Air New Zealand Tasman Flights - Space plus to return
We’ve listened to feedback from our HVC’s since announcing our new Tasman and Pacific Island product offering. The key piece of feedback we received related to the removal of Space+ from the front of the economy section of the A320.
Based on this feedback we have carefully reviewed the seating layout to see what can be achieved to increase seat pitch for our High Value Customers. On average we seat between 5-8 HVCs in the current Space plus area (depending upon the port)
As a consequence of the feedback we will be reconfiguring the A320 with 6 seats at the same 35 inch seat pitch as today in Space+ reserved for our HVCs. These are the front row seats.
We are also creating four rows of 32 inch seat pitch between rows 3-6 on the right hand side of the aircraft. These 12 seats will also be reserved exclusively for our HVC’s that currently get seated in Space+. We anticipate that these seats with additional leg room will be more than enough to cater to our average HVC load factor.
In addition to these seats we also have the 12 exit row seats at 33 inch seat pitch.
In total we will now have 30 seats forward of the wing with seat pitch between 32 and 35 inch exclusively for our HVC’s.
Thanks for the feedback on this issue that has encouraged us to reconsider and provide you with Space plus as per your requests
Bruce Parton
Group General Manager Shorthaul Airlines - Air New Zealand
Be interesting to see what happens when a GE (who would normally get Space+) goes for a works deluxe which entitles them to a neighbour-free seat.
Allocation of 6 seats, just one row. Agree with cavemanzk, the bulkhead may well be a problem.
Looks like policy on the run: gone from 6 rows to 0 to 1 row for Space + on the Airbus.
Programs: AirNZ Gold Elite, Qantas Bronze, United Mileage Plus, Virgin Blue Velocity, Accor Advantage Plus,
Posts: 502
Bruce - great news.
I am farewelling TT J class this afternoon MEL/WLG which will be a little sad, but the retaining of Space + almost makes up for its removal, particularly given the experience I had doing WLG/MEL a few weeks back
Programs: QF (WP), NZ (S), TG ROP (Forgotten), OZ (Silver), AA (Cardboard), EK (Lowest of the Low)
Posts: 3,339
Personally I think the first row should be reserved for 'Works Delux' pax meaning only 4 pax.
I think the remaining reduced pitch 'Space plus' seats should be available for preallocation for HVC.
I now wonder what is going to happen with the A320 being brought in to domestic services. Is 'Space plus' going to be configured the same?
Programs: NZ Air Points (Gold Elite), Velocity (Platinum), Emirates (Gold)
Posts: 600
I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but almost all of this seating is only 32-33 inch pitch. What's the normal pitch? How many rows of Space + did you used to have? Why not save at least 3 rows of it?
Thats 18 Seats at 35" Seat Pitch, this covers Works+ Customers, NZ*GE/G and Koru.
But that's 15inches of pitch they would have to find else where! which would be basically mean the loss 6 seats. Would of course would increase the per seat cost. Which most likely would be passed onto the passengers. Sadly in a price sensitive market price comes before pitch.
Its still going to be better than being packed onboard a Jetstar A320!
+1 to comments above around not really understanding an apparent Works Deluxe / Space + conflict, on a TT 320. (Also a little confused where Bruce Parton refers to "front row seats" for 35" pitch and then "four rows ... rows 3-6". i.e. What's happening to row 2?)
But to clarify how I read the apparent conflict, if you buy a Works Deluxe fare and you're otherwise entitled to Space +, do you just cascade through the list below;
up to 4 such pax, all get neighbour free AND 35" pitch in row 1
the next 8 pax 'in rank' get neighbour free AND 32" pitch starboard side in rows 3 to 6
the next 8 pax get neighbour free AND 33" pitch in an exit row
any more than 20 such pax (which NZ admittedly suggest could be rare) get neighbour free AND <32" pitch elsewhere on the aircraft
I find it highly unlikely that NZ would be abe to maintain 100% Capacity on the A320's with 171 seats with the current frequency, surely having 3 rows of Space+ would give business travelers another firm reason to fly NZ considering the removal of Business.
Every A320 flight i have flown on the TT has never been full..
Programs: NZ Gold Elite, SQ PPS, Intercon Platinum Royal Ambassador. That's all one needs to be honest.
Posts: 15
I'm sorry but the idea that Space+ has somehow been retained by
a) pushing starboard row 1 hard forward to hit 35" rather than a more normal 40" or so
b) Adding an extra couple of inches on rows 1 - 6
is just BS. It was a case of 'how can we do something to give a little without actually changing the number of seats on the aircraft and therefore having to re-run all the models' that was then spun into Space+ returns.
If anyone has ever tried to pre seat into row 4 on the 320 (Doing TT ex WLG about once a week at the moment) then you'll know it's:
a) Impossible without explicitly making the time to CALL the premium team at NZ (my travel agent seems to be able to do it for domestic but not TT)
b) Impossibleto do at the airport ex Au as the obnoxous QF ground staff will not seat you there.
So basically as it stands with NZ at the moment getting a seat in Row 4 is reliant on knowing the flight crew on the plane which is, at best, about 50/50 for me at the moment.
Probably the most significant change to FF benefits on NZ since the rerating of airpoints. Don't even get me started on the whole bag thing: Can anyone think of another *A carrier that denies checked baggage to a * Gold traveller on any ticket? I certainly can't. Not even UA and US have gone there yet.
Off the top of my head those that defn. don't
LH,US,UA,SQ,TG,CO, OU
NZ still a super airline... I just hope that Shorthaul doesn't gut it to the detriment of the oter passenger profit centers.
