to other staff and/or security footage can check on these things).

This may be an inconsistency on the Velocity website as perhaps NZ had not intended this kind of access policy for Regional Koru Clubs as not even its own top tier members can bring in more than one guest. This is something that perhaps Virgin Australia or Velocity Frequent Flyer could follow up on.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi there,
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I can confirm that Velocity Platinum members are only entitled to 1 guest at regional NZ lounges and the domestic lounge at Queenstown, when travelling on non-Tasman itineraries. I will pass your feedback on to ensure the accuracy of the Velocity website is improved.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

Thanks Velocity Frequent Flyer interestingly this is the response I received from Velocity Platinum:

Thank you for bringing this up to our attention.
I have talked to the lounge team and they have confirmed that for Air New Zealand flights operated by Virgin Australia and Virgin Samoa, a Platinum member can take in 3 guests at the Air New Zealand Koru Lounge.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

@ Velocity Frequent Flyer after re-reading your response regarding non-Tasman itineraries I would like to add that at least one of the members was traveling to Brisbane as I later passed them on the fight.

 

[serfty]

Thanks Velocity Frequent Flyer interestingly this is the response I received from Velocity Platinum:

Thank you for bringing this up to our attention.
I have talked to the lounge team and they have confirmed that for Air New Zealand flights operated by Virgin Australia and Virgin Samoa, a Platinum member can take in 3 guests at the Air New Zealand Koru Lounge.

As per the post be Velocity Frequent Flyer, the Velocity website is incorrect.

Note that the AirNZ lounge at ZQN is a "Regional Lounge", not a Koru club lounge, although Koru members do have access.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

As per the post be Velocity Frequent Flyer, the Velocity website is incorrect.

Note that the AirNZ lounge at ZQN is a "Regional Lounge", not a Koru club lounge, although Koru members do have access.

Thanks Serfty, Here is the email I sent Velocity

"I would like to suggest that you note under lounge benefits that Platinum members can only bring in one guest to "Regional NZ Lounges" I have looked and I can not find any note of this exclusion. During my time at the lounge I heard 3 different groups of flyers with a Platinum Member be refused entry due to the 1 guest at regional lounges rule. This was quite embarrassing for them"

I clearly pointed out I was talking a about a "Regional Lounge" via my email to Velocity Platinum. My point to Velocity Frequent Flyer was that it's response differed from from the emailed response from Velocity Platinum.

I understand that Velocity Frequent Flyer is saying that the website is incorrect I am pointing out that the Velocity Platinum team are also giving out the incorrect information if this is case.

 

[serfty]

...
I understand that Velocity Frequent Flyer is saying that the website is incorrect I am pointing out that the Velocity Platinum team are also giving out the incorrect information if this is case.

Fair enough ... and thank you for doing so. Such matters really need to be spelt out clearly and correctly. I am sure there will be some retraining going on in the social media team.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Dear all, thanks for the further information. We will ensure the correct lounge entitlements are reiterated to our email contact team.

For future reference, the International lounge directory on the Virgin Australia website identifies all relevant lounge access entry criteria, including guest entitlements and allowances for children, at a port level and can be accessed here:
International Lounge Access | Virgin Australia

For frequent flyer access entitlements, simply select "Velocity Platinum" or "Velocity Gold" from the drop down menu, and click on your operating carrier. Under Air New Zealand, you will note that Platinum members are only entitled to 1 guest at regional NZ lounges and the domestic NZ lounge at ZQN.