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AUCKLAND to QUEENSTOWN (AKL-ZQN) on Pacific Blue 737-800 (inaugural flight)
When Pacific Blue announced a new domestic destination (Queenstown) I checked my calendar and noticed shock horrors I actually had no flights or other commitments on that day. Regular readers of my trip reports know I like flying inaugural flights having notched up about a dozen so far. There has been plentiful sales for the first 6 weeks or so of service, so I am unsure how long the service will last. At 24 hours before departure I tried on line check in but got a ridiculous message that I was unable to be checked in because I either had a connecting international flight or I had a connecting flight on another airline. More later. |
Next day at the airport I tried checking in at the self service kiosk but again got the same message. The check in desks at the time had no queues so I was quickly checked in, and for the return flight also.
I hopped onto a free internet terminal to check some messages before I went through security - there really is little to do at the gate. There were no festivities at the gate. The load was fairly light - about 70 passengers. Boarding was on time and completed fairly quickly. With the light load we all boarded upstairs at the bizarro gate - no need to cross the tarmac today. I call gate 23 bizarro gate because it has an airbridge but to access it you have to climb some stairs in the terminal - there is no connection upstairs with any other part of the upper level of the terminal. Still, it is better than the previous set up at this gate (and still exists at the other gates Pacific Blue uses) where you have to walk across the tarmac and up air stairs. Boarding was quick. I was pleased to have an empty middle seat although I could just as easily have gotten a whole empty row to myself. There was a brief delay to pushing back due to "congestion". Once we took off it didn't take long to clear the low cloud over Auckland, and once south of the Bombay Hills we had crystal clear skies all the way. Spring is here and the land looks great. The mountains still had a thick coating of snow, shining brightly in the sun and various shades of bluegray where the sun couldn't reach. Rivers glittered of silver, high due to the snow melt, valley walls once again goldenbrown with tussock. Views from coast to coast all the way. There was an initial earplugs for sale and buyonboard service, followed by free orange juice or cheap bubbly. As usual with Virgin Blue inaugural flights they had a charity auction for Variety Club - 2 return tickets for any domestic Pacific Blue flight (limited NZ route network) good for a year. These went for $420. The auctioneer tried talking up the value saying they were worth $800, but this was the wrong flight with the wrong passengers for that angle - I doubt anyone had paid more than $69 on this flight. A fruit burst lolly was given out at top of descent. We had fantastic views of the mountains and southern lakes. I was curious as to which approach into Queenstown they would fly - there are several some more twisty than others. They flew fairly directly in with a sharp descent. From this I speculate they have the RNP equipment fitted. We landed to a chilly clear day - the early afternoon temperature just 5C. No special welcome, but we did get the closest 737 tarmac position. |
QUEENSTOWN to AUCKLAND (ZQN-AKL) on Pacific Blue 737-800 (inaugural flight)
Despite a number of flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Christchurch there were suprisingly few people in the terminal. I guess Sundays will be busier as skiiers head home. 15 minutes before departure I headed through security. There was a guy talking on a cell phone at the xray holding people up as he tried to put his stuff through xray yet didn't want to end his call. We all went around him and shared a :rolleyes: with the security people. I was shocked at the gate to see just 5 people. Oh dear this looks like a ridiculously low load. Sure enough the gate agent was busy changing people's seats - presumable for balance purposes and to have someone seated in the exit row. More people arrived after me, and eventually we had 40 passengers. Boarding was completed on time. They were eager to beat the Qantas flight out, which was scheduled at the same time. Due to the terrain and the lack of taxiway, going out second adds 10-15 minutes to the departure time at ZQN. I've often experienced races between Qantas and Air NZ here as each team strives to beat the other out. There was a problem with the passenger count, and it took several goes to match them up. After 15 minutes they were satisfied and the doors shut. However, despite also running late Qantas had beaten Pacific Blue to push back so we had a further 10 minute wait before we could start. The flight back had the same great views as the flight down. There were a few minor differences in service. No bubbles :( The charity auction raised $350 this time. There was a short quiz to win a small box of chocolate almonds. We arrived to a still gloomy day in Auckland (again clouds only north of the Bombay Hills), but rather late. The cabin crew for the next flight were all lined up in the airbridge waiting to rush onboard. I power walked back landside for my ride out of the airport. Thus ended my latest inaugural flights (it will be a couple of months before the next one). Rather low key - I guess a reflection of the struggle Pacific Blue is having at the moment. They are not in a good place being sandwiched by lower cost Jetstar and better service/network/business-customer friendly Air NZ in a fierce tussle in NZ and across the Tasman. In Australia they have a similar struggle with Qantas above and Jetstar and Tiger below. |
Thanks for the trip report, Kiwi Flyer. We're on this flight (AKL-ZQN), a little after Christmas. The cost on Pacific Blue was approx half the cost of Air NZ, and two thirds the cost of Jetstar.
Good news that they have the RNP equipment installed. Shame that they don't have bassinets installed on the 737-800. I don't think that the Air NZ 737-300s or the Jetstar A320s have bassinet positions either. Strange that there was nothing special at Queenstown, especially since Pacific Blue got a water salute when its first international flight arrived from Sydney. |
Only 2 Pacific Blue Queenstown-Auckland flights a week? Wow, they've cut back even before starting, and even with heavy & near-continuous discounting. No wonder there was no welcome or much of a celebration.
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Originally Posted by Kiwi Flyer
(Post 12407185)
Only 2 Pacific Blue Queenstown-Auckland flights a week? Wow, they've cut back even before starting, and even with heavy & near-continuous discounting. No wonder there was no welcome or much of a celebration.
It would be good if NZ started to uses its A320s on AKL-ZQN-AKL, It would for sure give jetstar a run for its money. The AVOD would be very good on this route. |
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Back to the dark ages with a major computer failure at Air NZ
Nelson to Wellington on Air New Zealand Dash 8-3 Q300 Wellington to Auckland on Air New Zealand 737 (space+ seats) |
Auckland to Wellington on Air New Zealand 737 (space+ seats)
My first Jetstar NZ report Wellington to Auckland on Jetstar A320 |
FLYING TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND
All the current domestic routes are listed below, with links to reports on a selection of those flights. I've flown all of the domestic routes operated by NZ* (Air New Zealand), DJ (Pacific Blue aka Virgin Blue), and QF (jetconnect aka Qantas) from before it was replaced by JQ (Jetstar). I've also flown a handful of routes on minor airlines, which I'm adding to from time to time. * Air NZ has a once per week flight between Wanganui and Taupo which I have now flown also. This is not a permanent feature of the schedule and is a technical stop on WLG-TUO vv. JQ has a limited route network of AKL-WLG/CHC/ZQN, CHC-ZQN. DJ has a limited route network of AKL-WLG/CHC/DUD, WLG-CHC and CHC-DUD. From/To Auckland
From/To Hamilton
From/To Taupo
From/To Wellington
From/To Nelson
From/To Christchurch
Updated to post #253 |
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The domestic routes available has changed a little since the last update. Pacific Blue is gone. Some Air NZ routes have been dropped as has service to Oamaru.
Paraparaumu joins the Air NZ network in late October, and tickets are now on sale - watch out for a report on that later this year. |
Taupo - Wanganui
One route I havent seen a report on is Taupo to Wanganui. AirNZ offer this route for $69 one way. The times are a bit wierd, 6.15am depart Taupo. Have you ever flien this??
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