Opinion: I’ve never rated Air NZ – but this one flight changed everything

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
OPINION
For years, I thought NZ’s national carrier had its – misguided – devotees under some sort of spell. Turns out I’m just late to the Air NZ fan club, writes Anna Sarjeant.
Airline: Air New Zealand.
From: Auckland International Airport.
To: Perth International Airport, Australia.
Departure airport experience: Gone are the days when the time from check-in to passing through airport security equalled an hour-long (or much, much longer) test of endurance at Auckland International Airport. Or so it seems – this is my third consecutive trip for which the entire process has been a breeze.
Having already checked in online via the Air NZ app, the baggage drop process took minutes, as did security checks and baggage screening. With hours to spend at the airport, I went for an unhurried drink at one of the bars, gazed at a few taxiing planes and ate lunch.
It was calm. Dare I say enjoyable.
Seat: 23K in Premium Economy.
Passengers: The fight was full of your usual suspects, but I was travelling Premium Economy so there was no time for people-watching. Priority boarding ensured I was on-board quickly and efficiently.
I sat next to a very nice Kiwi man who was moving to Perth for a new job. Rather than focusing on the alarming popularity of Kiwis fleeing the nest, we sensibly spoke about the weather.
Crew: Full disclosure. I have never understood the hype around Air NZ. I’ve flown with the airline a dozen times, mostly domestic, and every time I have found there to be little difference – minus the price – to Jetstar. I hear your collective gasp. But for me, both airlines have done the job just fine: nothing to write home about.
Granted, for this 6.5-hour journey, I had the pleasure of flying Premium Economy on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner – i.e. one of the bigger boys, if you don’t speak plane geek. The entire flight was flawless, including the service and professionalism of the crew, who moved about the cabin with hot towels, complimentary drinks, lunch menus and tip-toe footsteps; all smiles and due diligence.
Food and drink: Upon departing Auckland, alcoholic beverages were free-flowing but I opted for a responsible orange juice. I was excited to find a menu on my seat, which I wasn’t expecting – I thought such niceties were the realm of Business Class. Forgive my naivety, but if you regularly fly budget, you have budget expectations.
For lunch, I chose roast chicken breast with porcini mushroom jus and devoured it. The “bakery” served a selection of fresh rolls and came with a miniature bottle of olive oil. A later trip to the bathroom resulted in a medley of snacks to take back to my seat, and to keep us going until our descent, we had finger sandwiches and chocolate eclairs.
Entertainment: There was plenty of entertainment to choose from, including new and diverse movies. Heavy on the diversity, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I found a peculiar (yet excellent) British film titled Wicked Little Letters with the brilliant Olivia Colman. There were also plenty of home-grown NZ offerings, but I was swayed by Ordinary Angels, featuring the equally brilliant Hilary Swank. Warning to the emotional viewer – I cried five times. Fortunately, it was the only upsetting element of the flight.
I also had ample space to stretch out and enjoy several films without getting the inevitable numb bum which comes standard in any economy cabin. I read a book and dozed against the window thanks to my extra-plump pillow and non-scratchy blanket.
Unfortunately, as a regular cattle-class passenger, I had no idea how to work the footrest and it took me five attempts to realise the window “blind” was an automatic affair. Too embarrassed to rectify, or admit I am of lower stock, I sat mostly in the dark – wishing I could put my feet up.
The best bit: Everything. Right down to the superior headphones and a travel pack complete with socks (which I wore in Economy on my return so everyone knew how I fancy I had been – that one time), hand balm, toothpaste, toothbrush, a pen and ear plugs. Kudos to Air NZ for the recyclable packaging.
The worst bit: Three things: having to get off, having to fly anything other than Air NZ in Premium Economy in the future, and having to admit I’m an Air NZ devotee like everyone else.
Final verdict: For anyone thinking Perth/Western Australia is too far for an Australian holiday, this was such an easy and flawless flight experience, it felt as effortless as a hop to Sydney or Brisbane.
airnewzealand.co.nz.