Jaunted

· Floor Plan

Like most lounges, this one is subdivided into a few different sections. Once you walk in the doors, you are greeted by the attendants at reception, who are happy to check you in and give you the lay of the land.

Past them on the left is another desk where travelers can get information on their flights, destinations, and make changes to their itineraries. This is also where the main sitting area of the lounge is located; it's a vast open floor plan of a space with arm chairs and tables scattered around. The color scheme is mostly neutral shades of beige and brown, with accents of blue and green thrown in.

Nearby on the left is a sizeable TV lounge with little chairs for catching up on the latest news and sports on a flat-screen television. Next to that is a small work area with a couple of internet-connected PC’s, and a copier-printer machine for last-minute jobs.

Back in the main lounge, there is a small area with a food bar and beverages (more on that below and an area with two huge, long communal tables with power outlets along them. This is the ideal place for travelers to gab over snacks and catch up on work, or surf the web using the lounge’s free WiFi network.

Beyond that, there is a relaxation lounge (more on that later, too). Going to the opposite back corner of the lounge, there is a bustling café area with booths and small tables for travelers in groups. This also tends to be the noisiest part of the lounge because it’s where the families congregate and it’s next to the children’s playroom.

Finally, there are two large bathrooms, and a few shower suites that were unfortunately in use during our visit, so we couldn’t check them out.

· On the Menu

After the fantastic snacks at the Los Angeles Koru Lounge, we were a little disappointed by the paltry offerings in Auckland, but we did grab a little bit of carrot soup to stave off our hunger pangs, and delved into the fruit salad for a healthy snack. We also appreciated the small coffee bar with an espresso machine for a do-it-yourself pick-me-up, and the wide selection of beers and booze. There were also, of course, a few New Zealand wines being poured so we could sample some Sauvignon Blanc, and a drop of Pinot Noir before the flight.

· Child’s Play

In an excellent demonstration of forethought, the lounge has located its children’s area in the far back corner, away from the main sections of the lounge, so that the noisy melee doesn’t disturb the rest of the environment. The children’s playroom is a small place, but it’s packed with board games, books and a television tuned to cartoons. Just outside of it, for the older kids,are handheld video games to while away the hours between flights. Just outside the room is a café area where families can congregate and keep an eye on the tykes while still enjoying some grown-up time.

· Shhh!!

Our favorite section of the lounge by far, though, was the area in the other back corner, the adults-only quiet area and relaxation lounge. Here were armchairs and coffee tables and even two awesome hammock chairs for those who take their airport lounging seriously. Plus, there’s a tiny spa with a first-come first-serve sign-up sheet for a choice of either a 15-minute foot rub or a neck and shoulder massage. The service is free to long-haul Business Premier passengers, though those flying on other services can get the treatments for a small fee.

We managed to score a foot massage just in time for our flight, and left the lounge with a new spring in our step—just what we needed before the long trans-Pacific flight.

Full disclosure: Eric Rosen was granted access to the Koru Lounge as a guest of Air New Zealand, but all photos and opinions here are entirely his own.