Koru Lounge with Air New Zealand

Related Stores

Air New Zealand

• 

  CheapAzChips on 08/01/2022 - 15:35

  Would love to know the same thing. I just got approved for a platinum Airpoints card, but reading up you have to earn at least half your status points on flights to earn Silver status :(

  • 

    scrappycoco on 11/01/2022 - 11:31

    With amex platinum you get 2 passes however it works only at international terminal. :(

• 

  Thrifter on 09/01/2022 - 08:25

  To get lounge access you'll need Gold status. Buying Gold status is probably more expensive than Koru… but has more benefits.
  There are different ways to earn Gold
  https://www.turningleftforless.com/which-star-alliance-easie…
  https://thepointsguy.com/guide/earn-star-gold-points-transfe…

• 

  gcnz on 09/01/2022 - 09:43

  How many flights will you be taking? Even when we were flying domestically almost once a month it wasn't worth it, and we'd get the discounted membership with credit card (looking mainly as cost vs food at the terminal, we don't pay to select seats) . We get normally get 4 passes a year from our cc spending, probably only 2 now since it's gone up to $30k :(.
  If it's for your job, maybe your employer can pay or contribute? Could argue you'll be a happier less hungry traveller.
  The cheapest way in would be to befriend someone at the airport that has access. Obviously different if you'll be travelling internationally too.

• 

  LYuen on 11/01/2022 - 00:14

  +1

  The best way to gain access to airport lounges depends on your travel/spending patterns.

  If you fly domestic a lot on cheap flights, you will notice the status point earn rate usually isn't great - that is because the cheaper fare classes offer fewer points. Then Koru Member may be worth it - you don't have to do status point runs to retain the status.
  If you usually book a flight at the last minute, e.g. business travels, then your earn rate could be sufficient to gain you gold status.
  If you travel a lot in long-haul, you can consider joining the frequent flyer program from another Star Alliance airline. Air NZ's status is quite poor for long-haul flights. For example, with Singapore Airlines, you need to do 5 returns from Auckland to London to achieve gold status, while with Air NZ, you need to do 7.
  Finally, if you don't fly a lot, but spend decently much on the ground, you can consider credit cards. Some platinum cards offer lounge vouchers if you spend more than a certain amount.

  Anyway, the main point is, knowing each approach has a cost (you have to alter your normal spending/traveling patterns), which of the above is the cheapest to achieve? It is unnecessary to spend on something you don't need to an amount more than the cash cost of Koru Memebership.

• 

  justaddwater on 11/01/2022 - 10:17

  How often do you intend to use it?

• 

  Elvino on 11/01/2022 - 11:41

  +1

  If youre not going to hit Gold any time soon, then Ive found that the cheapest way to "buy" Koru, is to accrue airpoints via flights/credit card spend and offers, then use the accrued airpoints to pay for Koru using the discounted credit card method - i.e. ANZ platinum airpoints card ($255 joining fee waived + $145 off 12 month fee = $484 airpoints to buy a year of koru).
  The fastest way to get to the $484 (IMO) is find some deals where airpoints are credited to your account for example;
  https://www.spark.co.nz/getmore/airpoints = get a bonus 200 airpoints $ for re-signing an appropriate plan

  The ANZ and Westpac Airpoints cards include a $200 Airpoints "credit" on top of that, which are added to your account immediately (obviously if you close your account then they will likely charge you).
  So a $200 spark plan, + a $200 airpoints advance credit, leaves you 84 airpoints short which is much more achievable.