Review of Air New Zealand Business Premier, NZ038, London Heathrow to Auckland (B747-400) and NZ039, Auckland to London Heathrow (B777-200ER)

I boarded the long, long flight to New Zealand having only seen one of this year’s nominees for Best Film at the Oscars - the multi-garlanded ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Imagine my delight, therefore, when I discovered that all of the five were showing on Air New Zealand’s excellent in-flight entertainment system, as well as nominees from the other leading categories. It seemed like a good plan to watch them as we circled the globe in the snug Business Premier cabin. The hours started to slip by effortlessly as I watched superb performances from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘Doubt’ and Richard Jenkins in the stunning little movie, ‘The Visitor’. It only got better as I moved on to Kate Winslett, showing that she thoroughly deserved to win for ‘The Reader’ and ‘Frost Nixon’, with two performances in the lead roles which were so good I had to watch twice. Then I came a cropper. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t watch ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. So I can’t say that it has to be one of the worst movies ever nominated for Best Picture. It’s just that the trailers, the story synopsis and KB’s verdict all point in that direction!

Not that I was twiddling my thumbs for the rest of the 23 hours from London to Auckland. The entertainment on ANZ is probably the best I have ever experienced, and not just because of the generous 10.4” screen and noise-cancelling headphones. There is just so much of it, and all available on demand. With 40 new release titles, 20 classics, 9 NZ films, 6 kids’ movies, 12 Asian blockbusters from China, Korea and Japan, 45 comedy TV shows, 45 dramas, and much more I could mention, there is enough here to keep the air traveller occupied on several journeys to Auckland and back again. Of course, ANZ have to think about the quantity of entertainment more than most other carriers; but the fact remains that their offer puts most European and US airlines to shame, at a time when many have not even bothered to install on-demand systems on every business class cabin, never mind economy. Full marks also for having iPod technology integrated into the entertainment system, meaning that you can watch your own movies on the remote chance there you run out of options on board.

Service

An American friend told me recently that she had flown with one carrier where the steward in her cabin had a badge which said ‘What part of no don’t you understand’. While this may be some kind of amusing self-mockery, it got me thinking why it is so difficult for most airlines to deliver really good cabin service, with all the problems lampooned so hilariously by Aussie comedienne Pam Anne. And what struck me on the 23 hours I spent in the company of the ANZ crew to Auckland is that getting the basics right pays huge dividends in terms of improved customer satisfaction. Without over-generalising, most Kiwis seem to have a naturally friendly demeanour which lends itself to good customer relations. Beyond that, there was no sense that our crew couldn’t wait to get the meal service done and dusted before disappearing behind the curtain. It was exactly the opposite, in fact. Also, you know there are some airlines where pressing the service button can be a scary option, as you wait in dread for some grumpy, unhelpful dragon to appear. There was none of that on ANZ. Our requests, and those of passengers around us, were handled with effortless professionalism by the ANZ crew. What I also loved was the genuine pride as the chief steward announced the arrival in ‘our beautiful country’. Talk about ‘living the brand’!

Seats

The ANZ seats in Business Premier are in the same class as Virgin Atlantic Upper Class - very comfortable in the upright position, with 22” seat width and plenty of access the aisles regardless of where you are in the cabin. As with Virgin, the seats convert to a 6’ 7.5” lie-flat bed, which is clearly an important feature on a 23-hour journey. ANZ claims their bed is longer than anyone else’s, which is probably true. But I don’t think ANZ, or anyone else for that matter, has really cracked the lie-flat option in Business Class. It’s too hard, there’s not enough bedding and (for me) there is not enough privacy. You have to travel - as KB did - in one of those swanky First Class cabins on the A380 to get a better experience. Surely it would not be overly expensive to add a bit more padding to the other side of the seat, and provide proper duvets instead of a single sheet and those thin, quilted jobs that most airlines have.

Food

I adore NZ food and wine, so I am going to take a step back in this section and simply replicate a section of the menu on the flight back from Auckland to London. All will say is that it tasted every bit as good as it sounds:

Hot Brunch

Chive scrambled eggs with sauteed potatoes, Spanish chorizo and grilled chicken sausage and sweet capiscum

Grilled salmon fillet with caramelised fennel, courgettes, cherry tomatoes, dill pesto and straw potatoes

Chinese rice noodles with pork and vegetable wontons, prawns, carrot, stir-fried pak choy and pork soup

And a hot bacon roll!

Main Course

Braised lamb shank with mushrooms jus, sweet pea butter, truffled polenta and green beans

Thyme scented chicken thigh with saffron green pea risotto and sage roasted pumpkin

Fried groper with Chinese style fish sauce, stir friend celery, shiitake and straw mushrooms, wolfberries and egge fried rice

Dessert

Raspberry and white chocolate mousse timbale and raspberry compote and sweet biscuit

Lounges

The Thai Lounge at Hong Kong Airport

In common with most other airlines (with Virgin being a spectacular exception), the ANZ ‘brand experience’ is somewhat soiled at the very beginning due to the poor quality lounges at Heathrow. The Star Alliance lounge which ANZ uses at the old Terminal 1 is probably not the worst, but it doesn’t exactly scream ‘welcome!’ either. The sooner the bulldozers get to work on those old Heathrow buildings the better (is that still happening after the credit crunch??).

In contrast, it was a delight to arrive at Hong Kong and be directed to the Thai Lounge (above), where a hot shower and an Asian breakfast awaited. The main ANZ lounge in Auckland is something of a disappointment, in that the decor is a little tired and the seats are old and hard. However, we understand that a major overhaul is on the way.

Review of Air New Zealand Transpacific Business Class,

NZ040, Auckland to Papeete (B767-300ER)

NZ041, Papeete to Auckland

After our first week in New Zealand, we were back on board for a five-hour flight to Tahiti, where we were delighted to be greeted by the same chief steward who accompanied us to Auckland.

Although we missed the more intimate atmosphere of 747-400 nose section, I am pleased to report that standards of service on this flight were every bit as good as the long-long haul, with the same top-class entertainment system available.

The seats don’t lie-flat, but were very comfortable all the same, and it didn’t feel like five hours-plus by the time we landed in Papeete.

The food was again excellent, and here are some pictures to whet your appetite.

Appetizer

Table setting

Main Course

Dessert

Review of Air New Zealand Domestic

Oh boy. Talk about coming back to reality with a bang. ANZ clearly puts huge effort into its long-haul services because it knows that it has to compete in a very tough environment. This is clearly not the case on domestic flights, where alternative carriers seem thin on the ground (or in the air, for that matter). The friendly service is still there, but the ANZ domestic services don’t share any of the features (or even aspects of them) which make the long haul so special. As we crammed into narrow seats and waited anxiously for the biscuits and coffee to crawl down the aisle towards us, it was difficult to make any connection between the brand we had experienced on long and this EasyJet-style service. I appreciate that this was an all-economy experience, but does that mean you abandon everything that makes your brand special? We heard some locals complaining that ANZ ‘doesn’t have to try’ on its short-haul, and I would have to concur.

The only domestic flight we enjoyed was the short trip from Lake Taupo to Auckland on a Beechcraft 1900D (above). Although there was no cabin crew, it was fun to fly over beautiful North Island on a clear night.

Verdict

After 46 hours going from London to Auckland and back again, and another 10-11 going to Papeete and back, I was beginning to feel like ANZ long haul was my home! The ANZ service was enough to make this interminable journey actually enjoyable. It was one of the few occasions where the long-haul was a sanctuary on a very busy holiday, an experience to be savoured rather than endured. I will stick my neck out and say this is now my favourite business class experience, even better than Virgin. Just get to work on the domestic, guys. I want to come back as soon as possible!