The Kiwi tech firm trying to make waiting for flights 'time well spent'

A travel tech firm making it easier for globe trotters to get behind the frosted glass doors of an airport lounge says business is soaring.

LoungePair was founded in Aotearoa during Covid, a difficult time for a travel business.

But with air travel rebounding, one of the company founders says they're going from strength to strength.

Co-founder and chief executive of LoungePair, Daniel Kinnoch, told Checkpoint it was a "pretty simple" thing to use.

"For your average Kiwi, it's a simple QR code that you use to walk up to a lounge. They scan it and you've got access to up to 1400 lounges worldwide.

"And it's really easy for someone to make a purchase, even on really average plane Wi-Fi. It takes about 60 seconds from finding your lounge on the site for your airport through to getting your QR code passed for access."

No memberships were required, he said - the service was fully "pay-as-you-go".

"We do have a membership programme that comes with some extras for people that do make regular purchases, but you absolutely don't need one. And whether you use it once a year or 20 times a year, you can just use it on a one-off basis."

He said it would appeal to flyers who've saved money by flying economy but would like "something nice" too.

"Whether you're a family or whether you're travelling solo, you've got the chance to try what you thought you needed status for, or you needed to be up front in the plane."

LoungePair was also setting up deals with airlines, who could offer the service to their customers.

"Some airports are really chaotic, really busy, and a lounge provides an opportunity for you to just step away from that and have a place to sit and maybe have a glass of wine and some food.

"For some, it's a great workspace. So there might be better Wi-Fi in the lounge or good workstations that you can sit and pull out your laptop and get a bit of work done.

"It really depends on your persona, but a lot of lounges have a bit of something for everyone."

The latest deal the company has signed is with China's massive Hainan Airlines group.

"Our business focus has always been around [ensuring] airport time is time well spent. And so for every traveller, that could mean something a little bit different. For some, it could mean a lounge. For some, it could mean a sit down a la carte meal. It could be a half-an-hour massage.

"And so we actually have a range of different services available on our platform. Some airports offer spa and massage, some offer a sleep pod or capsule option, and others offer a one- or two-hour sit-down meal experience."