ZK-OKU mini report
Dec 15, 2023, 3:22 pm
#16
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ*GE / EK*GOLD
Posts: 2,510
Short report from the long haul, we sat in row 2: Masses of seats in normal business class inop(mostly bed function or IFE), seat 1D is also defective in first class. On the AKL-IAH flight, seat 1K remained unoccupied, although passengers asked for it at the gate (but did not want to pay). Otherwise pretty rocked down and only medium experience. Remote control not usable, only touch function of the screen available.Seats well sagged, but sleeping was good with mattress topper. The main problem with NZ28 is the constant delay in ground handling in AKL. We also took off almost 2 hours late because the security check in the aircraft before boarding took forever.
Dec 15, 2023, 6:35 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Sun Peaks, Taupo.
Programs: NZ Elite, AC SE100K, Westjet Teal, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 6,135
Dec 21, 2023, 4:33 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 115
Plane out of action. Due to fly Akl-MEL today. Fully boarded and ready to go, then informed of engineering issue that meant the plane was grounded. Cracked window found apparently.
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
Dec 21, 2023, 4:46 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,415
Plane out of action. Due to fly Akl-MEL today. Fully boarded and ready to go, then informed of engineering issue that meant the plane was grounded. Cracked window found apparently.
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
It would of had very little investment over the last few years, as it was parked in ASP.
NZ’s own 77W’s are struggling with seat failures too, in J. Sitting around for 2-3 years, still ages the onboard hard product.
Dec 21, 2023, 5:42 pm
#22
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 115
It was a drama. In the chaos I grabbed the last 2 business seats of the day on Qantas on Flexi whilst waiting for air NZ as they had no idea, nothing on the app. Spent a lot of time with NZ ticket desk. We had a PE ticket with Elite RU to business. They had us rebooked PE to Syd and connecting on QF to Mel. Amazing agent recognised my special needs husband and got us business on AKL-SYD at least. So cancelled the Qantas ticket. Otherwise would try and argue they should pay for that...
All in all, our agent could have just said no go away sir, but she was empathetic and spent a great deal of time to find a good / ok / acceptable solution. I was blown away and could cry on the spot. She was the best Air NZ staffer I've ever encountered. I got her name and will be sure to pass on recognition.
Now to get money back for the Business Preferred seats, I'll strap myself in for the 6 month ride.
All in all, our agent could have just said no go away sir, but she was empathetic and spent a great deal of time to find a good / ok / acceptable solution. I was blown away and could cry on the spot. She was the best Air NZ staffer I've ever encountered. I got her name and will be sure to pass on recognition.
Now to get money back for the Business Preferred seats, I'll strap myself in for the 6 month ride.
Dec 21, 2023, 6:03 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: Air New Zealand
Posts: 77
Plane out of action. Due to fly Akl-MEL today. Fully boarded and ready to go, then informed of engineering issue that meant the plane was grounded. Cracked window found apparently.
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
All pax deboarded, had to claim luggage and go landside through customs and biosecurity, to have to do it all again if you got a rebooking through the chaos.
Had paid for 2 Business Preferred seats. One had inoperable seat controls. The only other spare seat was marked already as inop due to only half the seat controls working. So 2 seats now out of action from the very limited number available.
Sounds like Cathay gave NZ a pretty rubbish plane!
Dec 22, 2023, 11:11 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
Posts: 10
My wife and I are on NZ28 AKL-IAH on Christmas Day. Flight was to be operated by normal NZ metal. We are in Y but paid to be in one of the 2-seat pairs (I think there are eight pairs on the standard NZ 777-300ER). There was an equipment change to the ex-CX 777 (no notification) likely because of the maintenance issue mentioned above that probably altered the schedule of that aircraft.
Our seats were automatically reassigned to the very last row of the aircraft. Since the Y cabin is smaller than the standard NZ Y cabin, there aren’t a lot of options for us. This aircraft also doesn’t have 2-seat pairs like we paid for. (There’s one pair, 72A/C, that’s blocked.)
On NZ 777s, the last row at least has full recline. Does anyone know if Cathay’s birds have full recline against the aft bulkhead?
I will certainly be requesting a refund of the 2x$100 preferred seating fees. Very irritated at having to worry about a neighbour when already crammed in the last row of Y. I wonder how they handle all the people that paid for Skycouch?
FYI, it seems that at least for the next several days they moved this aircraft to AKL-SYD instead of MEL. I wonder if it was intended to give them a little extra time on the ground since this aircraft is consistently delayed on the AKL-IAH segment.
Our seats were automatically reassigned to the very last row of the aircraft. Since the Y cabin is smaller than the standard NZ Y cabin, there aren’t a lot of options for us. This aircraft also doesn’t have 2-seat pairs like we paid for. (There’s one pair, 72A/C, that’s blocked.)
On NZ 777s, the last row at least has full recline. Does anyone know if Cathay’s birds have full recline against the aft bulkhead?
I will certainly be requesting a refund of the 2x$100 preferred seating fees. Very irritated at having to worry about a neighbour when already crammed in the last row of Y. I wonder how they handle all the people that paid for Skycouch?
FYI, it seems that at least for the next several days they moved this aircraft to AKL-SYD instead of MEL. I wonder if it was intended to give them a little extra time on the ground since this aircraft is consistently delayed on the AKL-IAH segment.
