April 4, 2017
Air New Zealand Sydney to Auckland 1150a – 455p Boeing 787-9 Business Premier Class
With a four hour layover in Sydney, I was looking first and foremost for a shower. I live in a cool, dry climate and I must admit that my passages through these Asian airports have not been particularly comfortable. While my fellow travelers have never seemed all that bothered by the humidity, I definitely am.
You know those advertising cards you see in airports and hotels? You know the ones – they’re about 9” tall and 4” wide. I keep a couple of the stiffer ones in my jacket pocket with their primary purpose being as a fan. So, if you should see a good looking guy with a well-kept beard and a tweed cap furiously fanning himself in the gate lounge, c’mon over and say hello. I have a couple extra cards with me and if you wish, you’d be welcome to add to the breeze while we shoot the breeze.
I was well aware that Air New Zealand had a highly regarded Business Class lounge here at Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith International Airport, and my original intent was to head over there straightaway. As I followed the signs and approached the lounge complex however, I took note of the Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge located right next door to Air New Zealand’s Business Class Lounge.
Well now, I’ve never met a Silver Kris Lounge I didn’t like and as my United Club Card would grant me access to any Star Alliance lounge so long as I was flying aboard a Star Alliance carrier that day, I figured why not pay a visit to the Silver Kris lounge first?
Why not indeed? Minutes later I was stripped down and enjoying a quality deluge underneath one of the Silver Kris lounge’s two available showers. The facility was small but well-furnished and perhaps most importantly had a good working fan that wicked most of the residual humidity out of the shower room. I’ll never forget last year’s debacle at Emirates’ Brisbane lounge where due to the lack of a fan combined with the residual humidity of Brisbane proper, I could never get completely dry after I stepped out of the shower!
Emerging from the shower suite – freshly attired in a bright yellow oxford button down and a pair of Dockers slacks - I strolled into the lounge, stowed my luggage and wandered over to the buffet area. Seating areas were abundant and the buffet island was well stocked with a variety of tasty looking food items. Check it out!
Singapore’s Silver Kris Lounge at Sydney
Buffet Island at Singapore Airlines’ SYD Lounge
Buffet Island at Singapore Airlines’ SYD Lounge
Salad Bar at Singapore Airlines’ SYD Lounge
It all looked so good but having just had breakfast on the inbound flight, I limited myself to coffee and a Danish along with a copy of that morning’s Australian. (Newspaper) After a half hour or so, I gathered my gear and headed next door to Air New Zealand’s lounge.
Now this lounge is quite a bit larger with an equally nice spread of foods - and – it included a bar! Truth be known, I’m sure alcohol was available somewhere in Singapore’s lounge, but there’s a lot to be said for a proper bar where you can take a stool and join your fellow passengers in a drink and perhaps even a bit of shared excitement over life and travels. Then again, it was 10:00am – a bit early for alcoholic entertainment – and so the bar sat empty. I’ll have to come back here at Happy Hour sometime.
Comfortable seating at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
The bar at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
The buffet at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
The buffet at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
The buffet at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
The buffet at Air New Zealand’s SYD Lounge
I have a real weakness for finger foods so when an announcement was made that boarding for NZ 104 to Auckland was delayed by 20 minutes, I figured what the heck - let’s go check out the buffet island. An enticing array of wraps was available, so I selected three – one of which I later wrapped in a napkin and stashed in my daypack – a decision that would prove costly upon arrival in New Zealand. More on that later…
At 11:45am I gathered my gear and made my way across the busy commons to the concourse where my 787-9 awaited. This is the third of five 787 flights that comprise this overall itinerary, each of them on different airlines. As with any new aircraft type upon which I’ve logged less than ten flights, I was excited to get on board and check out Air New Zealand’s version. Boarding was already in progress and, as there wasn’t a good view of the aircraft to be had from the gate, I made my way over to the Premium Class lane and headed onboard.
As I made my way to the pointy end of the plane, I passed through an attractive Premium Economy cabin. The good looking black leather recliners were arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration with a 41” pitch between seats. Scoot Airlines would do well to trade out its hard stiff seats and emulate this arrangement in its ScootBiz cabins. I was impressed!
Moving on into the Business Premier cabin, I was presented with a narrow pathway through molded seat pod ottomans that extended into the aisles. The 22 seats were arranged in a herringbone pattern, configured 1-1-1 with seats along the cabin walls facing inward – away from the windows. I was sat in 3K and, after stowing my roll-a-bord in the spacious overhead bin, handed off my jacket to a passing flight attendant, kicked off my shoes and settled into my new home for the next three hours.
Air New Zealand’s 787-9 Business Class seating
Photo courtesy of Australian Business Traveller
Air New Zealand’s 787-9 Business Class seating
Air New Zealand’s 787-9 Business Class seating
These seats are certainly comfortable enough but beyond that I can’t find much good to say about them. First off, there’s no sense of spaciousness to these seats because you’re surrounded by walls of molded off white plastic. These side walls are right up on you to the point where your left side arm rest is recessed right into the wall. The seat controls are at your side but literally right at your side, i.e. your torso, making their access a bit awkward. The only under seat storage is under the ottoman. It’s fine for a pair of shoes but a day pack with laptop, etc. will have to go in the overhead. Finally, these seats face way from the 787’s nice big windows. Even a casual turn of the head will not afford you a view out the windows. You must contort considerably at the waist or get up, turn around and then look out the window. Meanwhile, when you’re sat in your seat facing “forward”, you’ve got a clear view of multiple passengers across from you. I could see the faces of five different passengers from my seat and the complete bodies of three. Privacy is minimal.
”Communal Seating” aboard Air New Zealand’s 787-9 Business Class
In short, per my opinion at least, Air New Zealand has taken a perfectly good forward cabin and mucked it up quite poorly. Many other airlines such as
Qatar Airways,
Air Canada or
Qantas offer nicer, more spacious seating in their 787 business class cabins.
Although I may not think highly of Air New Zealand’s new Business Premier seat, the same cannot be said for Air New Zealand’s service which – from check-in to baggage collection – has always been top flight in every respect. Today’s service was as good as ever, starting with a pre-flight offering of nicely chilled orange juice.
Orange juice welcome aboard Air New Zealand’s Business Class
Menus had been placed at each seat prior to our arrival, so as I sat and sipped my orange juice I took a moment to consider this flight’s luncheon offerings.
LUNCHEON
Sydney to Auckland
TO BEGIN
Seared Venison with Kumara Salad
Pickled red onion and hickory mayonnaise
~or~
Salmon Gravlax with Cucumber and Quinoa Salad
Horseradish and crème fraiche dressing
From The Bakery
Rosemary sourdough loaf, black and white sesame seed loaf, garlic bread and rye rolls
MAIN COURSES
Chinese Style Black Vinegar Prawns
With spicy bamboo shoots, pak choy rice, broccolini and black mushrooms
Slow Roasted Pork Belly
With caramelized red cabbage, mustard seed mash, sage and onion relish with apple cider jus
Sweet Paprika Chicken Salad
With toasted corn, kumara, cos lettuce and avocado chipotle mayonnaise
TO FINISH
Gourmet Affagato Ice Cream
Topped with chocolate sauce and chocolate crumbs
Kaffir Lime and Coconut Panna Cotta
Served with mango and gogi berry and macadamia praline
Fine New Zealand Cheese
served with quince paste and cracker selection
Hmm… very nice, very nice indeed… Interestingly, Air New Zealand does not provide a traditional wine list for its trans-Tasman flights. The Champagne is listed as either Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Reserve or NV Billecart-Salmon Brut. Beyond that, for further details on the wines served onboard today we are directed to ask the flight attendants
As I savored the rest of my juice, the remainder of my fellow passengers made their way onto the aircraft. By the time the doors were finally closed, we were full up in the forward cabin. The safety video – featuring a combination of Air New Zealand staff and well-known New Zealanders – was played and a casual glance about the cabin revealed that most of the passengers were actually watching it.
Once we’d leveled off at 36000’ above the Tasman Sea, the service began in earnest. The crew working the Business Premier cabin looked to have attained a good bit of seniority with the airline, the youngest appearing to be in her late 30s. Like a fine wine, they’d aged well however. Friendly, chipper and helpful in an anticipatory rather than responsive way – they were simply excellent throughout the flight.
Meal requests were taken in order of elite status, though everything was still available when it came my time to order. After the flight attendant assured me that the beer was always cold on Air New Zealand, I requested a Steinlager to start, followed by the salmon appetizer and the pork belly main. The beer was delivered in short order, accompanied by a small dish of roasted almonds. I’m so used to drinking Steinies out of the bottle that it felt a bit weird to drink this one from a glass but then we are in a quality Business Class where drinking beer straight from the bottle might be considered a tad gauche, not to mention potentially dangerous.
As I savored the fairly cold beer and awaited the start of the meal service, I took a moment to reminisce back to my very first flight with Air New Zealand. It was a warm July evening back in 1981 – thirty-six years ago. I had an industry discounted First Class ticket from Los Angeles to Papeete aboard Air New Zealand’s beautiful two-tone blue and white DC-10. Departure time was 8:00pm – the perfect time to jet off into the sunset headed for a South Pacific paradise. Add to that the fact that Air New Zealand’s First Class had developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the finest in the industry along with my traveling to Tahiti for the very first time and I could not have been more excited!
On board the DC-10, the big lamb’s wool covered seats looked wide and deep enough to take me to the moon. Although we were still a few years away from the introduction of 180° lie-flat seating, those big teal colored recliners still featured an impressive recline and a full length leg rest. They were exceptionally comfortable.
Dinner was a seven course affair starting with the presentation of canapés from atop a silver tray. Service was from the trolley and I remember the salad being tossed in a large glass bowl and the soup being served from a large colorful tureen. By the time I’d eaten my appetizer of John Dory in a mustard sauce, I was already starting to feel full. Chateaubriand for dinner, Baked Alaska for dessert, fine cheese and Port afterwards – that meal remains one of the best I’ve ever been served aloft.
Over the past 36 years I’ve been fortunate to have logged another 27 flights aboard Air New Zealand, including one in First Class aboard one of its early 747-219Bs with the wonderful first generation Recaro cradle recliners. Sadly, Air New Zealand discontinued its First Class service in the late 1990s but for those of us who were fortunate enough to have flown it, I think we’d all agree TE’s First Class was as classy as any in the industry and definitely better than most.
I was interrupted from my reverie by the arrival of the flight attendant bearing crisp white table linens in preparation for the meal service soon to follow. Service was from the cart and shortly I was presented a tray bearing my salmon and quinoa appetizer along with the usual meal related accoutrements. A bountiful bread basket was presented and soon I was in possession of two well-buttered slices of garlic bread.
Salmon gravlax with cucumber and quinoa salad, horseradish and crème fraiche dressing
It certainly didn’t take long to polish off the salmon, some of which I placed atop a slice of garlic bread with a generous spread of the horseradish cream. Sheer decadence! That’s an appetizer I’m going to have to make at home sometime. It was even better when I switched out my beer for a glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s famed Marlborough Sound.
Alright then – bring on the pork belly! While this dish may not sound all that appetizing to some, it is one of the few meat dishes that is hard (though not impossible) to overcook. This afternoon’s rendition was as tender as they come and what it lacked in presentation it more than made up for in texture and flavor. The sage and onion relish had a lot to do with that and the mustard seed mash made for a wonderful accompaniment to the flavor of the pork.
Pork Belly with caramelized red cabbage, mustard seed mash, sage and onion relish and apple cider jus
For dessert I chose the Kaffir lime and coconut panna cotta with mango and gogi berry and macadamia praline, a dessert that tasted every bit as good as it rolls off the tongue to say, much less read. Go ahead – read it again. Doesn’t that sound delicious? I assure you it was, as was the delightful glass of dessert wine that I accompanied it with.
Kaffir lime and coconut panna cotta with mango and gogi berry and macadamia praline
Flight time between Sydney and Auckland was a mere two hours and forty some odd minutes, so by the time the last of the luncheon trays were cleared off there wasn’t much more than an hour or so to check out the inflight entertainment offerings.
Air New Zealand’s 787s feature high-definition 11” touchscreens in Business Class that are very easy to understand and operate. My only complaint is that in the tight confines of the Business Class suite they are housed at your side – right beside your arm – so unless you’ve actually pulled the screen out and extended it, casual watching is difficult as you have to turn your head directly to your side and a tad behind. This became an issue when I tried to work on my laptop and have the screen out in front of me at the same time.
As for the content, there’s the usual impressive assortment of movies and music. Honestly, I’m probably not the best person to review content because when it comes to watching movies I’d rather wait until I get home to watch them on my big screen (although I’ll occasionally make an exception when flying First Class on Emirates with its 30” screens) and as for music, my own personal tastes so rarely mesh with any of the popular schlock offered on most airlines that I’d just as soon plug into my own laptop where a far more preferable assortment of songs are available.
One interesting aspect of the new IFE was the crew call button which not only allowed you to summon a flight attendant to your seat but also to specify what it was you’d like, such as food or drink directly from the onscreen menu.
The approach into Auckland can be pretty on a sunny day but alas, today was not one of them. Grey storm clouds blanketed the region making for a bumpy ride as we descended over the Tasman Sea. The pilots managed to bring our big bird in easily though, touching down softly and braking smoothly before turning on to a taxiway and heading for a spot in the remote parking lot.
I hate remote parking - except when flying on airlines like Malindo and Batik Air that have special vans waiting on the tarmac to whisk their Business Class passengers directly into the central terminal, well ahead of everyone else. Unfortunately, Air New Zealand does not provide this perk for its Premier Class passengers and so down the covered stairway we trod and through a steady rain onto a pair of waiting busses. Upon reaching the terminal we commenced the long walk to immigration and customs. If you’re going to be driven to the terminal off an international flight, why can’t they drop you off closer to immigration?
For most visitors, coming into New Zealand is no different nor any more challenging than arriving in most any other western country. One big difference however is New Zealand’s biological inspection criteria. New Zealand has real concerns about foreign organisms getting into New Zealand with the potential to wreak havoc with the local ecosystem. Arrival forms very clearly describe what can and cannot be brought into New Zealand. Visitors are required to tick all the appropriate boxes and then sign their name attesting to the fact that they’re not bringing any contraband foodstuffs or other organisms into the country.
I did all of this, and when asked at immigration if I was certain that I hadn’t brought any food into the country I said I had not. Upon passing through the Nothing to Declare lane, I turned in my signed arrivals form and my luggage was x-rayed. Then I was free to exit into the arrivals area – but not before rolling my luggage past a nice friendly looking dog specially trained to detect food and perhaps other items.
Oooh – what a nice looking doggie! Hmm… he seems to have taken an interest in my daypack. I wonder what’s got his attention? The uniformed Ministry for Primary Industries officer handling the dog escorted me over to a side table whereupon she commenced a thorough inspection of my daypack as well as my roll-a-bord.
A-HA! There it is! Remember that little beef and veggie wrap from the lounge in Sydney that I’d wrapped up earlier in the day to enjoy later on the flight? I had totally forgotten about it, both on the plane and at immigration and customs. Until now, that is. Unfortunately, now was a bit too late.
Stern faces abounded on everyone present and I was next escorted over to a small office and told to wait until another Ministry for Primary Industries officer showed up to speak with me. Meanwhile the contraband slice of beef and veggie wrap was taken over to a large, cumbersome looking machine where it was subjected to a variety of tests. I watched from a distance while awaiting the ministry official. When he did show up, he asked me why I’d not mentioned that I had any food with me.
“I’m sorry, I totally forgot.” I replied.
“Even though you filled out the form attesting otherwise and were then asked about it at least twice afterwards?” he pressed.
“Uh, yes… that’s right.” I replied sheepishly.
It would have been different had I actually purchased the food somewhere – I would have remembered that – but a spur of the moment decision to toss a 3/4 inch wide slice of a beef and veggie wrap into my pack simply didn’t register for some reason. I don’t usually have food in my pack except stuff that’s packaged such as some cookies from my airline meal or some crackers from an airline lounge. But in this instance, I’d just totally forgotten about it and had no real excuse except perhaps that I’d been traveling/flying over the past 25 hours with only about 4-5 hours of intermittent sleep - the result being that my normally razor sharp mental acuity had been rendered sluggish by it all. It did not occur to me to mention this last part to the ministries officer however.
In any event, the fact that I hadn’t mentioned the food – regardless of why or how small it was – was viewed as a false declaration on my arrivals card. That is punishable by a $400.00 NZD fine. That’s about $285.00 USD. As for excuses, I’m sure these Ministry officers have heard them all and they’re not particularly sympathetic – at least mine wasn’t. As such I was fined the $400.00 with the option of paying on the spot or paying within two weeks. I also had the option to appeal though I was informed by the Ministries officer that “forgetfulness” doesn’t generally carry much weight with the appeals board. I opted to pay the fine on the spot.
Though my transgression was totally innocent in nature, I totally agree with what New Zealand is trying to protect here. It’s a beautiful country with a unique and fragile ecosystem that I’ve enjoyed firsthand via many hikes along its scenic South Island tracks. With so many visitors coming in from all over the world, New Zealand is right to take steps to protect its resources - including fining forgetful visitors. So – while at the end of the day I wasn’t happy about the unplanned expense, I chalked it up as a lesson worth remembering. I’ll be a lot more careful next time I come into New Zealand or any other country with similar concerns.
Out in the arrivals area, I picked up some colorful New Zealand currency and caught a bus into the city. My hotel for the night was the Ramada City Suites, paid for with points from my burgeoning Wyndham Rewards account. As a Platinum level member well on my way to Diamond status, I really need to start redeeming some of those points.
As nice as it would have been to spend a bit of time in New Zealand, my award ticket didn’t allow it. As it was, I’ve been to New Zealand about a dozen times and while I look forward to future visits, the driving rain courtesy of Tropical Storm Debbie left me feeling fortunate that I’d be heading north to warm and sunny Fiji tomorrow.