Air New Zealand Air Points - New Business Premier Seats

Hello, this is my first post here - I've jumped over from the BA side.

Does anyone have any photographs of the new Business Premier flat-bed seats? I've scoured about and found plenty text but no pictures. They seem to be longer than the BA ones, but does anyone have experience of both to compare?

You can begin your journey here:

http://erequest.airnz.co.nz/us/explore/detect.htm

You can begin your journey here:

http://erequest.airnz.co.nz/us/explore/detect.htm


Thanks - looks good. I wonder how comfortable it is.

I wonder how comfortable it is.
I will tell you next March :)

Hi,

Although I have not flown ANZ, I have flown VS Upper Class ( who licenced the suite design to ANZ).

The seats are bigger and wider than the BA NCW seats and were great to sleep in.

Regards

TBS

Check out this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=547833

KiwiPanda

Very comfortable. For me the best business class seat I have flown on (lots of airlines), and better than some first class seats.

Does anyone have any photographs of the new Business Premier flat-bed seats?
This product serves completely separate functions: A seat on one side covered in soft leather and at the touch of a button the seat flips over to become a fully flat bed which is built of firm, highly supportive foams covered in a breathable fabric for maximum sleeping comfort.

If you are interested to learn more about VS's Upper Class Suite, look at the bunch of information Virgin Atlantic (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/whatsonboard/upperclass/index.jsp) has to offer. At this stage you might consider to change ships!

I flew British Airways Business Class Flat bed (the forward and rear facing) and found them quite narrow.

I've also flown on the old (very old) Air NZ First Class that are not flat bed but more comfortable that BA flat bed.

Over Easter I flew on the new Business Premier ANZ and they seemed very comfortable, more roomy than the BA. The pillows were much larger and there was a nice duvet.

All in all, I fancy a longer trip than Trans Tasman to check them out but I think they'll be good

This product serves completely separate functions: A seat on one side covered in soft leather and at the touch of a button the seat flips over to become a fully flat bed which is built of firm, highly supportive foams covered in a breathable fabric for maximum sleeping comfort.

If you are interested to learn more about VS's Upper Class Suite, look at the bunch of information Virgin Atlantic (http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/whatsonboard/upperclass/index.jsp) has to offer. At this stage you might consider to change ships!


But AirNZ is the only one to go GB-NZ in two hops.

But AirNZ is the only one to go GB-NZ in two hops.

Out of VS and NZ sure. Out of all airlines - not at all.

Off the top of my head

NZ
SQ
TG
BI
MH
CX
AR

Not 2 nonstop flights but 2 direct flights (at least one with a stop en route)
EK
QF

I just flew them on Sunday from LHR-LAX. Really excellent. Far better than BA and service much more professional than Virgin. Food wasn't great, entertainment terrific, seat great-although better for sleeping than anything else. In the regular position its not too comfortable. This flight normally seems never ending but I could have stayed on for longer!

Thanks for all your replies - hope to try it out.

Duncan

IMHO, it's better as a bed than as a seat. It is, however an excellent product all around.

I agree with Kiwi Flyer that it is one of the best C products out there; indeed better than many F products.

My first experience (SYD-AKL) didn't give me much time, but NZ99 yesterday was long enough to actually enjoy the seat. One comment I would have (which I think has already been mentioned) is that the position of the Ottoman definitely restricts the legroom if you don't actually have your feet on it.

How long are these seats meant to last though? The seats themselves are OK, but there already seem to be reliability issues with the mechanical parts. The table mechanism seems to be a particular problem (and by the end of the flight yesterday i couldn't stow mine away properly), and there was also at least one seat that didn't seem to convert to the bed without physical intervention.

I dont know - it may be worth posing the question on the VS forum since it is the same seat, which they've had for a while now.

it may be worth posing the question on the VS forum since it is the same seat, which they've had for a while now.
This was actually the reason that I was surprised by what I saw. Since VS have been using them for a while I would have thought that they had ironed out the basic problems. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding, is it perhaps just the design that's the same, with a different manufacturer?

Thanks - looks good. I wonder how comfortable it is.

very comfy. flied it relatively early 10/21/05 SFO-AKL (LAX still hadnt refitted), and its awesome. Best Ride to SYD IMO... 2 weeks ago was in QF J and IMO BP is much of a better product... service comparable. BP is also cheaper and can't figure out why... Very similar to VS Upper, but better, newer and slightly wider i found. Stay near the nose (rows 1-7) very private.

Yeah great product, flew it in December 05 on my honeymoon on the way from BNE to Tahiti on the Trans-tasman leg.

pm me if you want some real pictures, i have a few, but they have people in them.

Very comfortable. For me the best business class seat I have flown on (lots of airlines), and better than some first class seats.

Do you now prefer NZ J over LH F? I suspect the answer is yes because the NZ J seat is better than the LH F seat.

Based purely on the seat, yes NZ business premier (ie new business) seat is better than LH first seat IMHO.

Thanks - looks good. I wonder how comfortable it is.


Sean, I flew on these new flatbeds last monh for the first time from SFO to AUK and then from AUK to NRT.

Definitely a better sleep and than most First Class seats.

flew BP 4 times at the end of last year. great seat and product. only thing missing for me was inflight broadband. Got a great sleep each flight and I like the way you can have the seat reclined for take off and landing. Each seat has aisle access too, so no more climbing over someone else for that middle of the flight toilet trip. :)

Which deck /seats are best in Biz class on 744 (LAX-AKL) ? I've looked at SeatGuru and no recommendations as to what seats are best

With the new seats they are all fairly similar. None have views out the window. All have aisle access. So it basically comes to how much privacy and whether want to be near or far from galley and toilets, and downstairs vs upstairs - to me these are all personal calls.

in the downstairs front forwards-most cabin, the first row of seats are a bit close together - fine for a couple but not if you're travelling alone. upstairs is shared between BP and PE, which is not the best combo in my experience. All the other seats are fine with the usual provisos - i.e. seats near to toilets may suffer from a wee bit more noise.

I would dispute the "no view from windows" - you just have to turn your head a wee bit more!! :)

Which deck /seats are best in Biz class on 744 (LAX-AKL) ? I've looked at SeatGuru and no recommendations as to what seats are best

I loved the nose in the 747. We were in seats 4K/5K and thought they were as close to perfect as could be. Provide more privacy than the second BP cabin downstairs and upstairs would seem crowded to me.

While not the 747, the 777 seemed much less private (4 aisles of seats vs. 2 in the 747 nose) and sharing the bathroom with premium economy got annoying (similar to upstairs on the 747).

If given the choice - I would connect in LAX to go in the nose cabin of the 747.

All the other seats are fine with the usual provisos - i.e. seats near to toilets may suffer from a wee bit more noise.



Or even a bit more wee noise?

I loved the nose in the 747. We were in seats 4K/5K and thought they were as close to perfect as could be. Provide more privacy than the second BP cabin downstairs and upstairs would seem crowded to me.
Agreed the nose is the right choice, but would stay away from the front. The seats start getting really close to together, particularly in row 1.

I loved the nose in the 747. We were in seats 4K/5K and thought they were as close to perfect as could be. Provide more privacy than the second BP cabin downstairs and upstairs would seem crowded to me.


i'd agree with that.

Or even a bit more wee noise?
:) :) :)

i'd agree with that.

Hm. I'm in the upper deck, 16A and 17A. Bad choice? :confused:

Hate to be harbinger of doom .... a few months on and the seats & service remain one of the best. However, the rest of the suite seem to be falling apart :td:

I was on a 777 a few days ago, the table wouldn't latch close on take off or in turbulence. The personal screen was looking very frayed at the edges. The system itself was still fragile - the crew reminded us to be gentle with it. The cup holder was no longer horizontal. Hmmm.........!

Hate to be harbinger of doom .... a few months on and the seats & service remain one of the best. However, the rest of the suite seem to be falling apart :td:

Isn't VS already upgrading the suite, as well? I read something about it on their website.

I'm sitting in 4K tommorrow LHR-LAX. Shall let you know how i get on! Can't wait to see aht they are like.

chris

seat guru are now offering an opinion on good and bad seats in BP (all classes in fact) on NZ's 747R
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_New_Zealand/Air_New_Zealand_Boeing_747-400_new.php

16 is at the front of the upstairs cabin which as you'll see is shared with PE.

As to Virgin's plans, i hear they plan to offer a double bed facility for couples - now that would be a laugh :cool:

seat guru are now offering an opinion on good and bad seats in BP (all classes in fact) on NZ's 747R
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Air_New_Zealand/Air_New_Zealand_Boeing_747-400_new.phpseatguru's 'comments' are standard stuff for exit rows, bulkheads and seats near lavs. I don't see any evidence of real experience there right now.

YMMV.

seatguru's 'comments' are standard stuff for exit rows, bulkheads and seats near lavs. I don't see any evidence of real experience there right now.

YMMV.

true enough, that's here in this thread ;)

Just booked Air New Zealand Flight #1 LAX/AKL Business Class Award - YEA! (Used 90M United miles)
Flying Onward to SYD on Flight #101
Traveling w/husband - Both Seniors....... ;)
So after reading through this thread - I still don't see Row & SEAT NUMBER to request ??
Would you recommend Downstairs Row 1 A-K for LAX/AKL ??
and Downstairs Row 1 EF for AKL/SYD??
I tried to look at the Air New Zealand web site but their seat diagram is very confusing - and Seat Guru isn't much help - :confused:
Thanks for any informative suggestions......
Also - How serious is it at Check in ---In Business Class, do they actually weigh your carry-on and restrict to 12 lbs??
What can my check in bags weigh??
(Going on a month long cruise out of Sydney!)
Appreciate your help............thanks, Renee :)

Carry on is supposed to be 7kg (allowed 2 in business class), but in my experience will only be weighed if it looks heavy.

Carry on is supposed to be 7kg (allowed 2 in business class), but in my experience will only be weighed if it looks heavy.

Mine looks heavy and it actually is a bit heavy. Unfortunately, I won't check those bags under any circumstances. I'd rather not board the flight, walk over to LH, buy a one-way ticket, then whine about my terrible NZ experience on FT. :cool:

Just booked Air New Zealand Flight #1 LAX/AKL Business Class Award - YEA! (Used 90M United miles)
Flying Onward to SYD on Flight #101
Traveling w/husband - Both Seniors....... ;)
So after reading through this thread - I still don't see Row & SEAT NUMBER to request ??
Would you recommend Downstairs Row 1 A-K for LAX/AKL ??
and Downstairs Row 1 EF for AKL/SYD??
I tried to look at the Air New Zealand web site but their seat diagram is very confusing - and Seat Guru isn't much help - :confused:
Thanks for any informative suggestions......
Also - How serious is it at Check in ---In Business Class, do they actually weigh your carry-on and restrict to 12 lbs??
What can my check in bags weigh??
(Going on a month long cruise out of Sydney!)
Appreciate your help............thanks, Renee :)


As previously mentioned, on the refitted 747 1 A and K are the front two seats - closer together than the others but fine for a couple and arguably more private. NZ101 is a 777 - so no upstairs/downstairs and still with new BP seats. Front row is fine on this plane but there's no seats E or F. Its A, B, J and K. See here http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/travelinfo/ontheplane/seat_maps/boeing_777_200_new_popup.htm

In BP, you're allowed one more checked in piece of baggage, max weight 32kg i think.

have a good trip!

In BP, you're allowed one more checked in piece of baggage, max weight 32kg i think.!Not true - that's a *G benefit, Business Premier just entitles one to 32kg pieces instead of 23kg pieces.

Anyway for flysurfer, if challenged just make out that the bags contain cash, negotiable bonds, deeds, jewellery, antiques, glassware and computers.

Anyway for flysurfer, if challenged just make out that the bags contain cash, negotiable bonds, deeds, jewellery, antiques, glassware and computers.

Thanks. That's pretty close to the truth, anyway. :p

Incidentally, passengers being dishonest about the weight of their cabin baggage is the reason we (usually) no longer assist in lifting the bags into overhead lockers - one of the loveliest flight attendants I've ever had the pleasure to work with suffered a back injury that ended her flying career by lifting an overweight cabin bag and since then the airline has institututed this policy - no doubt to lessen their insurance payments.

So as long as you can lift it yourself it should be OK! (Flysurfer, this isn't trying to get at you - you should see some of the bags people have managed to scam their way on board with - it would make your bag curl up and cry for mummy!)

FWIW my carryon is sometimes around 10kg and I've not had a problem yet with NZ (although once I was made to carry my water bottle separately!). So they're not enforcing the rule too strictly. nz_crew - yup especially in usa and also shorthaul asian "shopping" routes. Last week I saw one pax with no less than 6 huge boxes (bigger than my telly) as carry-on luggage in addition to rollaboard, small bag and personal items. Took several crew to assist bringing all the bags & boxes onboard.

I presume NZ will be impacted by the new UK rules being enforced by BAA from July - no weight limit for carry on but apparently strict size and number limits (one plus laptop/personal item).

(Flysurfer, this isn't trying to get at you - you should see some of the bags people have managed to scam their way on board with - it would make your bag curl up and cry for mummy!)

LOL! No worries, my bags always fit.
And I can lift them myself.
After doing so, I'm crying for mummy. :)

Not true - that's a *G benefit, Business Premier just entitles one to 32kg pieces instead of 23kg pieces.
:o My mistake. sorry.

Having now travelled in the new seats I have a few thoughts about them and the cabins.

I rate the seats highly for sleeping. A little more cushioning would help, but the extra duvet does the trick for now.
Seat does not recline enough when used as a seat.
The elbow room for eating was narrow, made me use better table manners.
Jacks are in an awkward spot.
IFE was excellent for the little I used it.
Lacks any of the exclusivity, coziness etc that came with the old F.
Beats the heck out of the old C.
Cabin feels somewhat claustrophobic.

All in all I feel I received good value for the money paid. When I think of it purely as a means of comfortable mass transportation I give NZ to thumbs up for the new seats and cabin. This is mean't as a genuine compliment and is not to be construed as a back handed compliment.

All in all I feel I received good value for the money paid. When I think of it purely as a means of comfortable mass transportation I give NZ to thumbs up for the new seats and cabin. This is mean't as a genuine compliment and is not to be construed as a back handed compliment.

Did you pay the full US$6000+ for each seat? I am thinking about doing the same thing though I have NEVER come close to doing anything like that in the past. I have instead relied on UA to get me places in Business class using upgrades. Because that is not an option on ANZ (and premier economy does not look good enough) I wonder what is the best way to purchase two Biz seats? Any discounts out there? Or with a hotel package? Looking to going in late Feb.

Include it on a RTW and get a lot more flying for about the same price (depending where you buy CRWSTARx) or not too much more.

Did you pay the full US$6000+ for each seat? I am thinking about doing the same thing though I have NEVER come close to doing anything like that in the past. I have instead relied on UA to get me places in Business class using upgrades. Because that is not an option on ANZ (and premier economy does not look good enough) I wonder what is the best way to purchase two Biz seats? Any discounts out there? Or with a hotel package? Looking to going in late Feb.

More than $6000 USA<->NZ? Ouch! I paid about $5300 each for BP return from the UK.

With Amex platinum you cab get 2 business class tickets for the price of one. One of my friends from LA bought a ticket for him and his wife just paid the taxes. It was about $8,000 for both of them. You have to book it thorugh Platinum travel service.
The route was LAX-SYD then AKL-LAX
I thought this was a pretty good deal.
Most of the times the 2X1 deal is not that great with other carriers since you have to book the unrestricted fare but seems like Air New Zealand is ok.

More than $6000 USA<->NZ? Ouch! I paid about $5300 each for BP return from the UK.

I paid about C$6,761 for the ticket. I have looked at the UK version of the NZ website and noticed it to be less expensive. I could have bought a confirmed upgradeable ticket YVR-LHR-YVR on AC plus the LHR-AKL-LHR on NZ for about the same price as I paid, however time can be a very important factor for me as well. If the extra mileage would have made the difference between Air Canada Elite and Super Elite, I would have done the extra long haul.

Edited to change ticket price to exact amount.

With Amex platinum you cab get 2 business class tickets for the price of one.
Now that's a great idea! I wonder if I can get one even though I already have an Amex SPG? I'm going to check it out. Sounds much better than spending US$13,200 for two seats on a plane. I'm finding that "Amex" fare would be about $10,000 for two...

Sadly Air New Zealand is no longer a partner airline for the UK Amex Platinum Charge Card. I do not know if the situation is different for US cardholders.

I rate the seats highly for sleeping. A little more cushioning would help, but the extra duvet does the trick for now. Yup, couldn't agree more.

Seat does not recline enough when used as a seat. Biggest drawback IMO, especially if you're on the via HKG routing which is a morning departure to LHR.

Jacks are in an awkward spot. Had to call a FA in the end as couldn't work out where to stick the headhpone jack.

IFE was excellent for the little I used it. If you like Lord of the Rings :D I found the latency between pressing buttons and something happening to be problematic - NZ missed the first rule of useability - confirm every action with an on-screen message.

Would add to this some other aspects of the round-trip (LHR-HKG-LHR) which made an impression for better or worse. All should be taken in the context that I'm not a regular Air NZ flyer and that for the last few years I've been more accustomed to flying F on other carriers:

- Ground handling at LHR (provided by UA) not as good as it could be; not awful, just unremarkable. Made for an unpromising start.

- Key for me was the directive (apparently from NZ HQ) that baggage on separately-issued tix cannot be thru-checked. The justification, apparently, was that if anything happens to said baggage NZ carries the can. Whereas the reality is that a claim will initially be made against the principal carrier (and if at fault will have to shell out), but if it turns out the fault lies with NZ, the secondary (or subsequent) carriers will be held liable and NZ will be able to recoup the money it has paid out in the event of any claim. This demonstrates a slightly provincial attitude to the reality of interlining and one which – given I had the choice with a fully flexible ticket – brought me pretty close to switching to another carrier at the airport. The fact that this was on the LHR-HKG outbound and that I knew that my baggage would drop onto the baggage carousel before I even got there, I decided to be more relaxed about if. Other way round, forget it. As it was, at HKG I pointlessly had to clear immigration and customs, collect my baggage, then take it upstairs to re-check with CX for a short flight on to Taiwan. Had it been any other airport in the world (bar, perhaps SIN), any other onward carrier, then I would’ve instantly changed primary carrier. This is a spectacular own-goal by NZ IMO and one which I shall challenge in some feedback to the airline.

- Use of the UA RCC is a mistake. Urge anyone else with *A Gold to explore TG or SK lounges as alternatives. Conversely, the UA RCC at HKG was something of a revelation: somewhere not entirely unpleasant. Still, by HKG standards not a patch on CX’s The Wing / The Pier, but not significantly lagging the equivalent shared lounge from BA/QF. Though has to be said – wine in the UA lounge was the sort of stuff I wouldn’t use to clean my loo with.

- Having asked a couple of questions about optimal choice of seating on this board, I was pleased that I went with my gut instinct to book the forward (former F) cabin. To echo taupo's earlier observation, it does feel a tad claustraphobic as a result of the sheer pax to space ratio, but if it's a good night's sleep you're after, you'll be gratfied to learn that babies tend to be kept out of this cabin (met a very charming young woman and her very cute 6-month-old offspring in the so-called FastTrack area and (selfishly) was pretty pleased when I spotted that her BP was for the next section back (before you all jump on me, perhaps he was as well-behaved a baby as I was (or so I'm told with less vested interest than my mum) but then this kind of route is a long time to be stuck in a comfy seat with a screaming infant.

- In flight service comparable to many a better F flight I've taken over recent years (and head and shoulders above the sadly inconsistent offer from BA). Food was patchy (a personal thing as I can’t eat seafood and found the meat alternatives a bit yucky), but wine list very impressive - particularly stickies.

- NZ has sussed that kids should work the cabins further back and maturer (experienced) FAs the forward section. Help with making the bed or hanging clothes is the kind of service you only tend to get in F on other carriers.

- Welcome on board (cf follow-up at seat) equivalent to only carriers such as CX, SQ, LX and F on BA on a good day. Not important to me but recognise some like it.

- Noise cancelling headsets not a patch on the Bose ones I take on every long haul trip, but still a nice touch for J.

- Inter meal snacks above the ‘Raid the Larder’ equivalent in BA J and, on the return leg, having opted to go to sleep immediately after take-off, was impressed by the care with which a FA noticed I’d later woken up, asked me if I’d like anything to eat and then brought a decent selection to me – while BA’s equivalent is go get it yourself.

- Both legs I noticed that FAs (presumably acting under direction) actively raised most window blinds (with the exception of those immediately beside pax still sleeping) at least 3 hours before landing. Bad move and lacks consideration.

In summary:

Would I do it again?
If J were my only option and NZ flew the route, most likely, yes, over J equivalents from BA, QF, LH.

Is it VFM?
From what I’ve seen of NZ pricing, arguably, yes, and then some.

What needs to be improved?
- Ground handling at LHR and the default (grotty) lounge option – but in fairness this is a general problem ex-LHR as I’ve found all of the *A carriers to have an OK to unpleasant lounge experience, compared to BA.
- The interline thing. NZ must quickly acknowledge that those not traveling all the way through to AKL may have an onward flight somewhere from HKG. While TSA regs may require checked-baggage to be reclaimed before an onward flight in mainland US, the same isn’t true of any Asian destination. As observed before, arrival formalities / reunification with baggage is an efficient process as HKG. The same is less true of other hubs such as BKK, which although I recognize are immaterial for the purposes of this discussion, as not an ex-LON hub, may change as NZ connects with more and more places on the continent.

I rate the seats highly for sleeping. A little more cushioning would help, but the extra duvet does the trick for now.

I agree about how well one can sleep in these seats, having flown BP a couple of times AKL-LAX/SFO. But I have two minor gripes.
First, using the duvet over the top makes me too hot so I tend to chuck it off. (I only have on a light shirt and trousers so I'm dressed to stay cool) Is this because the cabin temp is too high? I also find the bed a little too hard. I should try sleeping on top of the duvet and asking for a blanket to cover me. Would I get a blanket if I asked the FA for one?
Second, I find my head is very close to the air outlet with a window seat when sleeping, so I hear the rush of air passing by all night. This was the case with the 747, not sure about the 777. Fairly annoying. I now select the centre row to avoid this.

I also find the bed a little too hard. I should try sleeping on top of the duvet and asking for a blanket to cover me. Would I get a blanket if I asked the FA for one?
Second, I find my head is very close to the air outlet with a window seat when sleeping, so I hear the rush of air passing by all night. This was the case with the 747, not sure about the 777. Fairly annoying. I now select the centre row to avoid this.

I wore ear plugs so the noise was a non issue. The 777 has a vent along the windowledge that says do not cover, it was covered with my pillow and other stuff, maybe that helped cure the noise problem as well.

The blanket seems to be a common request and not a problem to get. The FA on the 777 flight gave me an extra duvet as a mattress. I can tell you that the blanket and spare pillow box was right above my head at 7K on the 777. I self helped to both.

Is this because the cabin temp is too high? I also find the bed a little too hard. I should try sleeping on top of the duvet and asking for a blanket to cover me. Would I get a blanket if I asked the FA for one?
Second, I find my head is very close to the air outlet with a window seat when sleeping, so I hear the rush of air passing by all night. This was the case with the 747, not sure about the 777. Fairly annoying. I now select the centre row to avoid this.

I think some Flight Service Managers hesitate to turn down the cabin temp to the degree required for a really cool sleep because it's around 20-21 degrees, which would leave those awake freezing! (In the old days prior to the lie-flat beds, the cabin temp was almost always fixed at 23). I guess it's a matter of finding a balance. Don't be afraid to ask for the temperature to be turned down - it's easy to do. And yes, spare blankets are carried for those who need them.

The outlets near the windows are grills which aid in the event of a decompression, and it's important the majority of them remain uncovered. This is an integral part of the 747 cabin design so there's little that can be done about that one, unfortunately.

- Ground handling at LHR and the default (grotty) lounge option – but in fairness this is a general problem ex-LHR as I’ve found all of the *A carriers to have an OK to unpleasant lounge experience, compared to BA.

There are some nice *A lounges at LHR, a shame you didn't check out the options as the default RCC is worst of the lot. In the same terminal both SQ Silver Kris Lounge and AC/SK London Lounge are much nicer. Also, some pax on SQ have the option of the very nice VS Clubhouse.