Air New Zealand to upgrade LAX terminal
"Catching on finally ... but what about the Auckland domestic terminal?"
Featured commentAir New Zealand’s relocation to a bigger terminal in Los Angeles International Airport means its passengers can look forward to better food, more shopping and more space while they are in transit.
In early 2014 the airline will move to the new Tom Bradley International Terminal, in the middle of a $US1.7 billion makeover, adding 18 new gates and a brand new dining and retail precinct.
For almost 20 years the airline has been housed in the airport's original international terminal, Terminal 2, built in 1962.
The new lounge will be a shared Star Alliance Lounge - used by eight Star Alliance partner airlines that also operate out of the Tom Bradley terminal including
Air New Zealand’s general manager Americas Roger Poulton says the move will make a big difference to the overall passenger experience when travelling via Los Angeles.
“The new terminal facilities have been designed to accommodate 30% more passengers an hour, so our customers can look forward to faster boarding and disembarking, more efficient customs and immigration processing and a much better food and retail experience,” Mr Poulton says.
The new lounge will be three times the size of the existing facility with different spaces to suit customer needs – a bar area for socialising and a library space for working, for example.
And from an outdoor terrace area customers can take in views over the northern runway towards the Hollywood hills.
The Tom Bradley International Terminal, named after Los Angeles' longest-serving mayor, hosts most of the major international airlines.
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Comments and questions11
Catching on finally......but what about the Auckland domestic terminal?
The new lounge is a star alliance branded facility managed by air nz. I hope it's a step up from the tragic LHR offerings.
If my memory serves me correctly Air New Zealand used to be based in the Tom Bradley Terminal in LAX. They moved out to terminal 2 and now are returning after Tom Bradley's make over. I am not convinced on shared lounges they are usually overcrowded and you lose your individual branding in a shared facility.
Oh fah crissakes Air NZ, What about San francisco? Your shared lounge there with EVA Air is woeful... it is tatty, threadbare and the food put on is shameful (I was there last week and there were sliced carrots which had been out all day with flies buzzing them)... The lounge doesn't even have showers. This is not what I expect from the best airline on the planet.
PS Rico is alive in living in Paekakariki
Dunno if Air NZ and their one flight a day to San Francisco has much of a say with the hundreds of other airlines who operate in and out and control the Star alliance lounge. You'll probably find Eva is the controlling authority.
LAX is different with between 3-4 daily flights which means a much more dominant presence and their own koru lounge.
Terminal 2 is a dump but has nothing to do with the airline, you can thank the airport authority.
Tom Bradley once finished I believe will be the new terminal so hope for improvements.
yup I agree - flights out of SF are usually booked full whilst the LA flights are often not 1/3rd empty
Could it be that LAX shouldn't be getting prioritised over SF?
Yes i agree re the SF lounge.
Air New Zealand is a 4 star airline. Not a 5 star airline and therefore in the second tier.
Malaysia Air is one of the 5 star Airlines.
What would it take to upgrade ourselves to a 5 star airline. By Skytrax rating susystem. Not much I suspect. If Malaysian can do it Air NZ can.
Nony Mouse I'm not sure if you have flown Malaysia Airlines but my experience is that they provide something special in the air whereas Air NZ provides a good solid service but no wow factor (again in my experience). I have always found the service on Malaysia to be excellent and have no doubt they are a five star airline (although I am not sure about the integrity of that Skytrax rating system). Malaysia's Golden lounges in Kuala Lumpur are palaces compared to Air New Zealand's lounges anywhere. Don't get me wrong Air New Zealand is an excellent airline but it is a small airline and it will always be limited in what is economic to undertake given its size.
And thanks to everyone for the comments on the SFO lounge. I am headed there in a few weeks and am no longer looking forward to using the lounge!
A recent transit via LAX took 2h just to get through passport control, plus big hold ups to get through customs, almost missed connection and lost luggage. Who cares what the lounge is like, I won't go that way again.
It's not hard to improve from the LAX transit facility. There was no food and retail experience in the old facility. It was a bus stop and nothing else. I moved my custom to emirates a long time ago because of the prevailing arrogance of air NZ with regard to the LAX facilities. The end
Oh dear. You think that NZ is responsible for the transit formalities at LAX? Blame the US Customs & Border Patrol. Should EK ever transit LAX they would, by default, exhibit the same prevailing "arrogance".