Air New Zealand Air Points - Online seat select available for Int flights

Thanks for Kiwi Flyer who brought this to my attention in his latest trip report.

The NZ website now allows online seat select for international flights. I'm not sure if it is for all international or just Tasman and Pacific flights only. It worked for my AKL-BNE flight on the Boeing 777 and retained my original seat selection made via Air NZ contact centre.

Down the bottom of the NZ homepage where the "Manage My Domestic Bookings" box used to be is where you will find this new tool. It now just says "Manage My Bookings".

Thanks NZ_Flyer. I got called away before I could post it here. For those interested, here is my trip report (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=864638).

Just checked it for my LA flights in December and it certainly does work for international.

Great addition to the website.

Funny how there is no marketing about this feature that I can find as yet. Considering online seat select for international flights was part of NZ's "Changing the Way You Fly" campaign, I would have thought that a notice down the Current Highlights section would have been made to notify people of the new feature at a minimum...followed by an email (which will probably be sent out in the next few days).

Or do others think that they might wait until a few of the other changes are implemented before making an announcement?

They have updated the info on this page.
http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/manage_bookings/seat_request.htm
Online Seat Request

Prefer the easy access of an aisle seat or like gazing out of the window?

You can now request your own seat(s) for all domestic and international flights with Air New Zealand, at no extra charge.

We know that being able to request your own seat is an important part of booking a flight. Whether you're making a new booking, or would like to request a seat for a booking previously made, you can now do it online, before you leave home.

You choose where you want to sit.


Domestic travel

Save time at the airport by requesting your seat when you check-in online for your flight. If seat request is available for your flights a 'seat request and check-in' button will be displayed at the end of the booking process. Alternatively, you can retrieve your booking at a later date


International travel

We're making a huge range of improvements to change the way you fly with us. One of those is offering seat requests online for all international journeys.

You can request the seat that best meets your needs when you complete your booking online or if you booked through one of our Holiday stores.

Be sure to get in early for the best seats by selecting Seat Request from our home page or the booking confirmation page.

Discovered just now that it it works for code share flights as well. Reserved some seats on some UA ticketed flights for March and April next year

Possibly related but a few days ago a UA agent advised me that they could no longer make these requests (perhaps these events are related)

Jeff

Thanks for Kiwi Flyer who brought this to my attention in his latest trip report.

The NZ website now allows online seat select for international flights. I'm not sure if it is for all international or just Tasman and Pacific flights only. It worked for my AKL-BNE flight on the Boeing 777 and retained my original seat selection made via Air NZ contact centre.

Down the bottom of the NZ homepage where the "Manage My Domestic Bookings" box used to be is where you will find this new tool. It now just says "Manage My Bookings".

thanks to KF and co for that , it works very well and the best part is it will email it to you so you have that mystical bit of paper!, i am suitable impressed , on mine it was a code share LH no on NZ metal and it still picked it up , shame they cant grab the other Star booking engines as well but then i think i am being greedy! This feature was flagged a while ago bit as has bneen said , no one has said anything yet.

Seat request was disabled for an upcoming flight that has a very light load.

Discovered just now that it it works for code share flights as well. Reserved some seats on some UA ticketed flights for March and April next year


+1 for this experience. Very smooth. Indeed this is better than the reverse experience on UA, where if you have NZ # on UA metal you can see your seat assignments on the UA website, but do nothing about changing them! Ironically, the UA website says about these situations: "Seat maps are unavailable for this flight. If this is a codeshare flight or a flight operated by a partner airline, please contact the operating carrier for seat map review and seat assignments." and then goes onto note "Operated by UNITED AIRLINES INC." Huh?! But that's airline websites for you.

I will add that the NZ international seat selection works for itineraries in progress. I just moved myself from 33C to 34D trying to keep that oh so desirable empty middle on next Monday's SFO - AKL.

From the phrases used in those quotes I presume you can't check what is (still) available BEFORE committing to purchase?

I don't expect so, but I have not made an NZ booking since the change.

We'll have to wait and see then! Don't get me wrong.. it is an improvement even so IMO!

I tried some dummy bookings. No seat maps (which has been the case since the old multi-city booking engine was removed).

Been away from FT for a while - too many children!

I just stumbled across this yesterday for WLG-BNE-WLG next month in Y for a beach holiday on the Sunshine Coast with the family - got row 5 (2nd row on A320 in Y) - it says the pitch is now 35". I'm guessing that might mean the aircraft has already been refurbished - Space+ with seat-back AVOD? I hope so as it'll keep our two wee girls amused for some of the flight!

ANZ certainly didn't prompt me with seating preferences/availability when I booked online a couple of weeks ago.

Yes 35" is space+ with AVOD IFE

Thanks for sharing of the news everyone! I have made a reward booking by using my cousin's Aeroplan points, the flights are between AKL and SYD for Nov and booked in April this year with Aeroplan. Just read this thread and tried to choose my seats for my flights and it worked :) I like it very much!^ It would be nice to see if NZ allows online check-in for all international flights soon.:D

As long as the seat requests aren't changed too often then is there really a need for OLCI?

OLCI is good for people like me with no checked bags and tight schedules. There's been a number of flights that I have made that I would not have made had I needed to check in for at the airport.

But for international flights don't you still need a check-in agent to enter and check passport details and tag bags (if travelling with checked luggage)?

I have no checked bags ;)

Passport details are either on profile or can be added in the lounge.

The seats I selected a couple of days ago stuck - I got boarding passes for those seats.

I discovered a less useful feature of this system today, regarding how you place groups in seats.

If you have a group of two you can choose window/middle or middle/aisle. You can't try to block the middle by selecting window/aisle.

If you have a group of three you can't (or I couldn't!) select anything other than the window-middle-aisle.

I could only place a group of 4 in middle/aisle x 2, when I would have preferred window-middle-aisle, aisle-behind group of three.

On the US airlines websites you can move individual passengers within a PNR.

^While on the other hand, a more useful feature seems to be that you can select exit row seats?

:td:However, it is amazing that in today's technological world that you can secure ... er request ... an exit row seat even though your PNR includes a 1 year old . Bound to be changed at check-in.

^While on the other hand, a more useful feature seems to be that you can select exit row seats?

:td:However, it is amazing that in today's technological world that you can secure ... er request ... an exit row seat even though your PNR includes a 1 year old . Bound to be changed at check-in.

Really? I'm a lowly Jade member and taking an example of an upcoming 777 flight rows 31-37 are blocked as are the first 3-4 rows of the second economy cabin as well as all the exit rows.

Quite possibly my error. I was going on seatexpert's view that 13 was an exit row on the A320 :confused:.

Quite possibly my error. I was going on seatexpert's view that 13 was an exit row on the A320 :confused:.
From NZ's site row 11 and 12 are exit rows
Use these seat maps.

Seat Maps (http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/on-the-plane/seat-maps/default.htm)

A320 (http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/on-the-plane/seat-maps/airbus-a320-popup.htm)

Thanks for the info on this thread. I'm on a bmi reward flight to LAS via NZ1 LHR - LAS on monday and requested a BP seat in the forward cabin only to be told that it was full. Low and behold I go online to find plenty empty and changed my seat no probs. Wish bmi had this facility, and seats, and avod, and service, and web site, in fact can ANZ buy bmi please. :)

I just booked another trans-tasman flight and was surprised to see that I was able to pre-select an exit row seat even though I have no status.

Is this a glitch in the system? As I've never been able to select an exit row seat before with no status.

EDIT: I've just realised that with Space+ on trans-tasman's then maybe NZ have released exit rows for general selection as the status pax would be in Space+ presumably?

I just booked another trans-tasman flight and was surprised to see that I was able to pre-select an exit row seat even though I have no status.

Is this a glitch in the system? As I've never been able to select an exit row seat before with no status.

EDIT: I've just realised that with Space+ on trans-tasman's then maybe NZ have released exit rows for general selection as the status pax would be in Space+ presumably?

I was suprized by this the other day when i did my seatrequest online and the fact that no one was in any of the exit rows. Acording to the seat comment on the request page row 19AB have a pitch of 39" on the 763. Though row 18 has no recline.

Just used it for some flights I recently booked. Doesnt look too bad, and definently beats the in convenience of calling up!

Thanks for pointing this out.

Makes me sad that there are no BP seats on the 744 upper deck for a trip in Feb... but better to have seat picked out now than on the day of travel.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Makes me sad that there are no BP seats on the 744 upper deck for a trip in Feb... but better to have seat picked out now than on the day of travel.

Makes you sad? General consensus is that this section of BP is worse than the nose and larger lower deck section.

Agree 100% that BP is better downstairs than upstairs. Try and go for the nose section - seats 1 - 7.

The passenger-crew ratio is better downstairs than up, so that's one thing to consider.

May interest you to know that our contract negotiations are currently in process and one of the things we're shooting for is an extra crew member on the 777 to cover the recently announced doubling of premium economy. Funnily enough, the company isn't keen :rolleyes: and thinks a redesign of the service flow will be adequate.

I wonder if anyone has noticed an increase in the quality of service on the 747 and 777 recently? As we predicted, the Concierge has very little to do on the overnight flights, so has become a de facto extra crew member (the 90% of them that are willing to work, that is). It's been great for us^

I wonder if anyone has noticed an increase in the quality of service on the 747 and 777 recently? As we predicted, the Concierge has very little to do on the overnight flights, so has become a de facto extra crew member (the 90% of them that are willing to work, that is). It's been great for us^Good news that they are willing to help out! :).

That said, I didn't notice the presence of the concierge at all on AKL-HKG (BP), HKG-LHR (PE), or LHR-HKG (BP) in August/September. I will look again on my Tuesday HKG-AKL (BP).

In fact, I have to say I was rather disappointed by the lacklustre approach of all the crew on those sectors. No recognition for *E/*G members in the cabin that I noticed, the service director didn't do much in the way of the usual greeting rounds, etc... The service quality itself was just fine a part from a few minor niggles, although I wonder if that has to do with the crew's perception of me.

The reason for their lack of presence on your flights is that they don't yet operate the HKG route ;) Pity you weren't completely satisfied with the service though. It's quite hard to find a balance, especially on full flights.

The reason for their lack of presence on your flights is that they don't yet operate the HKG route ;)
That would indeed explain it :).

I wonder if anyone has noticed an increase in the quality of service on the 747 and 777 recently? As we predicted, the Concierge has very little to do on the overnight flights, so has become a de facto extra crew member (the 90% of them that are willing to work, that is). It's been great for us^Would it not make more sense for the 'Concierge' to be assigned service duties on these overnight flights?

The company says they don't want the Concierge tied to service duties so they're free to do the more personalized interaction we crew don't have time for (we would have time if we had crewing levels like most of our competitors,but I digress...)

I think the Concierge is a great idea in theory, but in practise since most of our flights are overseas the passengers just want the service out of the way ASAP and be left to their own devices (watching movies, or up front converting to bed mode asap). That's why I think it's a miscalculation. The majority of Concierges do help out which is great ^, but a couple refuse since it's "not their job". :rolleyes:

Where the Concierge really HAS come into their own is in the case of long delays, where they're required to remain with the passengers to assist rather than be tied to the crew (since they aren't basic operating crew they don't have the same rest requirements). They've been worth their weight in gold in these situations.

The passenger-crew ratio is better downstairs than up, so that's one thing to consider.


Good point & thank you for the tip.
I still love the magic of the upper deck, whether PE or BP.

Just booked seats online for a trip next year booked through a BMI award.

A couple of things...

- International Seat Request did not work. I enter the PNR then the page with the code then the next page was blank. Nothing happened.
- I then entered my PNR into Check In Online and was able to select seats for my NRT-AKL, AKL-CHC & CHC-IVC flights ^
- For NRT-AKL in Business Premier. Seats classed as Premium in ExpertFlyer were all available to be selected.
- For AKL-CHC, I could choose Space+ seats ^

I thought maybe the reason the International Seat request function did not work was because my first flight from LHR-NRT is with ANAother airline. Not sure really

All up, really pleased.

Just booked seats online for a trip next year booked through a BMI award.

A couple of things...

- International Seat Request did not work. I enter the PNR then the page with the code then the next page was blank. Nothing happened.
- I then entered my PNR into Check In Online and was able to select seats for my NRT-AKL, AKL-CHC & CHC-IVC flights ^
- For NRT-AKL in Business Premier. Seats classed as Premium in ExpertFlyer were all available to be selected.
- For AKL-CHC, I could choose Space+ seats ^

I thought maybe the reason the International Seat request function did not work was because my first flight from LHR-NRT is with ANAother airline. Not sure really

All up, really pleased.

I was able to reserve seats using the seat request function yesterday on my bmi award no problem. However I could not choose Space+ seats and there were lots of seats not available in biz premier, presumably the blocked ones. Maybe I should try your solution.

OT: What do people think of Row 7 on the 772? Is the extra pricacy worth the potential noise from the toilets nearby?

Just booked seats online for a trip next year booked through a BMI award.

A couple of things...

- International Seat Request did not work. I enter the PNR then the page with the code then the next page was blank. Nothing happened.
May or may not be your issue, but try a different browser. The Seat Request page does not seem to behave with IE6, but works fine with Firefox 2 and 3.

abt a month ago i was able to check on NZ website and see my seats and change them for a trip to Europe via sfo and back from yvr and this was booked on expedie with two PNR one for LH and one for NZ, now the NZ site wont accept my PNR but it did a while agao , and for that matter it doesnt want to work in the sabre pnr locator but LH has the booking as i checked , this was done through expedia and i must say i have some concerns. But i do find it starnge that the NZ site now wont give me the access to that booking . ahh well should i worry hmmmm

Agree 100% that BP is better downstairs than upstairs. Try and go for the nose section - seats 1 - 7.

I agree...but engine noise is less upstairs.

After numerous changes to a flight my family is doing at the end of the year, every couple of weeks, I check ExpertFlyer to make sure the flights haven't changed time, or changed plane model etc. Plus still showing my seats as blocked.

For 3 of the 4 sectors, Expert Flyer is showing what I expect it to. But for the 4th sector, the 777 flight from AKL to MEL, the seats we had booked, 3A3B & 4A4B on two different PNRs is now showing as vacant.

When I go and check the on-line seat booking tool it still shows us in 3A&B and 4A&B. In the past, when seats have automatically been assigned, they have done silly things like 2ABJK - which makes travelling as a group difficult.

It is interesting that we are in two different PNRs and all four seats are showing as available in Expertflyer. But the previous leg, LAX-AKL Seats 1AK 2AK are still showing full. (And in the on-line seat booking tool as well.)

Should I ring up Air NZ to confirm the seats? Or is Expert flyer picking up incorrect information? This is about the only group of 4 showing available on the flight, so I don't want to have our party split up.

How would you start the conversation - I am ah, looking at some web site (there answer which ones) and they show the seats as vacant, but the on-line tool shows me in the seats - can you confirm what I have got?

The other thing about the on-line tool - when you have 3 people on a 2 x 2 plane, it doesn't allow you to select 1 person across the aisle - it only ever gives you the option of 1 in front or 1 behind the other two.

I suggest you call up, get them to take out your seat assignments, shut the PNR, open it again and put the seat assignments back in.

Otherwise you won't get them.

I agree...but engine noise is less upstairs.

Do you think upstairs is quieter than the nose, for engine noise? That's not been my perception... admittedly, based on far-too-infrequent experiences in either location :(

I suggest you call up, get them to take out your seat assignments, shut the PNR, open it again and put the seat assignments back in.

Otherwise you won't get them.:confused:

But that would suggest expertflyer has more accurate data than Carina, which seems somewhat bizarre.

Why shouldn't Gotta Requalify just ring Air NZ and ask for the seat numbers presently sitting in the reservation? If the answer, from the live system, is 3AB 4AB then the next step should be a thank-you and hang up, not a request to un-assign those seats ...

Do you think upstairs is quieter than the nose, for engine noise? That's not been my perception... admittedly, based on far-too-infrequent experiences in either location :(

Upstairs is much better. But I spend so much time in the back of the bus, anything near the front sounds like a museum.

:confused:

But that would suggest expertflyer has more accurate data than Carina, which seems somewhat bizarre.

Why shouldn't Gotta Requalify just ring Air NZ and ask for the seat numbers presently sitting in the reservation? If the answer, from the live system, is 3AB 4AB then the next step should be a thank-you and hang up, not a request to un-assign those seats ...A quick refresher course on airline IT: don't expect it to work properly.

If the seats are open on the seat map and someone puts in a request it will KK them, and bump you out - but won't change the seat request showing.

Like I said - 3 of the 4 segments are showing okay. Its just the last leg that isn't. So the line - "don't expect it to work properly" could be correct.

Having just made a booking through a third party site I was unable to use the provided NZ confirmation code to get into the "Select a seat" area...

Tried again 5 minutes ago - so some time after the booking was made -and it all worked... for the first 2 flights on the itinerary anyway... Interesting demo I suppose that it isn't instant/immediate!

NOT travelling until next June (:() (this is my dry period as it were.. I tend to travel in "batches" and then have "droughts"!) and returning mid August... so I hope the inability to select seats on the return is the result of some sort of too far out restriction.. and not any sort of problem with the booking...:eek:

I thought the seat selection pages were well laid out/easy to use... I like the way the seatmaps look the same as those used for other purposes on the website...

I don't understand why two people on the same booking were automatically put into an A and a K seat on the 772 though!!!

Changed that quick smart! Now of course I will have to assume that we'll be split up on the 744 flight back as well...:confused: That's a shame becuase I'd really like my (long suffering) travel buddy to see how nice the front cabin is.... Can only monitor it I suppose..... webpage said "airport".. but I suppose I could call before then....

Sort of defeats the point of online selection of course!!;)

Having just made a booking through a third party site I was unable to use the provided NZ confirmation code to get into the "Select a seat" area...

Tried again 5 minutes ago - so some time after the booking was made -and it all worked... for the first 2 flights on the itinerary anyway... Interesting demo I suppose that it isn't instant/immediate!

NOT travelling until next June (:() (this is my dry period as it were.. I tend to travel in "batches" and then have "droughts"!) and returning mid August... so I hope the inability to select seats on the return is the result of some sort of too far out restriction.. and not any sort of problem with the booking...:eek:

I thought the seat selection pages were well laid out/easy to use... I like the way the seatmaps look the same as those used for other purposes on the website...

I don't understand why two people on the same booking were automatically put into an A and a K seat on the 772 though!!!

Changed that quick smart! Now of course I will have to assume that we'll be split up on the 744 flight back as well...:confused: That's a shame becuase I'd really like my (long suffering) travel buddy to see how nice the front cabin is.... Can only monitor it I suppose..... webpage said "airport".. but I suppose I could call before then....

Sort of defeats the point of online selection of course!!;)

That sounds abit odd tho the 3rd party booking system might have tired to assign you the seats.

I don't understand why two people on the same booking were automatically put into an A and a K seat on the 772 though!!!

Do you both have window seat preferences in your profile with wherever you made the booking?

That was my first thought too - I should have said so - Sorry! .... no - that would have explained it nicely... I have an aisle preference and my friends profile just says something like "seat with him" ;)

Hmmm.. wonder if that gets interpreted as "same preference as him"??? They are aisle seats too after all...:D

Not overly concerned at this point.. I'll revisit the seat selection page periodically and see what happens..

Thanks for the thoughts Gentlemen!

Have just today made some bookings for TT and Pacific Island flights... well down the track BTW...

Was unable to select row 4 on the 320... or rows 7, 8 or (mostly) 9 .. or seats 10 A/B on the 763 flights....:( I am NZ *G....

Went for 19 A/B on all three 763 legs... Exit row instead of Space +....

Good move or bad?? :confused:

Row 4 is bassinet row on A320.

In the exit row - more legroom, but narrower seat and no gate to gate IFE.

DOH! That explains the 320!! Thanks....

Would have liked to be able to pick 10A/B on the 763 but no big deal...

Exit row sounds good as we are both slender types and my buddy is tall so the extra leg room/narrower seat tradeoff is probably worth it for us... don't watch the IFE much so no dramas there...

Worth trying anyway.. and it will be interesting to see how well these selections "stick"... having never been switched out of a call-centre allocated seat I will live in hope!;)

Having just booked a TT ticket on a 744, seat request came up. Surprisingly, i was able to book exit row which i did. I called up and they could see my request, but they couldn't see i'm a UA*G. Does that mean i could get booted out of there for other golds? Is there a site like viewtrip or checkmytrip where i can check out my reservation?

thanks
goodo

Row 4 is bassinet row on A320.

In the exit row - more legroom, but narrower seat and no gate to gate IFE.

So so the exit rows in all a/c types not have gate to gate?

All exit row and bulkhead seats (to clarify, any seat where the PTV screen folds out on an arm) must have the screens stowed for taxi, takeoff, and landing. This is non-negotiable, to comply with various civil aviation safety requirements.

ALL seats must have their personal controllers stowed in the armest or seatback, as the cord could impede evacuation. The controllers are still fully operational from their stowed positions (and the 767/A320 IFE system is also touchscreen).

BTW, the 767-300 exit row seats 18AB/JK are now permanently non-reclining, so they are marked as 'less desirable seats' and are sold last.

Thanks nz_crew!

Does having the PTV's stowed for takeoff and landing mean they also have to be stowed during the climb to cruising altitude and descent? Or just during the actual take-off roll and landing?

I really should have clarified that in my initial post, apologies.

To quote directly from our operating manual...

Q: Are the armrest stowed video screens allowed to be used Gate to Gate?

A: No they are not. The customers in these seats are only permitted to watch movies from the time the seatbelt sign has gone off and until just before 10,000ft, as part of the cabin clearance procedure. The reason for this is that Air NZ has a CAA exemption to deploy the arm rest stowed screens, but this exemption only extends to the broadcast of the safety video. The restriction for these seats is that the screens fold out into the row/aisle and could slow/hinder an evacuation.

So what is the story about 19AB/JK on the refitted 763? ive got this row on a up coming trip. Are the PTVs in the back of the seats ?.

Is there a site like viewtrip or checkmytrip where i can check out my reservation?

Other than NZ website, no. Air NZ uses their own in-house GDS.

If your ticket includes flights on other airlines you might see the Air NZ flights as information segments using the relevant tool for the other airline(s). However this might not be accurate (eg if data changes it may not have been pushed through to the other CRS).

cavemanzk.. I'm assuming they are in the armrests... thus the comment about seats being narrower.. so no gate-to-gate for us....

Like I care....;) 39" seat pitch sounds more important to me...:D

cavemanzk.. I'm assuming they are in the armrests... thus the comment about seats being narrower.. so no gate-to-gate for us....

Like I care....;) 39" seat pitch sounds more important to me...:D

I saw a picture on a.net the otherday and it looked like it was seat back. which will be good now they row 18 cant recline. Yes the 39" pitch and 6 deg recline sounds much better than spacePlus.

The tray table is in the armrest in the bulkhead and exit row.
PTV folds down between seats in bulkhead and exit row.

For other economy seats, the PTV is on the seatback of the seat in front.

Right... I'm gonna stick with 19 A/B....

..with seat pitch like that (or the 35" in Space+ for that matter) I can see myself NOT upgrading these flights much anymore.. especially on the 320...