The last stop on my Sydney lounge tour was the Air New Zealand temporary lounge.

It was a very strange and drab place that has fortunately since been replaced (about six weeks ago) by a new Air New Zealand-operated lounge open to Star Alliance premium and Gold passengers, paid Star Alliance and Virgin Australia lounge members, plus Virgin Australia Gold elite and above and premium passengers and business class passengers on Sichuan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Delta. (It also offers an AU$55 paid access option.)

The temporary lounge was.. interesting.

Previous installments:

1. Introduction: Virgin Australia and Delta Business Class, the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney
   
2. Concourse Hotel LAX, a Hyatt affiliate
   
3. Virgin Australia Check-in and Star Alliance Business Class Lounge
   
4. Virgin Australia Business Class, Los Angeles – Brisbane
   
5. Virgin Australia Brisbane Lounge and Business Class, Brisbane – Cairns
   
6. Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas
   
7. Virgin Australia Lounge, Cairns and Business Class, Cairns – Sydney
   
8. Park Hyatt Sydney
   
9. Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel
   
10. American Express Lounge, Sydney
    
11. Skyteam Lounge, Sydney

While the Air New Zealand lounge spent November through May closed for renovations they operated this temporary lounge in space that used to be a Malaysia Airlines lounge.

It’s a drab, windowless space that was definitely too small for all of the passengers it was servicing. Like the rest of the downstairs lounges, the ceilings weren’t especially high. This one had no windows.

There was a kids’ room, but it wasn’t sound proof.

The departures screen was broken while I was there and never updated.

There was, however, reasonable self serve alcohol.

And they retained the hot dog cart from the old Air New Zealand lounge. Although I’m not certain why this was seen as a good thing.

Food otherwise was fine, nothing impressive although there were hot options.

Personally I’d just assume spend time in the terminal itself than spend any long-ish period in the lounge. Fortunately no one will have to visit here any longer now that the new Air New Zealand lounge has opened!