It wasn’t until I was meandering around the Sydney airport killing time before my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok when it dawned on me that I had access to the Air New Zealand lounge as part of my itinerary. I’m a little slow sometimes, OK?
Picture a grown man running hurriedly through an airport with the excitement of a 10-year-old on Christmas morning in his eyes, and you’ll have a pretty good picture of what I looked like once I made that realization.
Air New Zealand lounge location and first impressions
The Air New Zealand lounge is located on the second level in Terminal 1 at SYD, which conveniently also happened to be adjacent to the gate for my flight to Bangkok (Thai Airways 747-400 upper deck business class). The day hadn’t even started yet, and things were already looking up!
If not realizing that I had access to this lounge was enough to make me feel ashamed, stepping inside and seeing the place in all its glory sure as heck did. No, I wasn’t feeling ashamed for the things I saw – it was the negative feelings that were the result of seeing what I would have missed if I skipped a visit to this place that did it.
I’m not always a fan of hanging out in airport lounges, but I will admit that the Air New Zealand lounge here in Sydney is flat out stunning – and totally worth the visit. Check it out:
What’s the food like in the Air New Zealand lounge?
Given the fact that it was only 7:30 AM when I walked through the entrance, I was thrilled to death to see a full breakfast spread ready and waiting to be shoveled into my belly. Not only that, there were two eager looking chefs patiently waiting to whip up an omelette (or pancakes…or whatever else) for me.
As tempting as that may have seemed, I passed on the offer and went straight for the scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon that were sitting out in the open. My hunger wouldn’t have allowed me to stand and wait (not even 60 seconds) for a made to order omelette.
The quality of the food was really good. Normally airport lounge food is hit or miss in terms of overall taste and freshness, but everything I tried was just as good as I would’ve got if I paid $15 for it at a legitimate restaurant down in the main terminal.
And considering that airline lounges are legitimate restaurants when it comes right down to it, that’s the way it should be. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case.
Is this lounge a good place to sit and relax?
I was fairly lucky with the timing of my visit to the Air New Zealand lounge. I arrived at 7:30 AM, and the place was pretty much empty save for a few people sitting in the cafeteria area near the food. I had full reign of the place, and was free to sit wherever I wanted with nobody else in sight. Which is good I guess for obtaining the (usually embarrassing) selfies I needed for my trip report content.
There are also a wide variety of seating options which are sure to please just about everybody. From swanky 1960s style swivel chairs two huge block-like picnic tables, there’s something for everybody in here and it’s a fairly easy place to get comfortable.
By the time I left (9:30am) the place was getting full and a little bit noisy. It was so busy as a matter fact that I’m not sure that I would’ve said so many nice things in this review if my first impression of the place was having to fight for a seat (which placed me face to face with a creepy looking dude who wouldn’t stop looking at my scrambled eggs).
The final verdict
Because this air New Zealand lounge is easily one of the best airline lounges I’ve ever visited, I’m ashamed to admit that the final verdict comes down to this: I was a complete buffoon for almost missing it. If anything, it was all the proof I needed that flying business class is worth it. I never would’ve been able to enter this lounge otherwise.
Never mind the fact that the food was incredible and it was a really nice to hang out in peace and quiet for a couple hours (before the crowds arrived). I simply cannot believe that this was a complete afterthought in my itinerary and it never occurred to me to seek it out when checking in for the flight to Bangkok. Rookie mistake.
Air New Zealand (Star Alliance) and Qantas (one world) are NOT part of the same airline alliance. They have some codeshare flights. Qantas flight number or status does not get entry to ANZ lounge in Sydney.
Good catch, thanks for the reminder. I wrote this review a long time ago, and things have changed (so I need to make an update).
They are currently refurbishing many of their lounges to match their flagship lounge in Auckland.
Very impressive lounges cant wait till Wellington is completed.
(You should come to New Zealand sometime not many reviewers do..)
I wanted to buy one of those sparkling water dispensers for my house, until I found out that the thing costs like $10,000. And its just sitting there, in the lounge, like an absent minded throw in. Amazing.
$10,000?! Dang! I would have appreciated it so much more if I knew it cost that much. lol
That`s one sharp looking lounge. Get it?!
I see what you did there. Haha! Well played…