Worst business class seat ever installed, review Air New Zealand flight to Auckland
I was owed one leg of my world tour this summer, I deliberately saved this one for last [...]
Air New Zealand
Star Alliance
New Zealand
Learn more from this trip
I was indebted to one leg of my world tour of this summer, I deliberately saved this flight for last for a number of reasons. First because. Was the only flight where I had problems That they might as well have blown my ticket and second because it was the only route flown in business class, beyond that with Lufthansa's 747/8.
Toward the airport
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- B787
- Class:
- Business
- Treat:
- SYD - AKL
- Price:
- 79 pounds + 280€
- Book
I arrived at the Sydney airport directly from the hotel thanks to the subway connection from downtown. It's really convenient and affordable, one of the best I've found around major airports. The route is a kind of circle line from the airport to Sydney Harbour and back, all in less than 20 minutes and for a few dollars.
The train makes two stops, the first at the domestic flight terminal and the second at the international departure terminal.
I immediately headed to the check-in counters, fortunately I always move well in advance to avoid problems of any kind, and this time I must say it was my salvation.
Problematic check-in
A constant on my world tour has always been that I have been unable to check in online, but the reason has always been the itinerary and related checks on requirements and possession of visas and vaccines. This time, however, the reason was a mistake on my part in filling out the NZeta application, which is the electronic visa required to board to New Zealand.
It took almost an hour to find out why I wasn't getting the green light to issue the boarding pass!
If not for the kindness and patience of Air New Zealand staff, my round-the-world flight would have crashed in Sydney. As many as four NZ staff attended to find out about the bug and help me fix it, including an Italian-Australian guy who reassured me by saying that they would not let me off the ground.
After two phone calls, from gate agents at New Zealand immigration, the error emerged. When I had filled out the electronic visa application I had mistakenly indicated that I possessed a permanent visa for Australia linked to my Italian passport. So to board I would have had to show that visa, which I obviously did not possess. I then had to apply for, and pay for, a new NZeta and, again thanks to company officials who again phoned immigration in New Zealand, expedite the approval and thus obtain my boarding pass to Auckland.
As soon as I got my ticket, I decided to ask if there were any business class seats available and fortunately there was still a seat that I was happy to buy for about €300. Admittedly, Sydney to Auckland is a short flight, but I was curious to try Air New Zealand's business class, one of the few in the world along with Virgin Atlantic to have chosen this obscure configuration.
Tax refund
Having arrived in Sydney without luggage, I compulsorily had to devote part of my stay in New Wales to shopping and so I took advantage of the tax refund system for tourists, one of the simplest I have found around the world. The rules are simple, but stakes are put in place to make it inconvenient to get the money back.
Simple because when you go shopping you don't have to show your passport or fill out forms or anything else. Just pay and keep the receipt. The hard part comes on the day of departure because the rules for getting a refund are quite strict.
First you have to have all the receipts and all the goods, you cannot check the items in the luggage, because you will have to show each individual product to the customs officer. The problem, however, is that these counters are after the security area where you enter after checking in. The other peculiarity is. Only expenses of at least AUD$200 per store are reimbursed, even in multiple receipts, and for receipts over AU$1,000, it is necessary to have the buyer's name printed on them.
Kept in mind all these, relatively simple, rules one must reckon with the clock. You must arrive at the counter at least 45 minutes before your flight departs, and on this they are adamant, it doesn't matter if you have been 60 minutes in line, it only matters when you get in front of the attendant. Although the airport was deserted the guys in front of me were turned away because it was only 40 minutes before their flight.
The good thing is that in the end the refund is not made cash, as is the case, for example, in Thailand or other nations, but directly to a credit card. Great for not finding yourself with money in your pocket that you don't know how to use.
Lounges
If there is one thing Sydney Airport does not lack, it is lounges, obviously with the various rules of entry. I was able to try as many as 3 different rooms: Air New Zealand's beautiful lounge, that of Singapore Airlines, and finally the American Express lounge, not a Centurion, but still a quality lounge.
The best of the lot is definitely the Air New Zealand one and it is the one where I spent the time waiting for my flight to New Zealand.
Embarkation
Air New Zealand's 787 arrived at Gate 51 on time.
Despite this, boarding procedures started slightly late, but nothing egregious. What I like about the Anglo-Saxon world is that zones are always respected and especially that people do not crowd into the queue hours before the gate is opened.
All very orderly, well-marked lanes, and no rush to first place. Not like boarding in domestic (and other) low-cost airlines.
On board
I knew full well what I was going to be faced with once I boarded, but let's just say that you never get used to ugliness. Every time I board an airplane, fortunately few, with this business class configuration, I wonder what the hell the designers were thinking at the time. This cabin was invented and adopted first by Virgin Atlantic on its 787s, followed later by Air New Zealand and a very few other carriers.
The crazy thing about this configuration is that it seems designed specifically so that people do not look out of the windows. In fact, all passengers travel with their backs to the outside of the plane, and to look out you have to be a contortionist.
Personally I nicknamed this configuration "the sardine can", fortunately has its days numbered both aboard Virgin Atlantic and on the fleet of Air New Zealand, where a refurbishment of the fittings with a brand new business class cabin will begin shortly.
Having a window-side seat is useless because. the view will only be the heads or feet of the passengers in front of us. Meagre consolation that of being in the last row with therefore a few extra bit of space and privacy given by the location, not the structure of the seat. The only upside is that all passengers have direct access to the aisle, which of course is a must but it is everything else that kills enthusiasm.
And it's a shame because watching what happens outside, the colors, the views is the most beautiful part of any flight, at least for me.
The seat
Of the configuration I have already said, not only is the seat oriented in the wrong direction, but it is also narrow and short, this was because the goal was to put as many seats as possible at the expense of seat comfort. Flying in the last row, I was able to use a part of the structure that housed a staff locker as support. Of course, there is no sign of containers and closets in this chair.
The only space that can be used, with the hat rack removed, is under the footrest, but it is neither comfortable nor safe.
There is a micro table where you can rest just a glass inserted in the seat structure and then the pocket where the magazine is, but an ipad fits tightly, let alone anything else.
It feels like playing Twist, that game where you have to place your hands and feet on top of colored dots, here it's the same thing, an interlocking game.
Tilting the seat and unlocking the table is operated from this small hand control.
The coffee table comes out of the seat structure in front, obviously you are stuck and cannot get up with the coffee table pulled out.
However, I had a chance to see live the new Air new Zealand in-flight safety video, a film set in maoiri culture and where some enchanted places in the southern nation are shown.
The flight is quick; it is just under 2 1/2 hours.
This armchair also converts into a bed, or perhaps it would be better to say a loculus. The peculiarity is that it is not possible to do this while sitting as in more modern armchairs. In fact, one must first return the seat to the take-off position and then, acting on the hand control at the opposite end, press the appropriate button.
The seat back folds down and thus becomes a support for the passenger who can then lie down. The problem, at least for me, is that in an airplane I do not like to lie "flat," but prefer to maintain some inclination for my head relative to my feet, which is impossible in this seat configuration.
The service
Making up for the plane's shortcomings is the crew, who are really super attentive and professional. As soon as we reached cruise altitude, a small aperitif was distributed. I opted for some local sparkling wine. Immigration paperwork was also distributed and lunch order taken.
Unfortunately no amenity kit, no blanket, just a pillow available. Since this is a two-hour flight it would have been strange otherwise, or rather Emirates gives it to you, but it is Emirates.
Food & Beverage
The menu was distributed before takeoff and lunch was served about 30 minutes later. Looking at this photo makes it very clear how all the space is calculated to the millimeter, and if you want to watch TV while eating, you have to further adapt to living in the strait.
As an appetizer I had smoked chicken, toasted freekah and blueberries.
For main course I stayed on the chicken, I must say that the service by the plate and not by the tray on such a short flight deserves a big applause for Air New Zealand.
To finish, I had a bowl of ice cream with blueberry jam. Kitchen rating 7
IFE
If everything is small, you cannot expect anything different with the in-flight entertainment system. The screen is the smallest I have ever found on a business class plane, but it is smaller even than many economy screens.
Obviously it is touch, but if you want you can operate it with the remote control that is conveniently embedded in the seat frame.
Fortunately, I always have my AirFly bluetooth adapter behind me, and I enjoy my Airpods Max without stress and without having in little space even in between the headphone cable.
The headphones available are of decent workmanship and quality, but nothing striking.
The screen is small, however, the IFE has a lot of content in terms of movies, TV series and games. It also offers the ability to chat with other passengers or browse thanks to the fact that it is connected to the Internet.
Also great is the fact that in-flight Internet is free for everyone and on all flights.
In conclusion
Is it worth upgrading on this flight, the answer is definitely no. Why did I do it? Because I wanted to try a premium flight with this airline. This is one of the cases where the soft product outclasses the hard product 10 times to zero. That is, the in-flight service, cuisine, and general atmosphere were good, while the seat and IFE left a lot to be desired.
Pro
- Ice cream at the end of the meal
- The service
Against
- The chair
- The small screen