Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, in Air New Zealand livery
The flight is scheduled to take roughly 18 hours, falling only 60
minutes short of Singapore Airlines’ current non-stop record for the
longest flight between Singapore and New York.
Originally scheduled for October 29, 2020, the Auckland-New York
flight was postponed due to the worldwide spread of Covid-19, but the
bum-numbing route is now back on the map after a lengthy delay.
“The end of this calendar year, we will be ramping up more passenger
flights to North America and looking forwards to starting up our direct
service to New York City,” CEO Greg Foran said during the release of Air
New Zealand’s half-yearly financial results.
It is expected that Qantas, give the formal go-ahead for its own
ambitious Project Sunrise flights linking Sydney and Melbourne with New
York, London, and Paris soon after Air New Zealand believes the non-stop
flight will hold increased appeal to passengers looking to skip
stopovers in the post-pandemic area.
For this 14,200-kilometer trip, the Boeing 787-9 will proudly carry
the flight numbers NZ1/NZ2 and have a “premium-heavy” seat distribution
that tilts the balance towards business and premium economy to generate
more income with fewer people on board, respectively.
Planned flights to Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves
as a hub for Star Alliance partner United Airlines, were originally
scheduled to depart from Auckland three times per week in October 2020.
Air New Zealand’s all-new business class seating has been in
development for several years, with carefully selected groups of Air New
Zealand passengers – including many who regularly fly the airline’s
longest routes – helping to trial the seats in a secure workshop dubbed
‘Hangar 22’ located near the airline’s Auckland headquarters.
Only one passenger — an Airpoints Elite member who goes to the US
every month – talked highly of the seat, even though all participants
were had to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Customers who booked front-row seats in Business Premier in late 2020
will have the opportunity to improve their experience, according to a
poll put out by the Star Alliance member.
There would be extra legroom, shared dining and privacy in the new
suites, which Air New Zealand has also suggested may be branded as the
Business Premier Alcove or Retreat.
Source: Travel Daily Asia
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