Air New Zealand review - by David Minard

21 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Wellington-Melbourne Economy A320 aircraft. Food and presentation dreadful, cheap and nasty. Seat spacing way too small for 4hrs onboard the plane. A lady in front reclined her seat at every opportunity, leaving me (an average well built 60 plus male), with no room at all. Eventually a terse conversation ensued and she did at least refrain for rest of trip. On these short pitched seats, on "short haul" international flights, Air NZ should disable the reclining function. I have seen similar disputes on other airlines in other parts of the world. To finish, I would say that I have had some very pleasant journeys on Air NZ to Asian destinations in Premium Ecnomy. It is a shame the Tasman has such a poor selection.

Air New Zealand review - by Ross Young

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

BNE-WLG, AKL-SFO, SFO-AKL CHC-BNE in Business. Flights were excellent with great food and wine and attentive staff. Slept well in the flat beds which seem to be softer than they used to be and had "covers" over the buttons for recline etc so they could no longer be activated accidentally as they used to be. Bags off quickly at all airports and lounges very good. Up with the best Business class flights I have travelled on long haul. Only cheap aspect was the amenity kit which has steadily declined over the years.

Air New Zealand review - by Tim Howard

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

A 9 hour flight from Honolulu to Auckland - excellent food (business class) and seating and a tremendous STAFF attitude made the flight completely enjoyable. Same with various flights within New Zealand and the return flight to Honolulu from Auckland.

Air New Zealand review - by W Coulton

9 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

BNE-AKL-YVR in Premium Economy on B777. Found the premium economy worth the extra money. Legroom excellent and it allowed some chance of getting some sleep on the overnight flight. Curtains closed between economy, but access left open to business class - and no having to line up to use the economy washrooms. The food was good and 3 choices offered with each meal. AVOD was very good and reliable. The thing that needs some review is the configuration of premium economy on the 777 - it is still 3-3-3, as with economy. Because of the good seat pitch, the tray tables are armrest fitted, so seats seem very narrow. I believe that premium seats are better on their 747's. Besides that, the service was excellent and all flight attendants had a smile on their face.

Air New Zealand review - by Steve Hayes

4 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-SYD-AKL Economy class. Flew on an older 767-300 on the way to Sydney. The seat was comfortable, service was good and prompt with a dinner option on both legs. Drinks were provided with dinner with a second drink run on the 3:30 hr flight to Sydney. The return flight only one drinks service and that was with dinner. Return leg was on a 777 so there were PTV's. Only thing to be wary of on the 777 is that when the person in from reclines, the seats have a habit of shooting back quickly, not easing back as with old style seats. This can catch you unawares if you are leaning forward at the time.

Air New Zealand review - by M Addams

17 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-YVR return Pacific Premium Economy. Excellent service from FA's, not the usual surly Air NZ! Food great, a big improvement on cattle. AVOD worked fine, good movies etc. However, the PE seats are too narrow on the 777's - the solid armrests do not help. Better to lose one seat in each row and add the width equally to the remaining seats! Enquired about upgrade to Business at YVR on return - advised that it would cost another NZ $4500 per person, which would have made the fare nearly NZ$7000 for one leg! I could hire a suite in the Fairmont for almost a week for less than that and get better food and a better bed.

Air New Zealand review - by J Douglas

4 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-AKL-LHR. Out bound in economy was exceptionally hot and our row lacked any window view. Otherwise quite acceptable with good food and regular water runs by cheerful, friendly staff (is it me or did the average age of staff seem higher than usual). Return by Premium Economy - different world! Although seats not much wider, knee room and general facilities greatly improved and food/service just excellent thanks to FA.

Air New Zealand review - by James Wilson

27 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-AKL-LHR Economy. One of the best Economy Class products I have experienced, 34 inch seat pitch, personal TV's with audio/Visual on demand, attentive and friendly FA's. Word of warning though, on the London Auckland route try and fly via Hong Kong on NZ38/39 as NZ2/1 goes via Los Angeles and immigration/Customs controls there are chaotic. It took me 2 hours from touching down until actually reaching the front of the line to have my passport inspected by an rude and tetchy Customs Official. For some reason on the day we passed through, US authorities also insisted we pass through full Customs controls as opposed to going straight to the small NZ transit room which is apparently normal procedure; so we actually ended up on the street outside the terminal and having to go through full x-ray procedures again.

Air New Zealand review - by Ian Ritchie

21 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL-WLG 737-300. Friendly staff worked hard with buy on board food service and free coffee / tea / water. Less than zero leg room, interior of 737 a bit aged for an aircraft less than 10 years old. WLG-AKL on A320, great staff, cabin interior light and airy.

Air New Zealand review - by Chris Matthews

17 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-LHR-LAX Premium Economy. Used this particular route as in comparison to fares with other airlines it was a very good deal. I prefer to use Premium Economy or Business depending on budget - wish more airlines would offer a Premium Economy Service. The cabin crew were polite, helpful and efficient. The food was fantastic, substantial menu, beverages offered. Stylish service not unlike business class. Each portion of meal delivered to your seat, not just on one tray via a cart. The seat could have been more comfortable, it seemed very hard and the legrest did not expand enough to be of any help, however legroom was spacious. Check in at LAX was rushed , a small space in the terminal and no separate check in for Premium Economy - at LHR it was very organized and allowed to check in at the Business desk. LAX did mark my baggage as Priority however LHR did not, unsure of their policy on that. Entertainment great AVOD without any technical hitches. I would give this a 9/10 in total , the seat comfort could have been better.

Air New Zealand review - by A Hogan

13 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-AKL B772 Premium Economy, AKL-LAX-AKL B744 Premium Economy, AKL-SYD B767 Business. Premium Economy ex Sydney on the Tasman route is usually only offered a few times a week, it is worthwhile trying to book on the B772 if you can make the connection work to LAX. Superior service, food and comfort is offered in Premium Economy, however the B744 offers superior seat width and comfort. The recent upgrades : food service on long haul flights similar to business class, noise cancelling headsets are excellent, and crew are very attentive. One question I had prior to this trip related to the bulkhead or exit row seats in premium economy - there is no further seat width reduction as a result of the personal TV being located in the armrest instead of in the seat in front. As a result, I believe row 22 of premium economy in the upper deck and row 27 on the lower deck of the B744 and row 23 on the B777 are the best possible seats you can secure, if you don't want anyone to recline on you. It does get very cold on the lower deck in premium economy, however duvets are offered to customers in these seats. AKL/SYD we received a last minute upgrade to business class on the B767 which was welcome after such a long flight from LAX. A few things that need ironing out - the Air New Zealand website indicates that Premium Economy customers receive premium check-in, however we were "told off" by check-in staff in Sydney for standing in that line; on the B744 there are insufficient premium washrooms for the newly combined Business Premier/Premium Economy cabins on the main deck; I received priority baggage ex LAX but non priority bags came out first in SYD. Overall, I would highly rate Air New Zealand's Premium Economy product, and it represents excellent value for money.

Air New Zealand review - by R Scorer

9 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX for Xmas in Business Premier. Food and wine excellent as was entertainment system. Crew ere young and enthusiastic. Cabin is the same as Virgin and is excellent.

Air New Zealand review - by A Neilson

5 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-AKL return (via HK). Economy on outward journey was ok. At 6'2" I found it was quite spacious and comfortable and food better than most. Return journey was booked in Premium Economy, but we were upgraded to Business Premier for leg to Hong Kong. Excellent service and food, but bed could have a bit more padding. Second leg was back to Premium Economy. Excellent food and staff on hand to serve, but not over the top. Overall a very good airline. Would definitely advise paying extra for the Premium Economy on long flights though. Step up in service from cattle class is quite significant.

Air New Zealand review - by S Mason

4 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Four LAX-AKL economy trips past several years, two this year. Cabin crew woke us up at midnight playing around. Had crying two year old behind me, kicking my seat all night and screaming, which can't be helped except the headphones are such a bad fit - won't stay on under any circumstances. Food so so, wine a gamble depending on what they serve. New water service appreciated. Food service good. I'd rather fly Qantas but usually get the best deal on ANZ. ANZ is affordable, safe, reliable.

Air New Zealand review - by C Roberts

30 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SFO-AKL-CHC return in economy. Long Haul product on 777-200ER very good. Food edible, inflight entertainment good, and staff professional. Water runs every 1/2 hour or so between meals a big plus. Domestic product less impressive but flight is short.

Air New Zealand review - by M Asher

24 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG-LHR. Can only add to earlier praise for Air New Zealand's Premium Economy. Great to have the wider seat; generous seat pitch; and fabulous food. I enjoyed the upper deck. Couldn't fault staff professionalism, but with one of the two FAslooking after us seeming perpetually miserable, it brought the rating down a notch.

Air New Zealand review - by Shane Tarr

20 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG-AKL-HKG Premium Economy. I was traveling with my partner and our 20 month old son. True to form he played up but the flight attendants including the Purser tried their best to accommodate us by ensuring we could get some food and quite fine wine. The trip back was uneventful and I recommend Premium Economy over Economy (although to be fair I have not traveled NZ Economy Class for over 20 years) and will travel Premium Economy again from HKG-AKL in early January 2008.

Air New Zealand review - by S Bates

16 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-HGK-LHR in economy. Flight going out nearly full but fortunately we had nobody sat next to us. On our return the plane was less than half full allowing for plenty of room. Seat comfort was adequate, good leg room for economy. IFE giving plenty of choice. Crew both ways friendly and hardworking. 2 meals served on outgoing flight and 2 plus 2 snacks on return journey and food was of good quality. Plenty of water offered every 30 mins.

Air New Zealand review - by L Marevich

12 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX-AKL-CHC, Economy. A long time to spend on one aircraft. I was sitting in an exit row, so had plenty of legroom, and found the rigid nature of the seats a little uncomfortable. On all flights the FA's were happy/smiling, however found that the catering seemed a little thin. Only 2 meals served on a 12 hour flight, and 2 full drink services on the LAX-AKL, and only 3 drink services on the LHR-LAX leg. They were available if you approached the galley for more drinks, but would have been nice to get an extra service in. No eye masks/toiletry kits issued anymore, which was disappointing, as I had packed all of my liquids in the hold. The transit lounge in LA is vile, and we were stuck there for 3 hours with very little to do/see and not enough seats for all either. Also a bit of a nightmare for the smokers! On the whole, was a pleasant flight, with great IFE - just could have done with a little bit more catering for the length of the journey. Crew however can't be faulted.

Air New Zealand review - by Frederick Hughan

11 December 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

My wife and I just completed a trip which involved Premium Economy legs from Melbourne to Los Angeles and return. My rating for Premium Economy would have been 4-5 stars accept for two key issues - the width and comfort of the seats. The seats were very narrow (barely wider the Economy) and the padding of the seats was very limited. Ironically we sat downstairs in the 747 and had loads of storage in the side cabinets. We would happily have given this up for better seats. The food, service, leg room and privacy were excellent but never again unless there is a change to the seats.

Air New Zealand review - by Tim Collins

30 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-LHR-LAX Economy. I was told I wouldn't earn United Mileage Plus miles on Air NZ because of the fare class I had purchased, even though Air NZ is a Star Alliance member. So much for the 'alliance' then! Check-in at LAX fairly easy and quick, although I'm glad I got there early, as even 1 hour before the check-in desks opened there was already a line. The flight was only half-full, but rather than spreading the passengers out, everybody was bunched together, mostly on the sides. There was a large group of empty seats in the middle section, so as soon as the seatbelt was turned off I was able to grab a whole row (4 seats) in the middle section. I was hoping I would be able to stretch out and sleep, but this turned out not to be possible. Firstly, the armrests between the seats do go up, but only half-way and not all of them stayed up. You can kind of lay beneath them, but it wasn't comfortable. Secondly, the new economy seats are contoured so if you lie crossways, it is very lumpy. So in the end I used the seats as they were designed for, but at least had some room to spread out. I was a little surprised that Air NZ does not provide an amenity kit, just a blanket and pillow. Food was quite good and plentiful, and consisted of 3 courses plus a small serving of cheese and crackers. Unlike US airlines alcohol is free and I enjoyed the NZ wines served. Coffee and tea followed dinner service, but no liquors were offered. No hot towel service is provided, something that even United used to offer. But these are minor points and overall the service was good - flight attendants friendly without being overly chatty. Breakfast surprisingly good and plentiful - yogurt, fruit, muffin. The on-demand entertainment system was excellent. The only weakness was the headphones provided - I found it difficult to listen to dialog on movies. But you can bring your own headphones provided you have the appropriate adapter. Seats were fairly comfortable - a disappointment there is no foot rest on the 747-400. The return flight was just as good - this time the flight was almost full although I lucked out in having an empty seat next to me. Food and service were again very good. Drink service was frequent, plus there were a couple of announcements that a full bar service was available in the galley. Air NZ has a good economy product, although it's fairly basic and many of the frills that airlines use to provide have been eliminated, but that's probably true of all airlines nowadays.

Air New Zealand review - by D Walker

27 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

CNS-WLG via AKL. Check in at CNS smooth with 4 check in desks open. Plane an older 767. Full flight - attentive and easygoing crew. Food service consisted of 2 choices. Ok entertainment. Plenty of drinks and free alcohol. Arrived at transfer desk at Auckland and informed by AirNZ staff I could catch an early flight down to Wellington at no cost. 737, again full.No cabin service apart from tea/coffee or water for a 1 hour flight. Air NZ service is fine its no better or worst then other airline flying across the tasman.

Air New Zealand review - by L Matthiessen

27 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-HKG return economy. Friendly staff, better food than normal, champagne in real glasses, on time, about 40 movies to choose from on demand and most important enough room for the legs (I am 195 cm).

Air New Zealand review - by K Faulkner

14 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating : n/a

Comments removed by SKYTRAX Editor : 1 March 2008

Air New Zealand review - by Alan Wan

14 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG-LHR Business Class. Flew in the main deck which after seeing the upper deck shared with Premium Economy I think was the better choice. FA's very attentive and polite. Food very good and choice of wines one of the best I've had.

Air New Zealand review - by John Ashworth

12 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX return. Discount Business Fare around the same price as BA WTP. Outbound, check-in and security clearance through T3 very quick. United lounge disappoints but warm welcome on board and explanation on seat etc. Food good, drink good and bed more than satisfactory if a little firm. Way back better, lounge at LAX is good snacks etc and great view of runways. An hour early on landing and despite small delay in finding a gate, bags ready when I got through immigration.

Air New Zealand review - by Richard Connett

9 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Auckland to London via LAX. AKL-LAX was Boeing 777. While people rave over the 777, my feelings are mixed. Great entertainment system, but I have a problem with the seating. Legroom is okay for my 6 foot frame, but the degree of recline of the seats in front of you is ridiculous. When the seat is reclined, it is literally in your face, making eating impossible and watching your personal TV difficult. However, I had exit row seats LAX-LHR and LHR-LAX on the 747 and these seats were the best you could ask for, even better than paying the extra $1000 each way and using Premium Economy. Staff AKL-LAX and LAX-AKL great. Meals ok, nothing to rave about, sometimes the choices are a little heavy for the time of day/night you are flying.

Air New Zealand review - by Jim Hamilton

6 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Perth - Auckland - Dunedin return economy. Boeing 767-300 Perth-Auckland showing its age. Entertainment very basic for such a long flight, overhead screens with very poor earphones. Flight crew good, drink service at frequent intervals and meal acceptable. Only a 60 minute time to reach internal flight (30 minutes late into Auckland) but made it as Auckland is an efficient airport. Auckland-Dunedin in Boeing 737, basic service with a hot drink and biscuit. OK for a 80 minute flight. Return flights better as able to book luggage through to Perth from Dunedin. If Air NZ put on a decent aircraft on this route I would give them 4 stars. Inflight much improved from a similar flight 18 months ago.

Air New Zealand review - by Soren Krumrey

28 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

I'm always a bit torn when it comes to my opinion on Air New Zealand having traveled with them recently both trans-tasman and on long-haul routes to the US. On the US routes they (mostly) use much nicer and newer aircraft than Qantas does and given the excellent connections via Auckland and often better fares I think they are worth to consider as an option between Australia and the US West coast. However, while the Boeing 777-200ERs are excellent offering on demand video even in economy and Auckland airport is one of my favorite airports world-wide, the service unfortunately often lacks behind. The staff often seems to be rather annoyed than happy about their job and they display this quite openly to their customers. The food choices in economy are limited and microscopic in size on the ultra-long trans-pacific flights. On the latter the service also almost comes to a complete stop after the rushed meal service after take-off and you're left alone (and hungry) for hours. On a recent trans-tasman trip between AKL and SYD I encountered the worst cabin staff I've seen in a long time. So overall I'd say nice aircraft with good in-flight entertainment but extremely limited meal services (featuring excellent Kiwi wines though) and often extremely inattentive staff.

Air New Zealand review - by A Gibbons

28 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

AKL to Rarotonga, new B777 both ways in J class. Service efficient and professional. Air NZ lounge at Auckland excellent range of foods and drinks for breakfast on offer. The seat and cabin amenities are outstanding. Excellent food, regular beverage top ups. Arrival at Raro is a typical island affair though Air NZ could so something more with its Rarotonga lounge as it is tiny, just a little bolthole for about 20- 25 pax.

Air New Zealand review - by B Mckeown

26 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

WLG-SYD in Business Class, ground crew excellent, there was an issue with my boarding pass but it was delivered to me in the lounge. The lounge duty manager was excellent, and crew on board also fantastic. First class service. Food fine, drinks always full, and always a cabin presence. IFE was excellent (I had a choice of 20 different movies to view on a personal DVD player). Overall, this was my most enjoyable flight with Air New Zealand yet.

Air New Zealand review - by I Wallace

17 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX-AKL-CHC, AKL-HKG-LHR Economy 747. Sat in row 66 window for most of the trips. The seat to go for, as there is no row 65 window, so loads of leg room. Food excellent and plentiful, Entertainment - 100's of movies and TV programs to choose from on demand, Staff cheerful and bring water every 30 mins. Overall the best long haul flight, beats BA/QF hands down. LAX, pointless immigration but bearable! Take NZ303 to CHC if possible, as no need to walk to domestic terminal.

Air New Zealand review - by J Duncan

17 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Business Premier London Heathrow to Hong Kong Return. The lounge in LHR shares with United which and was nothing special. Lounge in Hong Kong was nicely done - open plan, airy with every amenity. Onboard the seat offers great privacy. I liked the way the seat flipped over. I had plenty of room and got a great night sleep. All in all this was a very impressive flight with great service and I look forward to using them again.

Air New Zealand review - by J Logie

11 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX Business Premier. 747 and opted for the top deck despite some negative comments. The crew were very professional. Food excellent. The seats have plenty of storage space, large table, personal TV and console that can be used as a companion seat. The controls are very sensitive and its easy to accidentally knock a button without realising. I was in the pod nearest premium economy passengers and would not have known that they were there if I hadn't needed to go to the loo. Its a very quiet and calm area with plenty of space. I'm 6/ and found the bed more than adequate for my height and very comfortable, although some may find it a bit too firm. You are under no obligation to eat when they are serving as they will keep your meal and snacks if you sleep for when you are ready. All in all air NZ gave us a fantastic start to our holiday.

Air New Zealand review - by Claus Dirnberger

9 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-AKL-RAR-AKL-SYD in business class. Three sectors on B777, one on a B767-300. Business lie-flat seats on 777 are outstanding, crews were humUrous, food good with a nice selection of wiines and champagnes. AVOD and excellent noise-cancelling surround headsets. The 767 is different : although crew was outstanding, the seats are well past their use-by dates and are in desparate need of replacement. There is also an ancient entertainment system on those planes with tiny screens. Overall 4.5 stars from me.

Air New Zealand review - by W Warnock

9 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR to LAX economy, LAX to LHR premium economy. This was my first long distance flight on Air NZ. Outward journey was fine. Seat pitch of 34" on their 747's is comfortable and IFE, food and service were good. Pity the IFE packed in after only an hour or so on my side of the plane - the centre and left sections seemed to work OK. The return on premium economy was good value. Seat pitch was generous and, again, food, service and IFE were good. Overall, on both journeys, a good experience. I would certainly use them again.

Air New Zealand review - by Robert McCoy

5 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-AKL economy class. Aircraft (747-400) in nice shape. The crew wasn't exactly friendly. Was a little disappointed in their service as I haD read excellent things about them. Would fly them again though. Price was right.

Air New Zealand review - by Stephen Lloyd

5 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-HKG Business Class. Super flat beds with possibly too much privacy (hard to talk to my wife in the next seat) but a good nights sleep with above average, if not very inspired, food. Good range of drinks and service level very high. We were on the lower deck in the private cabin. I did take a look at the upper deck, my normal preference, and glad I took head of earlier reviews on this site. I felt the mix of premium economy and business did not work, particularly with no separation, for the business customers. However, if I was in premium I would aim for the top deck immediately.

Air New Zealand review - by E Gibson

5 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-HKG-LHR Economy. Amazing leg room for Y and good, attentive crew - loads of drinks and excellent IFE. The best experience I've had in economy!

Air New Zealand review - by Tom Collins

5 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LHR-LAX return Economy class. Service fantastic from check-in through to deboarding. We were sat in 64A/B outbound. Loads of legroom, 747-400s despite getting older now are still in good condition. In- flight entertainment is as good as it gets for an economy cabin. Lots of choice to suit different tastes. On the return leg staff were slightly less friendly (probably stressed as they were under- staffed due to illness) but very helpful. Overall I wouldn't hesitate to fly on them again and highly recommend them.