I find Air NZ expensive compared to other airlines. If you compare similar routes eg AA AKL/SYD - LAX, CX AKL-HKG, VA Aussie - LAX then Air NZ are more expensive.
Admit SQs pricing structure peeves me off more.

Qantas are very lucky because they use the Ka band Viasat Sky Muster satellites that were deployed for the nbn network - they in effect are able to leverage this and have access to bandwidth that's down-linked inside Australia at a far cheaper cost than any other provider. It does just have they small problem that they can't provide service on Trans Tasman services because the spot beams only cover Australia.

Committing themselves to Viasat does however have the one main downside that Viasat currently don't have a global Ka network and won't do for a number of years. This is why Qantas won't be able to offer WiFi across their long-haul fleet for a few years yet - the Viasat-3 satellite covering the North America is planned to launch in 2020, the one covering Europe scheduled for early 2021, and Asia Pacific expected later in 2021.

Virgin are having to compete with older Ku tech with the advantage they're also using an older Optus satellite covering Australia and Intelsat elsewhere - and I'd imaging paying a lot less for the capacity above Australia that they are for international services but can average the two out. Air NZ have the disadvantage of probably paying quite a bit more for their global Ka solution with Inmarsat.

Just picked up a cheap-ish AKL - SYD flight 1st Feb, currently on a 321NEO. NZ707. splurged on the Works Deluxe for partner and I (birthday trip), only seats available were 1A - 1C, 1D - 1F and 2A-2C. Must be reserved for the Works Deluxe with guaranteed empty seat . . . .

You only see seat availability for the class you are booking in...so if booking Works Deluxe you only see available Works Deluxe seats. Keep in mind that the seat map is not a good indicator of how full the cabin will be as some people might not pre-select a seat when booking.

Yes it is.

Looks like the A321's will be making Trans Tasman flights from Christchurch however just seasonally?

From 1 July - 26 October most Christchurch-Brisbane flights will be operated by the A321's however this appears to have come at a reduction in services and seats.

Currently, there are 10 A320 flights (A320 168 seats = 1680 seats in each direction) this will reduce to 7 A321 flights per week (A321 214 seats = 1498 seats in each direction).

Christchurch to Sydney will also see the occasional A321 on a Tuesday through October but nothing long term yet.

27 April nz456
 

Looking at this flight
the plane is a 320 but it has seats 1D 1E 1F which my normal 320 does not
is this a neo or a 320 international?

Will be an A320R. I believe the first (of the three) being moved to full time domestic happens shortly.

So if the A321s are going to start flights from CHC would it be fair to assume that AirNZ will have some of the 789s back on deck by then? As I assume the A321s are taking up some of the TT widebody slack better than the A320s do?

Or by July will the second batch of A321s arrive?

Is there a spreadsheet of A320 deliveries like say with the 787s https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...qgo/edit#gid=2 ?

In looking for A320 deliveries noticed
https://airbusdeliveries.blogspot.co...es-no2054.html
Which has ZK-OJG being painted white for the return to the lessor.

Remember the final 789 arrives soon as well. You'd need to check the orders but from memory that arrives around May.

will that 789 have the modified engines ?

The 789s with the v2 seat config came with the Trent 1000 TEN engine opposed to the Trent 1000 Package C engine

I've had this domestically ZK-OJH.