Originally Posted by
NZbutterfly
Whilst I don't think the new J and PE products are ground breaking (they're more like a "catch up to other airlines" type product), I do hope NZ make a massive song and dance about it. People have been bagging NZ's J layout and posting feet pics for as long as I can remember! So this upgrade feels more like a momentous occasion rather than an "about dang time" moment. Whilst I doubt I'll be on the inaugural flight I still wouldn't mind getting acquainted with the products a little early...get a whiff of that new interior
As I see it there are really two aspects of the upgrade - one is clearly the seat with the brand new PE and BP seat designs, but don't underestimate other aspects such as the new Safran RAVE IFE and vastly improved in seat power with 60W USB-C PD.
Moving to an IFE platform that's around 12 years newer than what they were on is a massive upgrade and the bigger screen sizes and built-in Bluetooth is awesome. The addition of USB-C ports delivering up to 60W PD means you can now fast charge a phone / tablet / laptop as well. Safran also announced a casting type solution a few weeks ago (which only mentions YouTube support at present in the stories I read at the time) which opens up lots of opportunities.
While Air NZ are tied to their current Inmarsat GX solution the bandwidth limitations mean you can't have everybody on a plane streaming content, but that's something that will change in the next few years whether it's Air NZ moving their longhaul fleet to Starlink or maybe sticking with Inmarsat and their new LEO solution.
I know somebody who despite being a QF fanboi will never fly on them on their frequent trips to NYC because being disconnected from their business world for so long is a deal-breaker for them.