Star Alliance business class travellers passing through Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney are spoilt for choice when it comes to lounge access. The Air New Zealand Lounge and the Singapore Airlines Krisflyer lounge are located right next to each other but offer very different facilities.
We were travelling on Singapore Airlines Business Class flight SQ222 and planned to visit the Air New Zealand lounge. Singapore Airlines check in was friendly and when I asked if I had Air New Zealand lounge access the agent looked at my boarding pass, looked at a mysterious document in front of him and said no.
We were however welcome to visit the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer lounge. The check in agent said I did not have enough status for any other lounge. Having conferred with Milton prior to leaving I was pretty confident he was wrong, but I was not going to ruin his day.
After zipping through immigration and security, collecting my taxes from the TRS office I headed to the lounge area. Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines are situated up a set of stars overlooking the terminal wing.
I went to the Air New Zealand front desk and tentatively handed over my boarding pass (the check in attendant words ringing in my ears). The ultra friendly staff said Kia Ora and welcomed me to the lounge without even mentioning I should be next door.
In this post:
Can I use the Air New Zealand Lounge when I am travelling with Singapore Airlines?
According to Star Alliance rules it doesn’t matter who you are travelling with you still have access to any other Star Alliance lounge at the airport. I understand Singapore Airlines needs to pay Air New Zealand every time one of their passengers visits the lounge which is why they discourage it.
Advantages of the Air New Zealand lounge
There is a lot to like about the Air New Zealand lounge in Sydney. From the food choices, the fine selection of NZ wines and beers, the fresh coffee and friendly cocktail service.
Air New Zealand Barista and Cocktail Bar in Sydney
The most obvious benefit of the Air New Zealand Lounge is a bar that provides full barista service. In peak times they have a screen you can use to order your coffee but they will also take it over the counter (and then you punch it in for record keeping). As someone who drinks two to three cups of coffee a day this was as good as anything I would have at Barangaroo in Sydney, and its nearly free.
The barista doubles as a cocktail waiter. He was doing pretty good business creating negronis, bloody marys, old fashioned and spritzes. The biggest hit was the espresso martini which really took advantage of the dual barista/cocktail bartender skills. As it was after midday I started with a negroni.
Not being able to keep up the pace we switched to spritzes. Julie had Aperol and I had Campari. It was cold and tasty and just what you need before jumping on the plane. According to the waiter both of these drinks are also in high demand.
Do you need to tip the bar for drinks?
Unlike US lounges no tipping is needed and none is expected. Which is just as well as this is an issue both Aussies and Kiwis are united on.
Great selection of NZ beer and wine selection
The other reason why I would choose the Air New Zealand lounge is the great variety of beer and wine. I have a rule that I don’t drink beer on a plane or in a lounge. On this occasion, I made an exception. Having traveled to New Zealand for work and pleasure a lot, and tried most of their beers (including the forgettable smokey beer). I rate Kiwi beer (and wine).
On this occasion I tried The Fermentist beer from Christchurch. A zero carbon beer that was hoppy and refreshing and highly recommended. They also have some great Mac’s beers and the usual collection of brewed in Australia European beers that I chose to ignore.
The wine selection was tempting and something I will try on my next trip.
Lots of food choices included
The food highlight of the lounge is the neat chefs station. On this occasion they had one of my favourites san choy bau. Iceberg lettuce stuffed with meat and condiments. It’s made to order, I enjoyed it so much I went back for seconds.
There was a great selection of hot and cold plates for all tastes. Hot foods included soups, chicken, potatoes and pumpkin.
Four regular salads plus fruit salad were on display. I tried the pasta, artichoke, fire roasted peppers and olives which were pretty good.
For dessert, there was a choice of eton mess or mango coconut cake. For completeness I had both. My preference was the eton mess, probably due to the chocolate sauce at the bottom.
One thing I learnt over the years is that Kiwis love scones. Not your plain Aussie style but one’s jammed full of flavours. Two sweet and one savoury were available. I headed for savoury which did not disappoint.
Overall I thought they did a great job with the food. A good combination of hot, cold, fresh and baked foods. However if you are jumping on Singapore Airlines business class DO NOT OVEREAT as the food on the plane is even better. I failed to heed my advice.
Showers are available
Having spent a productive day at work meant I needed a shower before the 24 hour schlep to Stockholm. On a quiet Thursday afternoon and with over six showers there was no waiting. While this works well when the lounge is empty I am not sure what happens in peak. The sign said if the showers are full wait in the lounge… and then what. In my next stop at Singapore they had a one hour wait for a shower so it was a good call.
Sound proof kids area is a winner
There was a kids area, which appeared to be soundproof. For this reason alone families should use Air NZ as their preferred lounge.
Heaps of power and USB outlets.
The lounge is quite large and can accommodate nearly 300 guests, designed for multiple planes leaving to various NZ cities as well as Star Alliance members. During the day it is very quiet and there were heaps of power and USB outlets throughout the lounge.
Limited views of the runway
The views from the lounge to the main runway are only OK. They are slightly obscured by the roof of the terminal below. We chose to camp next to the bar rather than seek out views.
Advantages of the Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Lounge in Sydney
Milton recently reviewed the Krisflyer lounge and he quite enjoyed it. Julie arrived at the airport early, heeded the advice of checkin and went to the Krisflyer lounge before coming to the Air New Zealand lounge.
There are three areas where Singapore does a slightly better job:
1. You can get French champagne if you ask the staff
2. They serve better Asian food, and
3. The have some nicer “cosy” sitting areas for couples.
Summary
My tip is when you are travelling through Sydney start with the Air New Zealand lounge. The coffee, chefs station and cocktail bar are a standout. If it has become too crowded and you have had enough cocktails and coffee you can then visit the Krisflyer lounge for some quite time and champagne.
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