Air New Zealand lounges: Koru, partner and Star Alliance access

How the lounge network is split

Air New Zealand separates its lounges into groups rather than treating them as one product. Domestic Koru Lounges are owned and operated by the airline at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports. [1] Regional Koru Lounges are owned and operated at the airline's regional airports around New Zealand. [1] International Koru Lounges are operated by Air New Zealand in New Zealand and across Australia and the Pacific Islands. [1]

Beyond its own facilities, the airline describes an extensive lounge partnership network and refers to access to select partner and Star Alliance lounges worldwide. [1] That means a trip can involve three different kinds of space — an Air New Zealand domestic or regional lounge, an Air New Zealand international lounge, or a facility run by another company — and the rules that apply are not automatically the same. [1]

One scheduled change is flagged on the lounges page: the Auckland International Koru Lounge is being upgraded through to the end of 2027, and during that work lounge access may be affected and an alternative lounge may be offered. [1] Anyone planning a connection through Auckland International should treat that as a period of change rather than a fixed arrangement. [1]

Tier benefits and the Silver voucher

Koru is Air New Zealand's loyalty programme and runs five tiers: Koru Bronze, Koru Silver, Koru Gold, Koru Platinum and Koru Black. [2] It uses two currencies, Airpoints and Status Points, and Status Points are the ones that progress a member through the tiers; they are earned on flights and with a Status Points-earning credit card. [2] Lounge access appears in the programme's own list of tier benefits alongside Status Rewards and Frequent Flyer Seating. [2]

Koru Silver Lounge Vouchers are valid only when departing on Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flights, may be used only for Air New Zealand Koru Lounges, and cannot be used for lounges operated by airline partners. [4] In practice that means a Silver voucher does not open a partner or Star Alliance lounge, even though the Koru network as a whole extends to them. [1] [4]

Readers comparing tiers should therefore treat the tier pages as a starting point and read the terms documents they link to. [1]

Earning and keeping lounge access

Because lounge access is attached to a tier, the tier mechanics decide how long it lasts. Status Points last 12 months from the date they are earned, and once a member has earned enough within any 12-month period the account moves up to the next tier immediately, with an end-of-tier date set at the last day of the calendar month 12 months in the future. [3] Air New Zealand also states that any unused benefits expire when a member upgrades or downgrades a tier. [3]

Qualifying flights form part of the qualification test. For Koru Silver and Koru Gold, 50% of the required Status Points must come from qualifying flights; for Koru Platinum and Koru Black the figure is 60%. [3] For the two lower tiers, qualifying flights include Air New Zealand operated flights, qualifying partner airline flights, eligible Star Alliance flights and Status Points Bonus. [3] For Platinum and Black, eligible Star Alliance flights still add to the total but do not count toward the 60% requirement. [3] Status Points earned with an Airpoints-earning credit card count toward the total but not toward the qualifying-flight share. [3] A reader working out whether a travel pattern supports lounge access should look at the flight-earned share, not just the total. [3]

Exceptions and limits

• Scope of this page. Air New Zealand's lounges page does not publish access criteria by cabin, guest allowances, or the conditions under which Star Alliance Gold status opens a lounge. [1] It states that lounge access terms of use apply and refers readers to the Koru terms and conditions or the Koru Club terms and conditions. [1]
• Partner facilities. The airline describes the partner network but does not set out the entry conditions applied at those lounges, which are run by other operators. [1]
• Voucher restrictions. Koru Silver Lounge Vouchers require an Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flight, and are limited to Air New Zealand Koru Lounges. [4]
• Membership terms.
• Temporary disruption. Auckland International's Koru Lounge is under upgrade work to the end of 2027, and an alternative lounge may be offered while access is affected. [1]
• Benefits after a tier change. Unused benefits expire when a member moves up or down a tier. [3]

Related pages

Programme: Koru. Guides: lounge access checklist, Star Alliance lounge access. Terms: lounge guest policy, glossary index.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The lounge rules of Air New Zealand's partner and Star Alliance lounge operators, and the lounge arrangements of other Star Alliance frequent flyer programmes, are not covered here; see the Star Alliance lounge access page.

1. Air New Zealand Koru Lounge access and locations, checked 18 October 2026
2. Air New Zealand Koru loyalty programme overview, checked 18 October 2026
3. Air New Zealand Status Points and Koru tier progression, checked 18 October 2026
4. Air New Zealand Koru Silver tier page, checked 18 October 2026
5. Air New Zealand Koru Platinum tier page, checked 18 October 2026
6. Air New Zealand Koru Gold tier page, checked 18 October 2026