Air New Zealand new Business, Premium Economy
It's taken a long time, but Air New Zealand has finally shown off it's new design of Business and Premium Economy seats.
The design of the Business, and what the airline calls the 'Business Premier Luxe suites' shows it finally it has a seat in the premium cabins comparable with other airlines, and will be fitted to the new Air New Zealand Boeing 787.
It will be 2024 before the Business Premier seats are fitted, but it will be worth the wait.
To the relief of many passengers on the Kiwi Carrier, the current Air New Zealand 20-year old Business class seats, dubbed 'coffin class' sleeper shells, with every passenger facing the aisle and narrow profile, like a seat on a bus, is finally on it's way out.
Instead, there is a what is now industry standard seat at a slight angle, which slides down into a lie flat bed.
The new design from French-based multinational Safran Seats, was originally called Fantail and has since christened Visa.
All the Air New Zealand Business Premier business class seats include:
- Seat folds down to a lie flat bed with a memory foam topper and feather pillow
- A 24 inch high definition video screen
- Bluetooth audio streaming for cordless headphones & earbuds
- Side cocktail tray, and storage cabinet for headphones
- USB-A, USB-C and 120 volt universal power socket, plus wireless charging
The new Business Premier seats will be fitted across the entire Boeing 787-9 fleet by 2026, and this will include the sub fleet of Boeing 787-10 which have yet to be delivered. However the larger Boeing 777 will not receive the new fleet, and are due to be scrapped in a few years.
Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 will have a 1-2-1 layout with 22 Business Premier seats in a single cabin, and a 52-seat premium economy cabin. However, the Boeing 787-10 will have an ultra long range layout with 42 Business Premier seats across two cabins.
However, Air New Zealand have a treat in line for the first row of Business, or the first two rows in the case of the Boeing 787-10. The very front of the cabin will have normal Business seats, but extended and called the Business Premier Luxe suites.
Taking a leaf out of airlines like Air France and Malayisan, who offer and 'enhanced' front row, Air New Zealand in the Business Premier Luxe suites will offer:
- A more private seat, with extra space
- Two sliding partitions, and a door
- a larger meal table and a 'buddy seat' where a companion can sit and share a meal
- a Merino wool throw
There is also a new Premium Economy. It's quite difference from AirNZ's two previous attempts at this class, which has thrown up some challenges for the Kiwi Carrier, as it has tried to be revolutionary in the past with the first iteration.
Air New Zealand's latest Boeing 787 premium economy cabin has a 'fixed shell' design which stops the recline from impacting on the passengers behind, and it also has extended 'wings' giving much more privacy, wrapping around the wide padded headrest.
Mad by Zim in Germany, it is quite similar to the model used by Lufthansa.
Meanwhile back in economy, the seat has been enhanced with a larger screen, and bluetooth audio.
In what the airline says will be a world first when its new cabins are installed by 2024, premium and regular economy passengers will still be sold traditional seats that do not recline into a bed.
However, these passengers will be able to book four-hour sessions in one of six lie-flat sleeping pods, named "Skynest", at an additional cost.
Each pod will have a privacy curtain, USB charging and "ventilation outlets", plus a mattress and sheets and will be stacked three high. Sheets will be changed by cabin crew after each booking.
Alas, the sleeping pods will not be available for the launch of Air New Zealand's 17 hour long direct flights between Auckland and New York this Septembers.
As a result Air New Zealand will in effect offer six, plus one, styles of cabin on the new Boeing 787s.
- Business Premier Luxe
All the features of Business Premier, but with more space and a fully closing door and space for two to dine. - Business Premier
A standard Business Class Seat. - Premium Economy
38 inches of pitch with a fixed shell - Economy Class - 31 inches of pitch
Economy Skycouch: three economy class seats that can be expanded with a flip out legress
Economy Skynest - bunk beds for economy, for rent for 4 hours, with six pods available
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