I have planned a few flights this year already and are looking into becoming Koru member.
The question is, can I also book the person travelling with me in the frequent flyer seats?
Not necessarily a deal breaker but would be good to sit together up front. Otherwise I wouldn’t be using that perk.
Cheers
Beautiful thank you!
I’ve been running the numbers (like a true cheapie haha) to see if it’s worth it.
Using Amex the fee is $549 for a year. But divide by a planned 10 flights with my partner it’s under $30 each effectively.
Also, the Koru member gets to check in an extra bag for free so we won’t need to pay $200 for a seat+bag airfare for my partner over those flights.
Anyone else do this?
Remember you still need to have a seat+bag fare for koru member to have that extra bag and it only works for AirNZ operated and ticketed flights.
Yeah exactly. So I’ll buy the Seat+bag fare and my partner the seat only and we can still take 2 checked in luggage pieces.
I think I’ve worked out it will be pretty cost effective for this year anyway. If we were not flying much I wouldn’t bother.
Yep, do this all the time.
Double down - kids get 2 items regardless of fare (stroller/carseat/portacot), so I take the seat+bag (getting extra bag), partner and bub seat only, plus any extra clothes etc, go in the stroller or carseat bag if needed……
Might be a stupid question, but how do you get into the lounge? Do you show your Koru pass on the app or have to scan your boarding pass? I haven’t got my physical card yet so hope I can still get in!
Boarding pass, they have a scanner
The good thing is that you can take someone with you to the lounge. Husband is a member, I'm not. But he can provide me with a code and I'm allowed in.
Weird story though, he gave a code to our child and their grandma, and got refused entry. But I didn't have a problem going in. Actually, they didn't even scan a code. So I think there's something else that we are not aware of, but he gets a few codes per year that he can give to non-koru members.
If I'm with him, I just get in without an issue. Alone, I get in with the code.
Koru member always can bring one guest, but I was not aware there is a code they can get per year to give to other guests. Are you sure this is something to do with Koru? Might be a silver/gold/elite lounge voucher privilege? But still I thought a person needs to be there to activate that voucher?
Can confirm I've never received any voucher codes during my time as Koru member. It's either a silver/gold/elite lounge voucher or another credit card perk once you reach certain spend you get two lounge vouchers
Yeah you get codes - I have elite status and have a few vouchers you can send. You also can gift elite status to someone else.
Saying that. AirNZ is so overpriced these days (2 or 3 times alternatives often) and the service as unreliable as anyone else and in fact not rarely worse.
I would think if you have paid for Koru you will be more likely to only consider AirNZ or at least have a bias - which will cost you a lot more in the long run than if you shopped around.
@Meridian: Elite status isn't paid Koru membership…that's exactly what I said. You don't get codes being a Koru member. You only get codes if you're on status
Every time I fly alone they let me in with a code he gives me. If I'm with him, no code needed. I should double check which status he has.
It would be interesting to find out because, why would he need a koru membership if he's already an elite where he can take any number of people to the lounge plus all the same (or even better) benefits then koru anyway..
@inmeltingpot: Huh? So he's a Koru member and gets access to the lounge. I'm not.
If he has someone with him, they get in. Like I do.
He gets a limited number of codes (not sure how many, but I think 6 a year) which he can give to someone else. So once I travelled to meet him later and used the code.
Hope it makes sense?
@toomanywises: Did you find out about his status (silver/gold/elite)? As mentioned above, we've been koru for many years and just Koru alone does not give any codes at all. It sounds like your husband is an elite cuz he flies a lot and perhaps also a koru (probably paid by his company anyway). If he is already an elite, as I said he doesn’t really need to pay for koru as elite status already provides all and above the koru benefits.
Yes you can if you book the flights together. Otherwise just give them a ring and they'll put you together in the frequent flyer seat even if your partner is not a FF. I got the free return flight to Qtown from Amex and it was booked by them then I booked another ticket separately on the Air NZ website for my partner. Then I called Air NZ and asked to put my partner next to my seat that amex booked and they happily moved my partner's seat up to my seat in the front. I've been a Koru Member since March.