Does Anyone Know When Air NZ Is Receiving It’s First A320 Neo?
#31
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,411
ZK-NZA is now fully painted, in 'All Black' livery.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/daniel...r/43911982745/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/daniel...r/43911982745/
#33
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,095
They announced last year after the initial engine delays that the neo would then be further delayed as they were going to wait for the cabin flex option to be available.
It'll be really interesting to see how many seats they opt for in the domestic A321 fleet if they do decide to opt for a split domestic and short haul fleet again.
It'll be really interesting to see how many seats they opt for in the domestic A321 fleet if they do decide to opt for a split domestic and short haul fleet again.
#35
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,411
They announced last year after the initial engine delays that the neo would then be further delayed as they were going to wait for the cabin flex option to be available.
It'll be really interesting to see how many seats they opt for in the domestic A321 fleet if they do decide to opt for a split domestic and short haul fleet again.
It'll be really interesting to see how many seats they opt for in the domestic A321 fleet if they do decide to opt for a split domestic and short haul fleet again.
Does anyone know what there plans are for turning around on the Tasman routes? e.g. are they going to get AKL to allow them to do rear stair boarding like domestic?
#36
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,411
On the A321NEO seat-map now online - it mentions to in seat USB-C - wonder if these can charge an Macbook via USB-C?
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/seat...s-a321neo-214i
Anyone know who the IFE vendor is? have seen mentions of it being a Android based system.
USB connection in monitor (USB and USB‑C)
Anyone know who the IFE vendor is? have seen mentions of it being a Android based system.
#37
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,095
On the A321NEO seat-map now online - it mentions to in seat USB-C - wonder if these can charge an Macbook via USB-C?
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/seat...s-a321neo-214i
Anyone know who the IFE vendor is? have seen mentions of it being a Android based system.
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/seat...s-a321neo-214i
Anyone know who the IFE vendor is? have seen mentions of it being a Android based system.
As for USB-C and whether you can charge your MacBook, and answer is very likely to be no. Do you understand what PD (power delivery) is? And why USB-C PD (and not just USB-C) is required to charge a tablet or laptop?
I wrote about this yesterday in my article on the neo, but am still to find anybody inside Air NZ who can confirm the status of the PD support. I've educated a few people there about USB-C and USB-C PD but still no closer to finding out exactly what their offering is.
I spent quite some time at CES in January talking to the Panasonic avionics guys and discussed the issue of USB-C PD. They had just deployed their first USB-C PD deployment on several Emirates aircraft and these were only 15W USB-C PD capable ports. To charge a tablet or laptop with USB-C charging you typically need a minimum of 30W PD, and need around 60W to charge these at "full" speed. While Panasonic understand this, there are some pretty significant challenges delivering up to 100W to each seat, but they indicated 30W wouldn't be far away and may be available this year.
Assuming Air NZ have 15W PD ports (which I'm picking) they will fast charge an iPhone if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable, and will fast charge most Android devices. They will not charge a laptop or tablet that requires minimum 30W PD - if you feed anything less than 30W into a laptop that has USB-C charging it will simply not charge and will normally display a message indicating the input voltage is too low.
15W PD support will create issues going forward as USB-C is finally going mainstream this year, and with the average person not understanding that not all USB-C ports are created equal will cause some confusion, especially when hose less tech savvy just expect they can plug their laptop into a USB-C port and that it'll charge. Assuming it is only 15W PD, Air NZ will probably want to make mention of this somewhere to try and avoid cabin crew having to become experts on the USB standard!
#39
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 181
Assuming Air NZ have 15W PD ports (which I'm picking) they will fast charge an iPhone if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable, and will fast charge most Android devices. They will not charge a laptop or tablet that requires minimum 30W PD - if you feed anything less than 30W into a laptop that has USB-C charging it will simply not charge and will normally display a message indicating the input voltage is too low.
#40
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,095
My HP EliteBook for example just brings up a warning if supplied less than 30W and won't draw any load nor charge the battery. Some other devices may still draw a load that may keep them running, but they'll be in the minority, not the majority.
PD makes understanding chargers a little more complex - especially with so many different types of chargers out there with different outputs - some may only do 30W, some 30 and 45W, and good ones up to 60W. There are also plenty of USB-C chargers and Powerbanks that lack PD support
#41
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ*G, VA Plat, NZ*G (Elite), QF Gold and PC+, Hyatt Explorist, HH Gold, Bonvoyed ("Gold")
Posts: 5,350
Space+? More like Space-
While looking at booking flights for the holiday period, I noted that the 321neo is showing up on some AKL-SYD flights in late December. I took the opportunity to look at the seat map to check out the Space+ seats to see what the pitch was like, since the booking engine shows pitch for each individual seats. Seems like NZ has taken the opportunity to 'densify' its config, including the so-called Space+ seats.
On the current international A320s, some rows of Space+ are 86cm pitch (33.85") while the rest are 83cm (32.6"). On the A321neo:
The one, single thing that I like above all else about NZ's A320 product across the Tasman is that it has noticeably better personal space than the rival products - partly due to greater Airbus seat width, mostly due to the extra legroom of Space+. The A321neo product is really narrowing the comfort gap over QF and VA (see here for comparison). I understand making the back of the plane denser, since NZ is trying to run a hybrid low cost / full service model. But eroding the benefit for your most loyal customers is a mean and misguided move.
Not happy, NZ!
Note: all conversions to inches are done by me. The decimal places make them look artificially accurate - in reality the pitch in cm has clearly been rounded to the nearest whole number so may in reality be up to 0.5cm more or less.
On the current international A320s, some rows of Space+ are 86cm pitch (33.85") while the rest are 83cm (32.6"). On the A321neo:
- All the Space+ seats (ie rows 4-8ABC and 4-6DEF) are now only 81cm pitch (31.9")
- Row 10, which is a non-Space+ seat, is 86cm
- The exit rows (which cost $30, even for golds) are 99cm
- The other rows range from to a squeezy 76cm (29.9") a truly punitive 73cm (28.7").
The one, single thing that I like above all else about NZ's A320 product across the Tasman is that it has noticeably better personal space than the rival products - partly due to greater Airbus seat width, mostly due to the extra legroom of Space+. The A321neo product is really narrowing the comfort gap over QF and VA (see here for comparison). I understand making the back of the plane denser, since NZ is trying to run a hybrid low cost / full service model. But eroding the benefit for your most loyal customers is a mean and misguided move.
Not happy, NZ!
Note: all conversions to inches are done by me. The decimal places make them look artificially accurate - in reality the pitch in cm has clearly been rounded to the nearest whole number so may in reality be up to 0.5cm more or less.
#42
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,095
Remember the seats are different design so it's hard to compare seat pitch directly. These Acro seats with a narrower pitch will deliver better legroom than the old seats using the same pitch.
Exactly how much though isn't easy to answer - and it's going to take sitting in one to form that opinion.
Exactly how much though isn't easy to answer - and it's going to take sitting in one to form that opinion.
#43
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: OZ*G, VA Plat, NZ*G (Elite), QF Gold and PC+, Hyatt Explorist, HH Gold, Bonvoyed ("Gold")
Posts: 5,350
Remember the seats are different design so it's hard to compare seat pitch directly. These Acro seats with a narrower pitch will deliver better legroom than the old seats using the same pitch.
Exactly how much though isn't easy to answer - and it's going to take sitting in one to form that opinion.
Exactly how much though isn't easy to answer - and it's going to take sitting in one to form that opinion.
#44
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New Zealand
Programs: NZ Elite, QF Platinum (LTS), VA Platinum
Posts: 1,672
While looking at booking flights for the holiday period, I noted that the 321neo is showing up on some AKL-SYD flights in late December. I took the opportunity to look at the seat map to check out the Space+ seats to see what the pitch was like, since the booking engine shows pitch for each individual seats. Seems like NZ has taken the opportunity to 'densify' its config, including the so-called Space+ seats.
On the current international A320s, some rows of Space+ are 86cm pitch (33.85") while the rest are 83cm (32.6"). On the A321neo:
The one, single thing that I like above all else about NZ's A320 product across the Tasman is that it has noticeably better personal space than the rival products - partly due to greater Airbus seat width, mostly due to the extra legroom of Space+. The A321neo product is really narrowing the comfort gap over QF and VA (see here for comparison). I understand making the back of the plane denser, since NZ is trying to run a hybrid low cost / full service model. But eroding the benefit for your most loyal customers is a mean and misguided move.
Not happy, NZ!
Note: all conversions to inches are done by me. The decimal places make them look artificially accurate - in reality the pitch in cm has clearly been rounded to the nearest whole number so may in reality be up to 0.5cm more or less.
On the current international A320s, some rows of Space+ are 86cm pitch (33.85") while the rest are 83cm (32.6"). On the A321neo:
- All the Space+ seats (ie rows 4-8ABC and 4-6DEF) are now only 81cm pitch (31.9")
- Row 10, which is a non-Space+ seat, is 86cm
- The exit rows (which cost $30, even for golds) are 99cm
- The other rows range from to a squeezy 76cm (29.9") a truly punitive 73cm (28.7").
The one, single thing that I like above all else about NZ's A320 product across the Tasman is that it has noticeably better personal space than the rival products - partly due to greater Airbus seat width, mostly due to the extra legroom of Space+. The A321neo product is really narrowing the comfort gap over QF and VA (see here for comparison). I understand making the back of the plane denser, since NZ is trying to run a hybrid low cost / full service model. But eroding the benefit for your most loyal customers is a mean and misguided move.
Not happy, NZ!
Note: all conversions to inches are done by me. The decimal places make them look artificially accurate - in reality the pitch in cm has clearly been rounded to the nearest whole number so may in reality be up to 0.5cm more or less.
The middle seat will also be 3cms wider and the aisle and window seats 1cm wider. This will boost the aisle and window seats to the Airbus standard of 18 inches from the narrow 17-inch seats on the existing A320s."
https://www.airlineratings.com/news/...s-new-a321neo/
Width improves.
Leg room apparently improves due to slimline and curvature of design.
Article says it was tested with customers to incorporate their feedback. Hopefully they chose customers that know a lot about economy.
Can only wait & see.
#45
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 181
Definitely going to be keen to try it on a Tasman service!