To complete off my overview journey, I flew Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787-9 enterprise class from Auckland (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX), which I managed to e book utilizing Virgin Atlantic factors. The expertise was not nice, which is sort of what I used to be anticipating.
Air New Zealand’s enterprise class laborious product is unhealthy
Air New Zealand has first technology herringbone seats in enterprise class, that are oh-so-outdated. These seats all face the aisle, and actually present no privateness.
This flight was actually a reminder of how far enterprise class seats have in any other case come, and in addition of how I’m getting previous(er). These seats had been nice within the early 2000s when different airways primarily had angled seats on lengthy haul flights, however these days these seats are merely uncompetitive.
The seats have nearly no storage, it’s really easy to by chance knock issues over, so lots of the seat controls are poorly positioned, you’ll pull some muscle tissues you didn’t know you had whereas making an attempt to look out the window or plus one thing into an outlet, and so on. By no means thoughts which you can’t simply rise up throughout the meal service (when the tray is out), and lengthening the leisure display screen with one thing in your tray desk can be no small job.
Talking of the leisure display screen, it’s 11″. Whereas there are some contexts wherein that quantity may impress, inflight leisure screens in lengthy haul enterprise class isn’t amongst them.
By no means thoughts that my seat’s ottoman simply sort of got here aside midflight, and couldn’t be snapped again in place.
My flight additionally didn’t have Wi-Fi. Whereas Air New Zealand is progressively putting in Wi-Fi on its Boeing 787 fleet, there’s no method to know prematurely in case you’ll get it, and the vast majority of the 787 fleet nonetheless doesn’t have it.
What a disappointing product. In equity, Air New Zealand will begin to set up a brand new enterprise class product as of 2024. Nonetheless, it’ll probably be a very long time earlier than all lengthy haul planes function these seats, and on prime of that it’s not really a very impressive-looking product.
Air New Zealand’s enterprise class smooth product is respectable
I’d say Air New Zealand’s enterprise class smooth product is pretty good (however not superb), with some parts which can be above common, and others which can be under common.
For instance, there was a fairly primary amenity equipment, however no slippers or pajamas.
The noise canceling headphones had been low high quality and flimsy.
I’d say the meal service was effective, maybe a bit above common? There was a pleasant choice of wines from New Zealand, so I loved a sauvignon blanc with some cashews.
There was the selection of two starters, and I chosen the smoked moki with fried capers, shaved fennel and orange salad, inexperienced olive salsa, and pine nuts. This was most likely the very best dish of the meal, and Air New Zealand additionally has a tasty bread choice.
Then for the principle course I had the baked salmon with lemon couscous, inexperienced beans, and tomato crimson pepper sauce. This was perhaps a bit above common for airplane salmon, however nothing memorable.
For dessert there was a triple chocolate ice cream with caramel sauce and hokey pokey crumble.
In some way I can’t determine if the service was principally pleasant or sort of stand offish. At occasions the flight attendants had been good, whereas at occasions they got here throughout as conceited (not less than to me), although on some stage I feel it might simply be a distinction in how some Individuals and Kiwis talk.
Then there was the flight attendant who saved commenting on my image taking. I’m unsure if she was aggravated or making an attempt to be humorous, however the fixed references to it made me really feel sort of uncomfortable in a approach that just about by no means occurs (and I each fly and take footage so much, for apparent causes).
Air New Zealand is such a wierd airline to me
Air New Zealand is an odd airline to me.
On the one hand, the airline is extremely revolutionary. Air New Zealand has superb advertising and marketing, and is thought for its superior security movies. Air New Zealand has additionally launched every kind of revolutionary merchandise over time, from the Skycouch to the brand new Skynest, which is an idea we’ve by no means seen earlier than in industrial aviation.
But on the identical time, it’s 2022, and the very best enterprise class product the airline has is herringbone seats, which had been first launched by Virgin Atlantic in 2003. Having an almost two decade previous enterprise class product as your “flagship” enterprise class is underwhelming, to say the least. And whereas it will begin to change in 2024, even Air New Zealand’s new enterprise class doesn’t look revolutionary.
I suppose finally Air New Zealand feels it doesn’t have to take a position that a lot in its premium product. New Zealand is essentially a leisure vacation spot, and most markets Air New Zealand operates in aren’t as aggressive as New York to London, for instance.
If I had been to fly to New Zealand once more and the present product had been nonetheless in place, I’d as an alternative select Air Canada, American Airways, or United Airways, since all of them have considerably higher laborious merchandise.
Perhaps Air New Zealand is doing all of us a favor with the stingy award availability, because it encourages us to fly different (higher) airways.
Backside line
I’m pleased I had the possibility to fly Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787 enterprise class, however I don’t must do it once more for a very long time. Herringbone seats and no Wi-Fi aren’t precisely what you’d count on from a stable airline in 2022. Past these two factors, I’d say the expertise was effective, however that’s about it.
This needs to be one of many least memorable flights I’ve taken in a very long time. New Zealand is an unbelievable nation to go to, although I’ll get there on one other airline subsequent time.
In case you’ve flown Air New Zealand enterprise class, what was your expertise like?
