Trip Report: Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class
It was with considerable trepidation I set off on this trip, on Air New Zealand. Not only did I know that the Kiwi Airline had fitted a notoriously bad seat on it's latest 787 aircraft, but also my experience of the crew before had been less than favourable. Fed up with rude, obnoxious people on Air New Zealand flights - and that's just the crew - I've refused to set foot on them for years.
The Air New Zealand Business Class seat is also one of the worst in the business. Over 20 years ago it was cutting edge, but now it is so passe as to be just not worth while.
However, it was the lounge at Sydney that was to be my first stop of the day. A Business Class ticket gives free access to the lounge, and seeing how early it was, that stop was crucial. A few years ago Air New Zealand updated this lounge from the old Koru Club that even retained it's old 'First' and 'Business' sides, to the brand new style Air New Zealand lounge which has the kiwi carrier's new style.
Air New Zealand Sydney Lounge
Australia's premier lounge for Air New Zealand is on the upper level of the balcony above the main terminal, where customers are greeted by a striking wall of flat screens featuring pictures of New Zealand's natural beauty. The room has lots of natural light and offers fascinating tarmac views.
I do like this lounge, as it has a bar with a glass wine wall facing the runway, a "food theatre" where live cooking is done, offering hot, fresh cuisine. The lounge also includes a full-time barista, and it's possible to order via the Air New Zealand smartphone app, which is a bonus.
I have extensively reviewed the Air New Zealand Sydney Lounge; suffice to say I was only here for a short while, and most of that was taken up with paperwork. Was flying through to London Heathrow, but I'd only checked in for the short hop to New Zealand, and indeed these two flights were on different bookings, so it took quite a lot of time to check everything was in order along the route and indeed to verify I could enter the USA in my transit, as the US is one of the few countries that does not permit you transit from two international flights without a visa.
The food theatre was also serving up an unusual breakfast this morning; they had gone Mexican, with avocado wraps, and green vitamin drinks. Goodness knows what was in the juice, but from the way it tastes, I hope it was healthy for me.
I did love the light installation, which symbolises the long white cloud. Apparently.
There is also a rather cute Children's room.
There is a large bar in the Air New Zealand Sydney lounge, or you can mix you own.
Soon it was time to board, and with a sense of foreboding, I wondered what would happen if I made it was obvious I had a a camera. This time, the crew couldn't be more welcoming, and even asked if they could make the seat neater for my videos: clearly they go the memo from Auckland that photography is permitted.
Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class seat
The Boeing 787 Business Class seat still remains one of the worst in the business. It isn't quite as bad as Air India, but it's close!
Air NZ started operating its first 787-9 between Auckland and Sydney way back in 2014, and at the time it seemed odd that it would fit a 20 year old seat design. Now it just seems bizarre.
The seat is an iteration of a seat that was first licenced from Virgin Atlantic, and at the time it was a revolutionary design, considering what had gone before was old recliners on the 747s. When it first launched in 2003 with Virgin Atlantic it was the first inward-facing herringbone Business Class seat layout, and wowed the crowds because for the first time all seats had access to the aisle.
Two decades later, it is very passe. The main problem is the seat is long, thin, and narrow, and with this design of seat, it was dubbed 'coffin class' on Cathay Pacific, who rapidly ditched it. The seat design remains problematic. If you're in the window seat the only way you can see what's outside the window is to crane your neck back around 60 degrees which is pretty much impossible unless you're an owl.
Length is technically infinite, as there is nothing ahead of you as you recline, but in practice you'll be stopped at the foot stool, six feet away. Seats are in a 1-1-1 configuration, but with so little privacy it is embarrassing, as you are in effect staring over the aisle at other people for hours on end. Thankfully on the left, you look over a blank wall, as there is a 1-1-1 layout, unlike on the 777s where its 1-2-1.
Simple buttons are provided to just raise or lower the seat, and another button to pop out the huge tray table. There is also a small locker beside the seat.
Thank goodness air New Zealand is finally catching up with the crowd, selecting a brand new design by the UK's Safran Seats GB division for its Business Class cabin - the Safran Visa.
I also took a walk through to look at seats at the back of the bus. Economy class on the Air New Zealand Boeing 787 is remarkably standard, with a 31 inch pitch and a 3-3-3 layout.
On the Boeing 787s, the dedicated premium economy cabin sees 52 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 layout.
Compared to the amazing looking, but really quite uncomfortable, Air New Zealand 'space' seat of a few years back, which died without trace after 18 months, it really is very conventional.
Entertainment - Air New Zealand Boeing 787
The entertainment screen is also remarkably dated. The screen is standard definition and only 11 inches in size. The content is good, but quite frankly it is much poorer than you get on many other airlines in economy class.
This aircraft also didn't have Wi-Fi. Air New Zealand is slowly installing Wi-Fi on its Boeing 787 fleet, however there is no way to know in advance if you'll get it, and the majority of the 787 fleet still does not have it.
The in-flight entertainment on the Air New Zealand Boeing 787 can not be viewed on the ground in Business, unlike in economy. This is odd, as in the cheap seats you can watch the in-flight entertainment from the moment you sit down. However, in business class you can not, as the screen is inset into the wall, and angled in such a way that you can't look at it when sitting down. Hence in that hour between boarding and takeoff there's absolutely nothing to look at other than the rest of the cabin.
There is also a small remote for the screen, clipped to the wall.
Once we hit the cruise the screen pops out, and you can plug in the headphones. Air New Zealand have a pretty nice pair; comfortable with decent sound quality. The film selection is pretty decent, but not exceptional, but it doesn't seem to matter that much as there is only a couple of hours to enjoy it.
Amenity Kit - Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class
A rarity on these flights is also a full amenity kit. The flight hardly needs one, as the flight is just a few hours long and few other airlines would bother.
However, the comprehensive kit has a decent washbag, and contains a mouthwash, toothbrush, moisturiser, socks, eye shades, and that most useful of items that frequent flyers know to guard with their lives - a pen. It saves all that tedious mucking around when the immigration forms arrive and you can't find anything to fill it in with.
Service - Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class
The crew caught me on the hop, popping up like a keen Zebedee to see if I was happy before takeoff, and offering Kiwi sparkling wine. It was a little early, but I tried some anyway, and I was a little surprised to be served with what appeared to be half a pint of sparkling wine, such is the design of the Kiwi wine glasses.
then as soon as we were in the cruise came straight over and asked if I'd like a pre-lunch cocktail. Seeing as I'd just finished breakfast I was wondering whether to abstain, but went for a Gin and Tonic anyway, just to see how quickly it would arrive. Less than 90 seconds later it was at my table, with some hot nuts.
The crew being very very attentive today, which was a real novelty. Indeed no sooner have the crew served me my Bombay Sapphire with Schweppes tonic than the starter trolley came down the aisle, the starters.
Seeing as I was just about to finish my drink I ask if I can wait a few minutes, and not only are they too happy to oblige, but suggest I have a beer if I want to have my dinner just a little bit later. Steinlager is the Air New Zealand beer of choice.
Meals - Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class
For me it felt like breakfast time, but most airlines time their meals to the landing time, and that meant we were on for an early lunch.
Menus were at the seat for everyone's delectation as soon as everyone entered the cabin, and it was pretty comprehensive with plenty of accoutrements. It's only a photocopied sheet of A4 but at least it's a menu.
To Begin
- Manuka smoked free range chicken, freekah and cranberry tabouli, walnut aioli
- Marinated bocconcini
Bakery
Turkish loaf, ancient grain rolls, and garlic bread with Hawkes Bay extra virgin olive oil
Mains
- Balsamic braised lamb with cannellini beans, carrots thyme and orange, black olive dressing
- pan fried snapper with lemon butter
- roasted chicken breast with smoked tomato sauce
To finish
- Vanilla bean ice cream with coconut brittle crumble
- Caramel panna cotta with sesame crumble and macerated strawberries
- New Zealand cheese served with quince paste and cracker selection.
There was however, to my surprise, no wine list. Air New Zealand normally takes its business class wine very seriously indeed, so I was surprised they were not advertised Indeed, with two sparkling wines, three whites, and three reds on the trolley, it would have been good to know what they were. Several crew members identified as wine specialists, and I did hope they could explain to me the tasting notes, but instead they just read the back of the bottle.
For lunch I go for the manuka smoked free-range chicken, and this comes with Frica and Cranberry tabbouleh on the side, plus two dollops of walnut aioli. The chicken is fantastic, soft and tender with a delicate flavour that really emphasises how it's smoked with 100 manuka wood from the west coast of New Zealand.
We're already halfway over the Tasman before the main course arrives. I decided on the Balsamic braised lamb with cannellini beans carrot thyme and orange and black olive dressing.
This again was great lots of flavour in the lamb, which was as tender and juicy as you'd expect from the islands from whence it came. On the side I went for non-traditional garlic bread, and the crew came back to ask if I'd like some Hawksbay extra virgin village press olive oil to dip into the bread.
For dessert there was New Zealand cheese, served with quince paste and cracker selection.
I asked the crew if I could have both desserts, and they beetled back to the galley, before coming back with a caramel panna cotta and sesame crumble with strawberries, This was the one letdown of the flight: a panna cotta should be an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened by gelatine. It was, but that light delicate creamy taste I was looking for was notable by its absence.
Incidentally, it's good to see the airline is using proper metal cutlery again.
By now it was two hours since take off, and the crew had noticed me taking pictures without comment. They then asked if I needed anything else for my filming! This was a complete change from the previous crew who threatened me with prosecution if I so much as took a photograph of their aircraft seat. I didn't warn the airline that I'd be on board or filming, so this was a crew totally spontaneously helping me out.
A few years before I had tried to take this very same trip, before a crew member with a serious attitude problem marched me to the back of the aircraft, and gave me a dressing down about what I thought I was doing taking a photo of the seat. To speak to any passenger that way was unforgivable, let alone someone in Business Class who had just taken one photo of the seat. It was later left to another crew member to apologise for the cabin service directors attitude, who was firmly told by the captain that taking a photo of a seat was not only permitted, it was encouraged.
After that kind of attitude, I have boycotted Air New Zealand over the past few years.
Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class reviews
No wonder the crew on a previous flight had tried to stop me taking photos of the seat: it really is one of the worst in Business Class on any airline, and I'm amazed Air New Zealand fitted it to a new aircraft.
However every other part of the flight was a delight. The lounges are now very good. The food is superb. It would have been good to know what the wines were, but at least when they arrived they were pretty decent.
A standout on this flight were the crew, who did everything they could to help.
On the whole, I left the flight feeling happy to be aboard.
See the full Trip Report: Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class video:
Lux-traveller paid its own way for this Trip Report: Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class, and travelled incognito.
| Trip Report: Air New Zealand Sydney Auckland Business Class | |
|---|---|
Lux-traveller.com rating:7 out of10  | |
| Seats: | 2 - Woeful, some of the worst in the business |
| Food: | 8 - Really very good in deed |
| Service: | 9 - Exceptional, some of the best I've had |
| IFE: | 6 - OK, but small screen, small selection |
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