You Go AirNZ!

Aircraft like no other for Air New Zealand
23 December 2010

Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has been delivered in Seattle, USA and will touch down in Auckland on Christmas Eve morning, bringing the Kiwi designed economy Skycouch to New Zealand for the first time.

“This is the best Christmas present we could possibly imagine,” says Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe.

“Four long years of planning and design to create an absolute world-first interior and passenger experience is now a reality.”

In Seattle to accept the aircraft, Group General Manager International Airline Ed Sims said the aircraft heralds a whole new long-haul flying experience for Air New Zealand customers.

“The majority of our long-haul flights are overnight and we fly on average 90 minutes longer than any other airline. That’s why we set out to overcome the seemingly impossible challenge of finding a way for people to lie down in economy without compromising affordability.

“Few airlines have invested time and money beyond First Class, whereas we have focused on the areas where most of our passengers sit by reinventing every aspect of our Economy and Premium Economy customer experience.

“We’ve created the world’s first economy seating that enables people to lie down and a Premium Economy seat that many airlines would call Business Class.

“We’re also the first commercial airline to introduce induction ovens for all cabins to give our customers freshly prepared food and have developed an inflight entertainment (IFE) system to give people greater control over the way their journey will unfold,” says Mr Sims.

More than 30 airlines have been in contact with Air New Zealand regarding the new seats and formal negotiations are underway with carriers from Asia, North America and Europe to licence the seats following an 18 month period of exclusivity for Air New Zealand.

Highlights of the new aircraft interior include:

* Skycouch – affectionately known as Cuddle Class, giving couples and families the opportunity to lie down like they would on their couch at home
* Two distinctive Premium Economy seating designs to meet the demands of both individual travellers and couples
* The first commercial airline to have induction ovens in all cabins, giving customers the opportunity to have steak cooked the way they want it, fresh pizza and burgers, toast and eggs
* A kiwi-designed pillow that slips onto the winged headrest in economy (meaning the challenge of pillow slippage is gone forever)
* Unique bathroom imagery with wallpaper depicting book cases, chandeliers and other home interior elements
* An on-demand food and beverage service via the IFE system in every class
* Children’s story-time in the rear galley hosted by our cabin crew
* Inflight wine tasting in the forward galley hosted by our Inflight Concierges

The aircraft, registration ZK-OKM, is due to leave the Boeing facility in Seattle at 3pm local time today, 22 December, flying to Los Angeles before arriving into Auckland at 8.45am on Christmas Eve 24 December.

Air New Zealand has five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on order, with the second due for delivery in February followed by a third in April. The 338 seat 777-300 aircraft is configured with 244 in Economy (including 60 seats creating 20 Skycouch combinations), 50 in Premium Economy and 44 in Business Premier.

The first routes to guarantee travellers the next generation of long-haul travel will be on dedicated return services on NZ1 and NZ2 between Auckland and Los Angeles and through to London from April 2011.

Air New Zealand

I saw the advertisments using body paint on the workers of Air New Zealand, well they have gone a bit further and started doing the safety videos with only body paint. It is SO funny!

Weekend in Auckland...

Weekend in Auckland…

I decided it was time to take a weekend off. Over the last 3 months I have spent a lot of time working, many weekends waiting tables, making drinks and portering bags. I needed to get to the city.

My mate Douglas invited me to stay with him and his flatmate Trevo for the weekend. I arrived on Friday evening and Douglas and I met J.C. out for some dinner and drinks. It was a great evening.

On Saturday we got up to meet Douglas’s mate Bain, whom I have chatted online with several times. We went on some short tramps around several Auckland area parks. Our ultimate goal was to head off to a secluded and massive beach. It was such an interesting place. Strange rock formations, caves, swampy areas, and even a desert like beach. I can’t express the massiveness of it. We only saw one fisherman and a couple during our time on the beach.

We were like teenagers on the beach. Creating Sphinx, Pyramids, Airports, and Hotels in the sand. We jumped in the cold, active sea, and enjoyed our time out there.

On Saturday night, we had a small barbecue with Bain and his flatmate along with a few others.

Sunday was a day to lie in, which was needed. After a nice breakfast, we went out to Mt. Victoria and spent time in Devonport, an Auckland suburb. The views were absolutely amazing. The water was blue, the hills were green, and the clouds were like cotton.

We spent time going through the former watchtowers and learning a bit more about the large guns and Maori history on the area.

Finally, at the end of the trip another beautiful barbecue with many of Douglas and Trevo’s friends. It was a brilliant end to a fantastic weekend!

The Best Thing About Economy Seating

Well, the trip has officially started. After goodbyes from family and being dropped off at the airport by Kevin, my parents, and Grandma Donna I have made it to New Zealand. The trip over wasn't without its dramas. The flight between Denver and Los Angeles ended up being late, which caused a rush when leaving the airport. When I got to Los Angeles, I forgot that when switching terminals you have to take a bus and then go through security again. So, when there were about 100 people lined up for the inter-terminal bus transfers, and no bus for 20 minutes I began to worry. It was about 8:15 p.m. and everyone still needed to get through the security lines. A bus did show up, I did make it through the long security lines, and I made it to the plane just before it was to start boarding.



I realized when I sat down in seat 62A of the Boeing 777 I was going to be in luck. Nobody was in the other 2 seats. I was more than excited, because I might actually be able to lay down on the nearly 13 hour flight. Someone did show up, but I was able to stretch out a bit with the middle seat unoccupied. That is the best part about flying in economy on a long haul, an empty middle seat!



Well I haven't done much yet. It took over an hour to get through immigration, customs, and biosecurity. Plus the bus ride from the Auckland airport to the ACB Backpackers where I am staying took heaps of time during the busy rush hour. Kevin will be impressed, there is a Starbucks, just a few meters down the street.