The terrace of the Star Alliance lounge at LAX which is run by Air NZ. Photo / Grant Bradley
The terrace of the Star Alliance lounge at LAX which is run by Air NZ. Photo / Grant Bradley
The Star Alliance lounge at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) developed and operated by Air New Zealand has won top spot in the Skytrax World Airline Awards.
The lounge in Tom Bradley Terminal was completed 10 years ago and has now won top airline alliance lounge for the seventh consecutive year.Air New Zealand designed the lounge layout and with local architectural firm Gensler.
Hensel Phelps Services oversaw the construction of the 2136sq m space which it said cost US$11m ($17.7m).
Features include an outdoor terrace, complete with firepits and beautifully lit waterfall, a newly installed BBQ zone, and views to the Hollywood Sign.
Plane spotters and sun worshipers can relax and watch the planes depart and land.
Air New Zealand designs and sets the food and beverage offering and standards.
It has regular taste testing in the lounge, so customers can be part of the decision-making.
Air New Zealand has a team of four duty managers and a lounge manager who run the lounge and it works with food services and facilities management company Sodexo to provide operations managers, front of house, back of house and janitorial staff.
The firepit at the Star Alliance lounge at LAX. Photo / Grant Bradley
Its LAX lounge manager, Anastasia Jenkins, said winning the Skytrax Award seven years in a row was an outstanding achievement that speaks to the dedication of staff. In addition to the outdoor terrace, the lounge offers a bar area for socialising, library space, den, study and media room. Those wishing to freshen up before their flight can do so in one of eight shower rooms.
Star Alliance also won the title of World’s Best Airline Alliance.
New Star Alliance chief executive Theo Panagiotoulias said he was ‘’very happy’' to learn that millions of flyers have recognised the exceptional value our alliance extends.
‘’With the skies getting busier, we welcome many more flyers to experience what Star Alliance and its 26 member airlines stand for,” he said.
“The resilience and hard work of every single employee of Star Alliance and its member airlines through a tough 2022 has paid off with this win. I receive this honour on their behalf, and encourage them to strive for more this year and beyond.”
The alliance comprises: Aegean Airlines
Air Canada
Air China
Air India
Air New Zealand
ANA
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Brussels Airlines
Copa Airlines
Croatia Airlines
EgyptAir
Ethiopian Airlines
Eva Air
Lot Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Scandinavian Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
SWISS
Tap Air Portugal
THAI Airways
Turkish Airlines
United Airlines
Panagiotoulias has more than 25 years of commercial and operational expertise in the airline and travel industry, and has worked in Australia, China, Japan, Singapore and the United States. Before joining Star Alliance, served as Hawaiian Airlines’ senior vice president for global sales and alliances for nine years, heading the airline’s worldwide sales, alliance partnerships, as well as government affairs and commercial functions in international markets.
Before that, he was Sabre Corp’s vice president and general manager for the Asia Pacific region. Earlier in his career, he spent 15 years at American Airlines, where he held various leadership, commercial, operational and general management positions.
He graduated from Haileybury College in Melbourne, Australia and completed the Advanced Leadership Programme at the University of Cambridge in England.
This year, 20 million eligible entries were counted in the Skytrax survey that ran from September 2022 to March 2023, representing passengers with over 100 nationalities. The survey was also provided in six major international languages.
Grant Bradley has worked at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
