TL;DR
The Air New Zealand Lounge Melbourne is a good place to relax before your flight on a Star Alliance carrier if flying out of Melbourne. Ample space, food and what feels like an unlimited amount of drinks are readily available. Considering it is an outstation lounge, it ranks as one of the better ones out there.
The Good: So. Much. Booze. I personally don’t drink too much, but there was a whole fridge full of beer, wine and champagne. There was also a good selection of food from the buffet.
The Bad: It got quite crowded towards the end of our stay, but there are some secluded corners that are quieter.
The Noteworthy: The shower suites are a big plus, something I don’t usually see on outstation lounges. They came in handy after a long day in Melbourne.
Arrival at Melbourne
We arrived at Melbourne airport earlier than what we were expecting to. Check in for our flight was still closed, and people were already lining up. It was a quick check in process once the agents opened up the stations, and in a matter of minutes we were inside security.
Air New Zealand Lounge Melbourne
The lounge itself is located on the ground floor, where as the gates are located above. Once you go down the stairs, you will see a SilverKris lounge for Singapore Airlines, but Air China is not contracted to use that lounge. If you are a Star Alliance Gold flyer, you can access either.
When we arrived, the friendly agents scanned our boarding passes, and welcomed us to the lounge.
Lounge Main Areas
The lounge consists of one large round dining area. There are multiple tables to eat or work, and power outlets on the bar-like table. Behind the check in desk, there is a translucent wall, and some drink machines are flanking it.
Main Area
Further back, there are two similarly designed sitting areas. They consist of arm chairs and a large couch. Power outlets here are scarce.
Seating Area
There is are floor to ceiling windows with obstructed views of the tarmac. They let in a lot of natural light and make the space feel very ample.
There is a kids playroom opposite the buffet, and right next to that there is a computer work station, with three computers with reasonably fast internet.
Kids Playroom
Computer Work Stations
Lounge Dining
On the left side of the dining area you find the buffet. It had two hot options, as well as a very well stocked salad bar. Although not the most extensive buffet out there, the quality of the salad bar was superb.
Buffet
Buffet
Behind the salad bar were the drink stations. There was a soda fountain and two fridges. Each fridge was stocked top to bottom with beer, wine, or champagne. I cannot stress how much alcohol there was. I never saw that much booze in college 😉 . There were also some spirits available, but the selection was limited.
Fridge Full of the Good Stuff
Soda Fountain
Fridge Full of the Good Stuff
Liquor Selection
Lounge Showers
I was really surprised that an outstation lounge had showers. Most flight from Melbourne to New Zealand are about 4-5 hours long. The addition of the showers, considering I was going to be on a plane for 10 hours, was welcomed.
Shower
Shower Toiletries
Cramped Toilets
The showers are cramped, but they have all the basics. Water pressure was a bit weak, but the water came out hot enough to feel comfortable.
Landing Thoughts
The Air New Zealand Lounge Melbourne is a quality outstation lounge. Although not the best lounge in the world, I found it better than the Air China lounges at Beijing. It is a quality place to rest, catch up on work, eat a salad or drink your sorrows away (assuming you’re flying in economy for 10 hours 😉 ). I would recommend this lounge to Star Alliance flyers, and commend Air New Zealand for their excellent lounge.
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