Hey team,
Just wondering what is the best and cheapest way to get Koru Lounge access and benefits with Air New Zealand as through their own Koru Membership the fees are very hefty.
I was thinking of trying to purchase a higher level of membership through a different Star Alliance partner and just using that with Air NZ but I can't seem to comprehend other airlines' sites to find equivalent membership like Koru that can be bought so if anyone knows more there?
Wondering has anyone been able to find the best way around it. I was also looking around and you can get discounts with credit cards but even with that annual fees are still around $450.
Cheers, :)
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.