Boarded on time, smooth flight and "gentle" landing in Palmerston North. Ahead of time due to a tailwind
Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our return home from Tokyo to Auckland and onwards to Palmerston North. We would recommend using the Premier Business class for long-haul travel, any day. Well worth the extra cost. Cabin staff were exceptional, Thank you
The Premium Economy seats were very comfortable and the food was quite tasty. I did not use the entertainment system, but I was able to charge my phone and tablet with the seatback connection.
Space between seats on Air New Zealand is generally tight. The crew on this flight was excellent! Very attentive and nice. You get free wine or beer and chips and of course the Air New Zealand candies. 1 hour and 35 min flight approximately.
The disembarking steps in Wellington were precarious and I felt quite insecure. There was no one on the tarmac to greet us and help. The embarking ramp in Blenheim was much more satisfactory. The rest of the flight was fine.
Great except paying $240 usd for 2 pounds over on a checked luggage. Outrageous.
Great entertainment options on the screen. uSB A and C chargers. Free WiFi! Crew were excellent.
The boarding process was less than ideal. While I liked being greeted with “Kia Ora”, the rest of the process was very average for business-class travel — queue, crowding, no clear separation between economy and business premier. The aircraft felt old, even though I believe it was only 6 years’ old. Travelling in Business Premier in Air New Zealand is like sitting in a glass bowl. One can see everyone, and everyone can see others. Very bad structuring of seats. If you have a choice, fly another airlines like Singapore Airlines for business — I had the option, but chose this flight due to it’s departure time. Regrettable decision. I had opted for Vegan food choice. Very poor food as well as service. It is as if the chefs preparing the meal have little idea what nutritious, healthy and filling plant-based food is. And the crew were totally uncoordinated. In the main dinner meal, the first thing I was served was a fruit bowl, and then followed by other items. No mention was made that the fruit bowl (served first) was the dessert! And then after my meal tray was cleared another steward (not the one who served the main meal) comes around asks me that now that I had had the would like the dessert. I said yes, please. He went off and comes back to tell me discreetly that I’ve already had my dessert! He also didn’t know what the dessert was — and I guess it was the fruit platter that was the first item I was served. I was traveling with partner, who had similar experience. For her, they just cleared her table without offering dessert. Extremely poor coordination. The area behind the seats was extremely dirty. I just happened to use the overhead light to try and locate something that had fallen, only to be horrified at the dust, crumbs and all kinds of other particles. The only good thing about the flight was that when it ended, our bags came very very quickly. But that I guess is more to do with airport operations for Air New Zealands at Auckland Airport rather than the flight itself. I would think very hard next time I have to fly Business Premier in New Zealand, especially on Boeing 787-9NZM, which this plane was. Basically if you are selecting seats and find that they are at a diagonal angle, do not book this if you are looking for luxurious travel. Better off with premium economy or a good economy seat. The quality of food and service indeed was way below par.
Great meal. Best seats ever! They need to teach other airlines how to do that.
The pilot tried to make up for lost time due to delays that were out of her control. She communicated the issues openly and clearly and made every effort to do what she could to alleviate issues.
