Star Alliance Los Angeles Lounge Wins North America's Leading Airport Lounge for Sixth Consecutive Year
The announcement was made at the Caribbean & The Americas Gala Ceremony, held this year on the picturesque island of Saint Lucia on October 4, 2025.
Commenting on the achievement, Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias said: "Our commitment at Star Alliance is to create seamless and connected journeys for travellers, and our lounges play an important role in this. This recognition is especially meaningful, reflecting the trust of travellers and industry experts and the continued excellence of the LAX lounge. We're proud to see it honoured as a leader year after year."
Mr Panagiotoulias added his appreciation: "This achievement is thanks to the dedicated team whose hard work keeps the LAX lounge running smoothly every day, and to our member airlines whose collaboration has been instrumental to its success."
Air New Zealand General Manager Long Haul Kylie McGillivray-Brown said: "We're thrilled with this recognition. It's a testament to our incredible team in Los Angeles who represent Star Alliance with genuine warmth and care.
"Customers love the variety, from light bites at the noodle and soup station to decadent desserts, local wines, and cocktails. The outdoor terrace, complete with firepit and views of the Hollywood Hills, remains a standout feature.
"This award reflects the daily effort our team puts in to create a relaxing oasis before take-off."
The Star Alliance lounge at Los Angeles International Airport has long been regarded as one of the world's premier airport lounges, consistently collecting accolades from across the industry. With a spacious 18,000 square foot layout, the LAX lounge is known for its outdoor terrace featuring firepits, a tranquil water wall, and sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills. From relaxed daytime charm to a vibrant evening setting, it offers travellers a unique space to dine, work or simply unwind before their flight.
The World Travel Awards, established in 1993, celebrates excellence across travel, tourism and hospitality, and is widely recognised as among the most prestigious honours in the industry.
ENDS
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │ Phone: +64 21 747 320
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 9.9 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2024, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2025 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia and North America, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.
The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, 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, Turkish Airlines, and United.
Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 16,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 186 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com