Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge
The Air New Zealand Koru Club in Melbourne is one of the nicest of the outstation lounges at Melbourne, and is used by most of the Star Alliance airlines.
It was totally revamped recently, and it is the new flagship lounge, styled on an Auckland Cocktail Bar, which in rather un-characteristic Kiwi hype is described as a 'revolutionary new take' on the airline lounge.
The Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge has capacity to seat 250 people and offers a self-service food buffet, barista coffee and various seating options from lounge chairs to long benches and quiet nooks for users to work, rest or play prior to their flight.
There is indeed a staffed cocktail bar, a vast refectory area, children's zone, showers, and a quiet zone at the end of the lounge. Swish, clean and modern, you'll wish all airline lounges were this good.
NEWS: Air New Zealand has unveiled a new Business Class lounge at Melbourne Airport, with a self-service food buffet, shower suites, childs play area, barista coffee, and an upmarket bar.
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Melbourne Air New Zealand Koru Club lounge review
Air New Zealand's Melbourne lounge is on the lower ground floor of the international terminal, next door to Singapore Airlines and Qantas' lounge. There are stairs or escalators on either side of the 'roundel' in the middle of the terminal, but once in the 'lounge' zone you have to go down another floor again to find the lounge, which is pretty much on the same level as your aircraft's nosewheel.
Once airside, walk down the terminal pier, and then near the cafe bar take the stairs or lift down to the ground floor, and then descend once again on the escalator down to the basement level, and then spot the Air New Zealand logo on a sliding glass door.
There is small round reception desk here, which most of the time doubles as the service desk in case you need to change your ticket, although there is also a separate service desk which is normally unmanned.
Air New Zealand's Melbourne Airport lounge is a stunner once you are inside, with 80 per cent more floor space, a funky new design, and a vast main dining area with a great new coffee and cocktail bar. It's certainly impressive.
The new Air New Zealand Melbourne lounge is in the same location as the old lounge, but gone is the old 'Bach' (Short for Bachelor pad, complete with pool table), and in style comes in something like a designer hotel lounge.
The Melbourne Air New Zealand lounge is quite similar to Sydney and Melbourne, and was designed by the architectural firm Gensler: the only difference is the lack of the sweeping light feature, which dominates the Brisbane lounge.
However, respecting Melbourne's coffee culture, there is a vast barista bar in the middle of the lounge, and you can order at your seat via the airline's mobile app or a tablet mounted on the worktop: for the early morning flight to Auckland it is most welcome.
The modern design is shown by the mains (240 volt) and USB power sockets at every seat. The big white benches also feature wireless charging beds.
In front of the reception desks is a 'short stay area' for those trying to confirm a seating change or upgrade, or indeed if you're only there for a short time.
As you walk around the lounge seems to come in two main areas: one with lots, and lots, of rather plain grey armchairs with little coffee tables. Plus there is the refectory zone with lots, and lots, of small white tables and a long sweeping white bench.
However, there is a totally different area. If you need some quiet time, there is a small quiet area separated from the main lounge with a large white glass screen. Here there are small nooks, and floor to ceiling white curtains which divide the area into smaller zones having textured fabric walls in muted tones and gossamer pull back curtain which can zone off seating areas for added privacy. This is by far the most comfortable area of the lounge, and is often deserted.
There is also a separate kids area, overlooking the runway, with an eye popping floor. It has a TV and DVD player, and some video games on the wall. Sadly it occupies the area with the best views, and it is also rarely used.
Food
Food is provided right in the centre of the Melbourne Air New Zealand Koru Club lounge, and there is a snazzy buffet along one large counter, with salads, wraps, and three hot options.
The in-lounge kitchen prepares all food on site, and they do a fine job with many kiwi delicacies. The centrepiece are the various hot dishes at lunch time and in the evening, with half a dozen options, which normally revolve around a pasta and a rice dish, along with meat and chicken dishes.
Further along are some excellent sandwiches, and in the fridge trough there is fruit in the morning, while in the afternoon there is a great salad, with cheese and ham.
Breakfasts are certainly the highlight of the lounge, thanks to the main flight of the day being the 10am widebody with full business class (all other flights are small one class Airbuses) and a spread is laid on, with a full hot breakfast including scrambled eggs, hash browns and pork sausages. There are also muffins, croissants, cereal, and even a pancake making machine.
The cheese plates are also worthy of note, and don't miss the Lamingtons.
Bar
The bar is very much a focal point of the Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge, as a Koru Club should be. In the mornings, the big long stone bar acts as the coffee collection point, and the lounge offers a full barista service, although in the mornings there can be long lines for the barista. Orders from the barista can be made from the Air NZ app on your phone even before you get to the lounge, or through the smart pad available at the barista counter.
Meanwhile the 'bar' bit of the bar opens around 11ish, and runs until early evening, when it is self service. The cocktails are great, and the bar tenders take quite some pride in mixing up a perfect cocktail. Spirits behind the bar feature some from New Zealand, such as 42 Below Vodka and South Gin, plus Bacardi, Smirnoff, Gordons, Red Label, Jim Beam, Bunderberg, Contreau, Baileys, and 3 ports. However, you can't access these when the bar is shut.
The lounge doesn't serve champagne, however a great New Zealand sparkling wine Dulcét is available.
There are also Kiwi wines strategically placed in the dining area, including a small and quite basic selection of spirits.
There is Speight's beer on tap, but it is in the two fridges that you should look for some real delights. There is plenty of beer in bottles, from Boags to Becks, Carlton Draft, and even Steinlager. Also in the fridge is the wine collection, with six different types of Kiwi whites, plus New Zealand sparkling on the bottom shelf. Four more reds are on the worktop next to the fridge.
Business Facilities
There use to be a small business area however the computer room in the old lounge has gone, and now there are just one large white work bench, without PCs, but with power sockets in the top.However, the work corner comes complete with wireless printer, which if you manage to get it to connect does actually print up OK.
Wifi is free, and there are some sockets for you to plug a laptop into. Indeed, the revamp of the lounge saw the number of power sockets rise sharply.
Next to it there is a magazines and newspaper rack, however it is now pretty much bare, with a few copies of the Age.
There is a big screen HD TV screen, typically on a rolling news channel.
Bathrooms
At the back of the lounge are the bathrooms and eight new showers: the are accessed up the small corridor to the right of the quiet area with the white curtains.Air New Zealand are proud of these, as they include an ornate chandelier in the ladies bathroom.
Ask at reception for the showers - they include a free towel, and there are Living Nature products in the cubicles.
Access
Access to the Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge is available for the usual business class and Star Alliance gold members.
There are NO LONGER Air New Zealand lounge day passes. You used to be able to buy your way in - no longer. Lounge access is not available for purchase.
Video: Air New Zealand Lounge
View photos of Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge
Melbourne Airport Guide
| Air New Zealand Melbourne Lounge | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating |
Video walkthrough and Image gallery by Loungeindex.com
| |
| Pros | Large modern lounge Great bar Lots of space |
|
| Cons | Can seem sterile No bar in the evening Not much of a view |
|
| Location | Airside, Ground Floor, by Gate 15 | |
| Terminal | Int | |
| Opening hours | 0430-2300 | |
| Cost | none | |
| Lounge for: | Air New Zealand | |
| Other Airlines: | Thai Airways Melbourne Lounge United Airlines Melbourne Lounge | |
| Access | Koru Club members, Business Class, Gold or Gold Elite Airpoints Status and Star Alliance Gold, or $A55 day pass. | |