Air New Zealand Air Points - 'New Look' Air NZ to be revealed today

Air NZ to make major announcement this afternoon

28.05.2002 11.07 am

Air New Zealand is expected to unveil its new-look domestic and short-haul international services later today.

The airline said it would hold a news conference at 4.30pm.

Air NZ has been mulling a major change in its modus operandi since the Government bailout late last year.

Its full board met on Friday and it is understood it considered the changes and signed off on them.

- NZPA

Predictions, anyone? I'll stick my neck out and make mine:
Domestic services to become one-class, with a simplified food/refreshment service but not entirely no-frills More generous minimum points level for NZ flights - i.e. use the frequent flyer programme rather than inflight extras as the incentive Short-haul international business class to remain Freedom Air to gain a number of leisure-oriented international routes, with corresponding reduction in NZ mainline services


Of course, when I'm proven completely and utterly wrong at 4.30 this afternoon I'll come back and delete my post and deny all knowledge http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

http://www.airnz.co.nz/mediacentre/pressreleases/index.jsp?articleId=21965&pid=12001

Well, I didn't do too badly for a country boy, I thought...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
Predictions, anyone? I'll stick my neck out and make mine:
Domestic services to become one-class, with a simplified food/refreshment service but not entirely no-frills. - "Air New Zealand will introduce a new Express class service on the main trunk domestic routes operated by its Boeing B737-300 fleet... Air NZ Express aircraft will be fitted with 136 seats, compared to 122 at present. The additional 14 seats per aircraft will be achieved by the removal of the separate business class cabins currently fitted on Air New Zealand B737-300s... A new in-flight snack service - including offerings of tea, coffee and water - will be provided on all Air NZ Express flights. There will be no in-flight meal or alcoholic beverage offering."
More generous minimum points level for NZ flights - i.e. use the frequent flyer programme rather than inflight extras as the incentive - "The Air Points programme will be modified to provide more points earning opportunities for frequent domestic flyers using the new Express service"
Short-haul international business class to remain. - "The development of new product and service specifications for Air New Zealand International short-haul services is well advanced, and significant changes will be introduced next year. Details of these changes will be announced closer to the implementation date." I guess this one could go either way.
Freedom Air to gain a number of leisure-oriented international routes, with corresponding reduction in NZ mainline services. - "Freedom Air's trans-Tasman operations will be expanded to provide new, low-fare services to Queensland from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, in addition to its existing range of trans-Tasman services." OK, so I was wrong about the reduction of mainline services!
</font>

So what are people's thoughts on the changes? Are they drastic enough? Should there be an FT party on the last ever NZ domestic business class flight?



[This message has been edited by mad_atta (edited 05-28-2002).]

Congrats on the wonderful predictions mad_atta!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
So what are people's thoughts on the changes? Are they drastic enough? Should there be an FT party on the last ever NZ domestic business class flight?
</font>

Now there's an idea http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I won't miss domestic business class but I will miss the nice relaxing wine flying home from Palmy!
The Express sounds great, especially as my tight employer now requires us to use Freedom to CHC/WGT and I'd really like the extra miles I'm missing now!
I've always enjoyed NZ and the really good service they provide and I hope these measures will keep NZ flying with a profit for a long time!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
Should there be an FT party on the last ever NZ domestic business class flight?
</font>

You might have to settle for a party just on the last ever Boeing B737-300 NZ domestic business class flight. 767s aren't losing their business class and the 767s do fly the occasional AKL-CHC service currently and probably will do so in the future if it makes sense from an aircraft positioning standpoint.

The press release also isn't clear on whether all 737-300s will lose their business class seats. For example, what about the 737-300s serving international routes -- will they be one class service only as well?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mad_atta:
Freedom Air to gain a number of leisure-oriented international routes, with corresponding reduction in NZ mainline services. - "Freedom Air's trans-Tasman operations will be expanded to provide new, low-fare services to Queensland from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, in addition to its existing range of trans-Tasman services." OK, so I was wrong about the reduction of mainline services!
</font>

Not so fast -- you may still be right. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The "its" in the phrase "in addition to its existing range of trans-Tasman services" refers to existing Freedom Air services, not Air NZ services.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Quokka:
You might have to settle for a party just on the last ever Boeing B737-300 NZ domestic business class flight. 767s aren't losing their business class and the 767s do fly the occasional AKL-CHC service currently and probably will do so in the future if it makes sense from an aircraft positioning standpoint.</font>

I assume that although these will have business class seats, they will not have business class service, so they will not really be business class any more. Nice to get the comfy seats though. Speaking of seats, I wonder what the new seats / seat pitch will be like? I suppose 136 seats for a single class 733 isn't too bad - compared, say to BMIBaby's 148 (29-30" seat pitch!) - but it does sound like a lot. Does this mean a slight reduction in seat pitch compared to the current economy setup?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Quokka:
The press release also isn't clear on whether all 737-300s will lose their business class seats. For example, what about the 737-300s serving international routes -- will they be one class service only as well?</font>

I think we'll have to wait until they reveal their new short-haul international product before we find that out. Since the international 733's are configured completely differently to the domestic ones (12x J seats at 46" pitch vs. 8x J seats at 36"ish pitch) that should be a whole separate issue. I really enjoy their short-haul business class so I'd be very sad to see that go. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif