treadsoftly

As I also recently experienced coming from AKL - LHR, passengers are being led to believe that they are flying on a refitted 747 and end up flying on a "Classic" 747 instead. Yes, I know Air NZ have said that this could happen, but talking to some people who work at LHR, passengers are not happy. The new business is also falling below people's expectations after all the heavy advertising.

I heard that they may start using 777's very shortly (until all 747s are re-fitted) for the LHR-LAX route to try to allay passenger disappointment at not having the new Pacific Economy / Premium Economy / Business facilities.

PhilH

This is strange, because they have actually changed the class configuration on this route, its not just a case of updating an existing class.

What I mean is, are people still buying Economy, Business, First tickets for LHR-AKL? If so, what cabins are they being accomodated in on the updated Economy, Premium Economy, Business Premier configs. Conversely if people a buying Business Premier tickets who is being seated in old First and old Business if a non-updated plane is used. THis is confusing, so no wonder people are unhappy. I would have thought that LHR was "up there" in terms of premium routes for Air NZ, so a priority to get upgraded asap I would think...

kiwiandrew

NZ have not sold first class on any route (even those still operated with the old configuration) since June last year to try to avoid confusion . I believe that NZ1/2 are there top priority now that they have 3 a/c refitted , however , this is the bare minimum needed to cover a daily service , so if an aircraft goes u/s they may have to substitute an old configuration a/c . I believe the only way to guarantee the new config is to wait until all 744 have been reconfigured - but I am no longer sure when this is meant to be completed as the late 777 delivery totally buggered up the refit schedule for the 744s

stargold

From the passengers' viewpoint, the only way that NZ could acceptably juggle the old and new config is:

Ticket in ===> Seated in
Business ===> First
Prem Econ ===> Business
Economy ===> Economy

with some compensation for the lack of VOD. Anything less is just taking the p!ss in my opinion, given the huge amount of marketing they did all over the place. Moreover, if they put the Premium Economy in the standard economy seats, they would be liable for the Involuntary Downgrade compensation under the EU regulations I believe, which doesn't come cheap for NZ.

(Actually, I just realised that the above wouldn't work half the time if there are more than 12 passengers booked in C which, given the heavy advertising and usual demand, would happen quite often. I would be pretty angry if I got the old C seat having bought Business Premier, given that both SQ and CX offer fares from LHR to AKL and offer seats in J that are better than old NZ C.)

MrSydney

I recently flew LHR - LAX and had the good fortune to get the refitted 744. The lead FA was telling me at this stage they don't have enough refitted 744 to guarantee daily 74R service and it is causing some problems when pax board and discover they are getting the 'classic' 744.

Couple of moans about the flight....the caterers 'forgot' to load menus and the lead FA assured me the caterers will be fully informed of this and the entree was so minusule it was a joke...but the desserrt certainly made up for it........sublime.

Kiwi Flyer

Hopefully NZ is getting decent compensation from Boeing for the knock-on effects of their strike. In the same way Singapore is being compensated by Airbus for not being able to deliver A380 until months after originally due - both airlines spent a lot advertising and gearing up for new product.

On a personal note, while I'd love to sample the new products I have not gone out of my way to try and get it knowing a/c substitutions, delays etc are very possible. Of course I've booked travel I've needed to try to maximise my chances of getting it but so far no luck.

everywhere

...and I thought this thread would be about that *awful* RCC...

Currently NZ is not selling premium economy on any services to, from or through LAX. They are selling only 46 Business Class seats (plus 1 to 5 for overbooking), which means on some aircraft there will be a spare 20 premium seats with which to accomodate passengers.

After about mid-december when there is 100 % introduction of 777s onto NZ7/8; there will be 3 74Rs to operate NZ1/2, so unless there is a mechanical problem those flights will have the refurbished configuration - but they are still not selling premium economy on NZ1/2 until 4 aircraft are done, to cover maintenance requirements.

There’s going to be some serious stooge in AKL if these new Business Premier suite’s do not increase NZs C class market share by 1 % - seeing they cost about twice other normal C seats (like QFs Skybeds)

stargold as with all commerical airline's refits your buying a class of service, not necessarily a specific type of seat.

kiwiox14

Speaking with NZ Travel centre in London yesterday policy is that they are allocating seating on the basis of having a refit in place and if an old config shows up they upgrade or downgrade as required. Given flights are oversold given time of year I expect you end up taking what you can get.

kiwibigdave

They sold me one. AKL-LAX in April '06.

everywhere

When was this sold ? I am not aware that Pacific Premium is being today ?

kiwibigdave

Originally maybe July? And originally for travel in October, via SFO. The journey was to end in a conference in Tampa but I found out just three hours before leaving NSN that the conference was being postponed because Hurricane Wilma was coming through. I actually wasn't too fussed about the postponement other than the delay to '06 leaves me well short of retaining *G with aeroplan in '05 (I would have snuck in with about 37k miles had the trip gone ahead.)

Anyway.

I opened the dates back up in October and when the conference was reconfirmed about three weeks ago the AirNZ TC couldn't sit me on matching SFO flights on my U ticket (though they did offer me O for a change fee). I opted instead to rebook in U via LAX.

Maybe they didn't know then what they know now? ???

aa767flyer

Umm, are you sure about this? I can assure you ANZ is selling U class prem. econ on these flights. It's available on NZ1/2 a the moment. Not 5/6. When a new a/c is not used pax are placed in the last 3 rows of the J cabin.

sdix

Took NZ2 Sunday LAX-LHR. Although when I booked the ticket and selected my seat it was shown to be a retrofit it actually was a "classic."

IFE was pretty bad, interiors old but service was good from the U.K. based crew. Food was decent. Lounge at T2 LAX was pretty cool.

H99

I am flying down to NZ in January from London. This scenario is highly unappealing - did they offer you any compensation? An explanation? An apology?

I am on a business trip so maybe I should swap to Singapore or Cathay and go around the other way if this is a serious risk

AC110

I flew AKL-LAX in J last February. What a ratty old plane. I asked if I could sit in the nose when I got on, the FA sniffed distainfully that that would not be possible. Later I realized that the nose seating was F. They better hurry thoses refits, the look I got at the nose seating suggests pretty shabby accommodations for transpac F prices!