Air New Zealand
 

NZ have unveiled there upgrades to the longhaul fleet of 747 and 777 aircraft.

Heres a rundown of the new cabins - All info taken from NZ's handout in this weeks TTG.

Business Premier
Luxurious leather armchair converts to a fully flat 6'7.5" bed.
Ottomon footrest doubles as a visitor's seat.
Every seat has direct acces to aisle.
Video and audio on demand on own high res 10.4" screen.
Inseat power in ever seat.

Pacific Premium Economy (This is a new cabin)
Largest seat pitch in its class at 39/40", seat width of 18.5" on 747's
Extra seat recline with full leg rest and foot bar.
Video and audio on demand on own high res 8.4" screen.
Inseat power point
Exclusive premium cabin.

Pacific Economy
34" seat pitch on 747's
New seats with adjustable headrest.
Video and audio on demand on own high res 8.4" screen.

Overall the new services are very similar to VS.

The new classes and seats etc will be avail from october between AKL & SFO, then LON to AKL via LAX, and on selected LAX flights from Nov 6.

Does this mean they are getting rid of First Class?

Yes it does, they will go to Business, Premium Econ and Econ. Which is not surprising given that most long-haul flying into NZ is of the leisure rather than the business variety.

Guess where the new flatbed seats came from.....They are licensed from Virgin Atlantics new Upper Class seats...

well given that air nz fitted the entertainment system to virgins last few 747's, youd think it would be similar if not the same

Air New Zealand to LGW
 

Has anybody else heard this one that Air New Zealand are planning to fly into LGW via SIN, BKK or Hongkong?

"unzed wun cleered too lund too sux leeft"

(My best kiwi accent:} )

Were did you hear this rumour?

It'd certainly be great to see them back here again. It must be 12 years or so since they shuffled off up the road to Hounslow Municipal.

Cheers,
TheOddOne

It's true. The route starts in September, LGW to Auckland via Hong Kong. My source tells me the primary reason for introducing it is complaints from pax about the appalling treatment they receive from US Immigration in LAX on the 2-hour stopover from LHR to Auckland. Apparently thousands of pax have written in saying they love AirNZ but will travel via the Far East, i.e. on a different airline, in future to avoid being treated like criminals by officious US Immigration staff.

Well Im assuming that this flight is merely in addition to the LHR ones via LAX as it would seem crazy to move out of LHR to LGW where they have no Star connections, especially considering BMI codeshare extensively out of LHR with them!

It is in addition to LHR-Auckland via LAX.

Excellent news for Crawley Internatioal. Will it be the new 777s I wonder?

I read somewhere this week that ANZ are to give up its route from Los Angeles to a city in New Zealand shortly.

LAX-CHC is being axed; I've heard the new LGW-HKG-NZ route will be a 744 service as well.

Good to see some decent long haul routes ex-LGW.

Word on the street at LGW is a daily 777 LGW-HKG-AKL from third quarter of this year; and this will complement the existing LHR-LAX-AKL 744 service.

Great news for Gatwick.

Aye, but from what I understand, if NZ can get some decent slots at LHR for the service then it will be quickly switched from LGW to LHR. :suspect:

Any info on what Terminal it will be using North or South?

Talking of LGW long-haul, I'm sure I've read that "Indonesia" may be on their way back to LGW aswell.

Air NZ East a bout to Kiwiland
 

Super news this & about time too. Well done Air New Zealand.

Continuing the thread of `V Mike's` post, having been subjected myself to the appaling treatment of bona fide passengers in transit through LAX, I vowed never again. My first taste of the US gestapo at LAX was well prior to the horrific events of Sept 11th. I was returning to the UK from NZ & in attempting to make a very quick connection at LAX, I could have well done with just a little help & consideration. Instead I was treated like dirt with no understanding whatsoever, that was it for me. Since then when travelling back home to Kiwiland, I would always have rather flown with Air NZ. The only reason why I have have until now not done this, was the thought of the transit stop in LAX

I for one will be booking on the east a bout route, hope it gets plenty of takers & the US authorities may just get the message, but then????

I don't think it's going to change much; unfortunately, unfocused security is part and parcel of "the new security arrangement". Someone once compared security to religion; good idea in principle, but the things done in its name ...

I suspect that the transit via HKG will gradually (even quickly) become more popular than LAX, in which case NZ will probably swap acft, putting a -400 on the HKG route and a 777 on the LAX-LHR route. Perhaps they could even swap airports and have the LAX route originating in LGW?

I doubt if the Americans will care that much one way or another and I doubt it will change their behaviour. The man hours spent in getting people to go through Immigration and jump through all the hoops when they're not entering the country is not just wasteful, it's irresponsible and ultimately, does absolutely nothing to improve security. In any case, doesn't ANZ have to provide lists of passengers, like any other airline, so if the US authorities have this, what exactly is the point of subjecting tired passengers to this rigmarole. Surely there are considerably more pressing and important duties to which these officers could be assigned? (No rude suggestions now ... well, not too many.;) )

"InZid wun, clid to lahnd, too six lift"

(the Kiwi accent to my ear)

US Immigration, in my opinion, is relatively sad. I'm a US resident, but I get a better reception in NZ than I do here at home (go figure). I think they're so intent on quelling the terrorist's urge to travel that they're willing to p!ss everyone else off as well.

"Make it unpalateable to travel to the US, and terrorists won't want to come here." (Don't you believe it!)

Hmmm... If NZ does an LGW-AKL via HKK, then they'd be a 'Round The World flier, and I may just have to try that. LAX-LHR, switch airports to LGW, LGW-HKK-AKL, stay a few days, AKL-LAX. Ahhhh, the heady days of Pan Am. :D :ok: How many airlines these days can claim RTW route structure?

New NZ Route
 

I've thought the new route has already been announced
AKL via SFO and into LHR alongside the AKL-LAX-LHR

All these attempts at NZ accents read more like Brummie to me. :rolleyes: :}

From a purely Gatwick point of view, it would be desirable to have the LAX/AKL routing from Gatwick because there are no services from Gatwick to the US West Coast and it is a large gap in the airport's route structure. Oasis Hong Kong is due to start HKG-Gatwick in July with a 747-400 and after having not had a HKG link at Gatwick for years, two will come along at once.

However, I'm sure other considerations - not least the fact that NZ have a long-established operation on Heathrow/LAX - will outweigh the minor issues of what airport already has what service.

Good as gold marvin! ;) eh ?

Except Marvin I am a New Zealander, and Brum sounds nothing like us:ok:

Plus I've been to "dordleey" and "berrminnham" :p

Garuda Indonesian
 

Dont think we will see them at LGW for a l o n g time!

They are currently loosing in excess of USD8m/year, and the CGK route is just low yield bucket and spade [or sandals]

They have a daily codeshare arrangement with MAS into LHR which works well for them and offers a direct 90 mins connex at KUL......

Sorry - but sadly - they pulled out of the AMS and FRA for the same reason......... and have no European services.

oops should have read loosing more than USD850m a year ...........

You don't have to fly Air Noo Zillund to get a frosty reception from Homeland Securitah, but it is the reason I switched to Asian hubs (get your mind out of the gutter) when going to that part of the world. Used to be quite a good airline so I hope the buggers do bloody well mate.

Lets get this quite clear, as I thought this thread was about Air New Zealand. Garuda might be losing money, but Air NZ have made a healthy profit over the last couple of years...

I hope like hell that LGW takes off, I want a jumpseat to call my own in that 747 but I'll settle for an overhead locker to hide in, a few kindly words from the Captain and a pay-check.

LOST.

not without changing the current ASA . NZ are limited to 7 weekly flights in each direction between the USA and LHR - these are already used up with the daily LAX service ... if they want to operate via SFO they will have to do one of the following


1/ operate it to somewhere other than LHR eg LGW or MAN

or

2/ renegotiate the ASA ( and it was only renegotiated a few months ago )

or

3 / drop LAX-LHR ( supposedly a good high yield earner so not likely )

Does anybody have any further update on this? Is there definatly a new service and when, where etc?
Thanks

I had assumed that this route was being operated via HKG, but it now appears that, although it will be going ahead, it will be operated via SFO. ANZ already flies 777s to SFO, so it will be a continuation of that route. (This came from an ex-ANZ person).

I had also understand that one of the objectives of the route was to give UK bound pax an option to fly via a non-US port, because of irritation over Immigration procedures there.

ANZ to UK
 

On a recent flight from Fiji to LAX, the cabin crew were talking about new service to MAN at sometime in future. They didn't think it would be via LAX and thought B767/B777 maybe used. No timescales were mentioned.

SFO or HKG?
 

So, which will it be - via San Fran or HK?

Is there a start date set yet?

ANZ UK
 

I agrre with the first comment about missing out US going east, but there is also a lot of competition in that direction.
The cabin crew seemed to think 2 - 3 x week via SFO would be the option with even an extension into Europe.
Must be an untapped market for both West Coast & NZ in Northern England.

AKL-SFO-LON won't remove the irritation of having to be subjected to US immigration procedures despite being on a direct transit, but at least SFO would be a step in the right direction, being a great deal more pleasant than the hell-hole that is LAX.

I have contacted ANZ and have been told they have no intention of operating into Gatwick so make of that what you will

I was told by a NZ cc friend of mine that LGW is a dead cert, via HKG or possibly SHA.

Regards

Mike

The airport is certainly under the impression that ANZ are coming back, and it will be Gatwick-Hong Kong-Auckland daily with a 777. The whole point is that ANZ needs to have some alternative to LAX given the US immigration problems.