FWIW, in North Carolina, USA, it is illegal to serve a person two drinks from the bar, and our legislature had as part of a bill last year to change that, but it did not pass. Here, each state sets it's own liquor laws. Louisiana, for example, has drive through bars, where you can order a drink from behind the wheel.

 

This is starting to happen more at events, although that is usually more along the lines of you can only buy two per person unless the other person is present. At a cricket test match in Tauranga last summer I was buying two for me and two for someone else who was back where we were sitting. The barman wouldn't let me take four... but gave me two and carried the other two halfway around the embankment to my partner. Legend.

 

As somebody who's been involved in a number of concerts over the past summer I can say this is pretty much a standard liquor license condition now for many events - max 2 drinks per person.

 

Shhhh... don't give them ideas. Talk like this will also get the beer and wine moved to 'behind the counter'

 

As JayKiwi mentioned, there are other lounges in NZ that allow self service of liquor. AU lounges do too and their laws are strict. Call me cynical but I also think this is more about cost saving than responsible service of alcohol. There are many more opportunities they could take to implement host responsibility and I also think such changes are pinned on outlying examples that don't represent the vast majority.

 

Was at a comedy event recently which would have required a special liquor licence as there was no on-prem bar. No restrictions on number of alcoholic beverages per transaction AFAIK... I was ordering 4x at a time, two each for me and the Mrs.

 

Well somehow Air NZ have won an award for "Best Business Class Lounge in Australia & Pacific" in the Skytrax awards for the AKL lounge.

 

Judging metrics: 1) Percentage of capacity filled at all times.

 

i heard this with Mike on ZB this morning and his pause said a thousand words,

 

Stupid this AM, people being turned away and given vouchers cos lounge is full

 

So just a typical morning then.

 

Is the Skytrax thing like media/advertising industry awards where you can basically chip in money to sponsor the event to ensure you get awarded something?

I'm off to UK through Auckland next week, and I don't even think I'll bother trying the Air NZ lounge mid morning when I'm there. What's the best cafe in the international terminal?

 

No. Skytrax is ironically using feedback and reviews from people to make their lists.

In all seriousness if you're a Koru member who's only criteria for a lounge is that you can get value for money by smashing back a half a dozen glasses of Dulcet or a half a dozen Stella's before your flight you'll probably rate the AKL lounge very highly.

 

Interesting to know that's how it's awarded.

I agree with your second point. I personally don't care too much about the food/drink in a lounge (obviously it's nice when it is good, but I don't drink alcohol due to a health issue so that doesn't affect me). I'm more interested in whether I can get a seat, whether there is somewhere more private to do work (e.g. in Chch domestic lounge I like sitting in those "cocoon" chairs to do work as nobody can pry at your laptop screen, and if I recall in the international lounge they have some closed off phone call making/taking rooms but it's been a while since I went in there) and whether it is too much of a zoo or not.

However, many of the people I know who use the Air NZ lounge infrequently e.g. via koru membership or credit card vouchers just want to monster as much piss as possible in as little space of time as possible. As long as the booze doth flow freely, they don't care if it's standing room only.

 

Mid morning should be alright?

Super busy between NA arrival bank and Aussie widebodies departure bank. If on the Asian flights later in the morning usually a bit quieter.