I was on one of these (a BMI one) a couple of years ago, and you see them quite a lot at Heathrow (cos of how many *A carriers use the place), and asked the CSM about it - she told me that each Star Alliance carrier is required, as part of its commitments of membership, to operate a certain percentage of their fleet/an amount of planes (can't remember which) in this *A livery. I have since been on an SAS one too.

So each *A carrier has a few, and am sure too that it would be one of Air NZs.

And it caused some probs. for some carriers when implemented, not least AC (back in '98) for whom doing so was potentially against Canadian law, requiring in the end for the Canadian Transport Agency to "exempt Air Canada from the application of paragraph 18(c) of the ATR [that states "the licensee shall not operate an international air service, or represent by advertisement or otherwise the licensee operating such air service, under a name other than that specified in the licence"] - to permit the operation of one A340 aircraft bearing the livery of Star Alliance" - http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/rulings-dec...8-A-250_e.html