MrSydney

Thanks again Ann for those most informative responses.

I am flying in 23K both ways but am thinking about trying downstairs for the LAX AKL sector. Mind you, I have a comp upgrade both ways. AKL LAX looks very dicey but the return looks promising but we know how things can change very quicky!!

Ann Tyrol

22JK are the exit row seats on that side (they were changed a few months ago), but I personally think that if you are travelling with a companion, then 23JK are better. Just a slightly more intimate and private feel. We are travelling in PE long haul later in 2007 and have requested 23 or 24JK as we preferred them to the exit rows.

I didn't really get a good look at the cabin downstairs, but I really liked the feel of the upstairs cabin. Nice and quiet, and from my quick glances at the downstairs PE area, it seemed that there were more children down there.

Kiwi Flyer

Thanks for the report Ann Tyrol ^

I think you were unlucky. I'm often in AKL int lounge and haven't seen kids running around like this once. It comes with travel at this time of year - get more locals who don't normally fly and also visitors, some of whom (eg from US) are not used to clubs and what is expected.

I must confess I do get annoyed with parents who dump kids on the computers to play games for ages while others have to wait to do their work or check emails. Doesn't happen in NZ lounges too often, thankfully.

ajnz

In the Koru Club, no. At home and at work, yes, often. And I fall off them, too...Yes, this is quite likely in the ABC side on the 744; well, at least in the exit row. I've never been seated anywhere else so I can't judge completely, but certainly I notice that I have risked poking people a few times.

From what I've heard from colleagues who have taken PE on the 777, it's worse for side-by-side laptop use, presumably since the width is that much less. YMMV of course, and I can happily use my laptops in Economy with people next to me - it comes down to whether you have a giant oversized laptop, and how courteous you are, I think...

Cupertino

I'm flying PE SFO-AUK- MEL in about 2 weeks. Is the Koru Lounge included with my ticket?

Kiwi Flyer

Not unless you are *G or guest of a *G pax flying same day.

AndDee

Just confirming that with a UA RCC membership you can access the MEL and LAX Air NZ lounges ? Of course when flying on Air NZ on the same day

Kiwi Flyer

Yes that is correct.

gbogo

Route / Plane: NRT-AKL, 747
Day/Night flight: night
Seat No. (aisle / window / middle) 22A/B/C upper deck
Check in ok? yes
Seat comfort (width ok?) no. having just come off Virgin PE from London, the seats felt narrow and not comfrtable. Really feel NZ made a mistake cramming in 3+2 on the Upper Deck. Virgin's 2+2 is much better.
Legroom: as expected
Ease of getting in and out: bad for the window seat (3 of us travelling together, but as cabin was only 60% full, we were able to move around and have an empty middle seat).
Food: poor. this was mid-Dec a few days PRIOR to the new enhanced PE service.
Drink: same
FA attentiveness: poor. One male, one female. The woman FA spent a lot of time chatting quite loudly at the rear of the cabin - loud enough to keep me awake through earplugs. Looked vert put out when I asked her to tone it down.
AVOD: shocking. My seat had to be re-booted 4 times, my neighbour's 3 times during the flight. Also, the airshow (map) did not work at all. FA told me that this is a known issue every time a plane crosses the equator (??!!!) and it happens all the time. (see next report where the FSD told me she thought it was retro-fitting to 747s that was the problem). Also, the SELECT button had to be pressed repeatedly. Also, even when the map was working, you can't view anything else. Also, the FA told me there was no laptop power available. When I queried this, they came back and showed me that it was indeed there, low down between seats A and B (and partially blocked by the legrest! Lucky it was family down there!)
Would you do it again? Well, we had to, as we booked a Virgin-NZ joint ticket from LHR-AKL and return. But even before the next epxerience - probably not. I remember a time when NZ was special and great to come "home" to, but now it seems just so average. I recall being given a lot of information by flight deck, FA, checkin - everyone. Now it seems couldn't care less attitude prevails too often. Again, the FSD on the next flight blamed it on new management and cost-cutting. Obviously, any airline needs to make money, but the trick is to find ways of doing it while delivering superior service, and AirNZ is not there yet, IMHO.

gbogo

Route / Plane: AKL-HKG 747, early Jan, so post-PE "enhancements".
Day/Night flight: night
Seat No. (aisle / window / middle) last row of upper deck, so 24A/B/C i think.
Check in ok? No, no, NO! Ominous beginning. Went to the premium checkin area at AKL and was 2nd in line in the queue yet it was >45 minutes before we got served. There were only 2 check-in staff and I would guess they were having trouble juggling multiple families travelling together. A well-known NZ sporting hero with a party of 7 or 8, was one of the people in front of us having problems and was extremely unhappy with what they were being told, as were many other people in what became a lengthy line. Eventually, a supervisor appeared and started to apologise and after about an hour, 2 more staff appeared to open additional counters. Worse to come: having booked 9 months ago and requested seats together and been allocated 2+1 behind online, was stunned to be told we were all seated separately - including my 5yo daughter! Seems like they were making everyone unhappy. our check-in clerk seemed out of her depth and when we started to complain, refused to identify herself or her supervisor. We were told there was nothing could be done about seating but to ask at the departure gate (oh, and also, our upgrades had not come through, as the plane was "more than 10% over-sold"). We dutifully went to the gate, to find it deserted and when eventually it did open, we were given 2 seats together and told to try our luck trading with other passengers when we were onboard. (I pitied some other pax: "Can i talk to someone about my seat please?" said a guy behind us in the line. "you can talk" was the gruff and unhelpful answer from who I assume was the gate despatcher (?). !! Once on-board, the FA said "you ask, we get abused if we ask pax to move" so we did and someone desperate not to sit next to our kid, swapped with me.
Seat comfort (width ok?) poor.
Legroom: poor.
Ease of getting in and out: poor
Food: a joke. first, we were handed out Business Premier menus, only to have them snatched back by the FA and replaced by PE menus with near-identical selections. they then gave us trays with salad but forgot to offer hot mains or bread. FAs said that meals in AKL had been incorrectly loaded with Economy instead of PE. It seems that PE food is really the same as Business Premier, unless there isn't enough of anything, when it's not! Also, FA didn't know what food they were offering, ie leaned over and said "special meal?" and when I said "is that a child's meal?" response was "I don't know, i just give them out". !!
Drink: as with food, forgot to offer any wine.
FA attentiveness: poor, see above. FSD came to talk to me but what are they going to do? They can't offer you an upgrade, won't give you money off or points.. it's often not their fault (see management, cost-cutting comments above). One FA looked exasperated with all the complaints (i would say 80% of the cabin was unhappy, re split-up seating, downgrades to economy in one case, etc) and said it was the worst flight he'd seen in 20 years. I hope for Air NZ's sake, that was true.
AVOD: worse. whole system had to be re-booted after 30 mins (and get this for a PA announcement: "Those of you on the left of the plane might have noticed a problem with.... the entertainment system..." I saw more than a few anxious glances out the window at that point from people who obvously thought we'd lost an engine or wing or something!). Airshow did not work at all after the reboot. System was slow throughout. Thank goodness for my laptop and DVDs.
Would you do it again?. No, no, no. The whole experience of these two flights and the direct comparison with Virgin on a 340-600 back to London the next day means it is doubtful if we will travel on NZ ever again, if there is an alternative.

Sorry to be so negative, but making 30+ flights a year for business and a RTW with family to NZ at least once a year for the last 5 years, across Cathay, Qantas, BA, United and Virgin this was the worst experience we've had.

Kiwi Flyer

Wowo gbogo that sounds terrible. Have you provided Air NZ with feedback so they can improve?

everywhere

That would be enough to put one off for life!

Especially as the service is really the only selling point for Premium Economy, as they squished the seats in too many across [especially on the 777].

If you haven't already sent in a letter, [email protected] generally works best.

Ann Tyrol

Wow, what a bummer. I must have gotten extremely lucky

Re the Akl Premium checkin area, while it was a nice touch, I do recall it was awfully slow given that there was only us and one other couple waiting to check in. THere were 3 or 4 agents, but for some reason they were taking ages.

DCF

I purchased Premium Economy tickets in 2005 and 2006, and have again for 2007, but only as a means of getting Confirmed Upgrades to Business Premier at a decent price from a U class ticket.

The upgrade of the food offering is basically a desperate measure to try to disguise the fact that the narrow seat is just a disgrace, absolutely crap.

From Australia you can buy cheaper Premium Economy seats to London on Virgin Atlantic and Air Mauritius which are of near-Business Class width.

If the airline had honoured its promise that Premium Economy would cost 25% more than Economy that would be OK. But it turns out that they meant 100% more than the cheapest Economy ticket (due to the dishonest pretext that "we meant full-fare economy, not discount economy").

Upstairs on the 747 should be 2-2, not the current 3-2, and on the 777 it should be 2-3-2, not 3-3-3.

I'll continue to buy Premium Economy tickets, but only while I can simultaneously confirm upgrades to Business Premier at the time of purchase. I would never want to sit in that crappy seat!

Ann Tyrol

Interesting comments so far re the seat - I found the 747 upstairs seat plenty wide enough (with my only minor niggle being that the AVOD handset is easily bumped if you leave it in the side of the seat.

I haven't flown on Virgin's PE though so I have nothing to compare to.

AT