My First Trip Report: Air New Zealand Business Class - SYD-AKL-LAX

[subichow]

Thanks for this trip report. We are flying with Air NZ SYD-AKL-SFO in business later this year. As we usual fly QF it was good to see a report on the product.

What was the IFE like? Was there a good range of things to watch?

IFE was good, wide range of things and (at least for my taste) plenty of options to watch. I'd say the flights weren't long enough to watch everything I wanted to! There's also the option to order snacks and drinks from the IFE but I didn't bother using it.

 

[CorvettePete]

Thanks for this. I suspect that I might take advantage of the ability to order snacks through the IFE.

 

[trooper]

Im flying via SFO with NZ for the first time next month.... be interesting to see how different the SFO arrival experience is..... last time I entred the US there was on an OZ flight from ICN...

I second the notion that the IFE has lots of choices... its only when flying twice or more in the same month that Ive run out... lol

 

[subichow]

Thanks for this. I suspect that I might take advantage of the ability to order snacks through the IFE.

There's plenty of time in the air to try it out haha!

Im flying via SFO with NZ for the first time next month.... be interesting to see how different the SFO arrival experience is..... last time I entred the US there was on an OZ flight from ICN...

I second the notion that the IFE has lots of choices... its only when flying twice or more in the same month that Ive run out... lol

I've only entered the USA internationally at LAX so it will be good to hear what SFO is like. LAX was so good on this trip - no more waiting for another hour or two after arrival just to be processed.

 

[love_the_life]

Thanks for the TR and the great pics. Never really looked as ANZ but maybe will do so now.

 

[NSWP]

Thanks for pics and review, doing the same route in Business Premier, November, enroute to a Panama Canal Cruise. Got seats 1K and 2K for all 4 flights. Syd-Auk, Auk-LAX, LAX-Auk and Auk-Syd. However I note on Syd - Auk flights, Air NZ, uses 767, 789 and 777-300 aircraft !! (From flight tracker.)

 

[Ekka]

Perhaps it's feasible from the deep south to go the long way around to the US, but with direct flights, plus Hawaiian Air available, the logic of travelling via New Zealand when you really want to go to Los Angeles escapes me.

 

[AviationNZ]

Perhaps it's feasible from the deep south to go the long way around to the US, but with direct flights, plus Hawaiian Air available, the logic of travelling via New Zealand when you really want to go to Los Angeles escapes me.

Price, product and service come to mind as potential rationale behind it. For example, would you be willing to pay $2-3k extra to fly on QF business class when it is arguably an inferior hard product and only saves you 3 hours? Some people would say yes, some would say no. Naturally as a Kiwi I'm probably a little biased in this case, but non-stop options for any route around the world doesn't automatically make it the best option.

 

[RB]

Keep in mind the Op posted 2yrs ago

 

[subichow]

Perhaps it's feasible from the deep south to go the long way around to the US, but with direct flights, plus Hawaiian Air available, the logic of travelling via New Zealand when you really want to go to Los Angeles escapes me.

As @AviationNZ said, it was a function of $ saved vs additional time. I actually did Air NZ to LAX the following year as well. The year in this report cost me $4000AUD which I think was pretty good. The following year cost me $3900 which was obviously even better. To me, that saving of $2-3k over direct flights was worth it. My time is not that valuable (yet). Also despite Air NZ not having the best hard product around, I still liked it and would choose it over QF J and the weird United J of 2-4-2 or something like that. At the time, Hawaiian had a terrible J and there's no way I would have chosen that even if it was more 'direct' in terms of routing.

Side note: The photos have all been blocked now and honestly, I'm not bothered enough to try upload them again

 

[trooper]

Another benefit of flying NZ is the arrival time..... I see regular comments that folks would like a QF flight that arrives over there mid afternoon...rather than early morning which virtually all the direct flights do. I fly out of SYD at around 11.... depart NZ that evening and get in to LAX at 2pm ish.... which is perfect for ME... YMMV.