Business Class on Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand was in the news not too long ago when they said they were introducing what they’ve dubbed a “Skycouch” into Economy Class. It’s definitely innovative, allowing the armrests on three connecting seats to be retracted and the footrests raised to create a space big enough for two people to stretch out and get some quality sleep. But if you were paying attention you might have noticed a mathematical problem in that sentence – there are three seats, and only room for two people to lie down. What’s more, those two people better know each other pretty well, because they’ll be snuggling up pretty close when they lie down.

It’s unclear whether Air New Zealand is counting on people to book three seats in order to have the ability to lie down in Economy Class, but really the only way to guarantee you’ll get a seat where you can lie down completely flat is if you book a seat in Business Class on Air New Zealand.

There are two levels of Business Class on Air New Zealand – one for long-haul flights and another for shorter flights. In this article, we’re going to focus on what’s available on long-haul flights, which is called Business Premier. At the bottom of the article you’ll find notes about what’s different about regular Business Class on Air New Zealand.

Seat & Bed

• Seat reclines to a fully-flat position (horizontal to the floor)
• Seats have leather upholstery and separate ottomon/footrest (doubles as a seat for a visitor)
• Seats are 22″ wide and just over 6’7″ long when fully reclined
• Special seat design allows you to be in a semi-reclined position even during take-off and landing
• Every seat has direct aisle access
• Adjustable lumbar support

Food & Beverages

• Menus designed by a team of consultant chefs
• Meals feature the finest produce from New Zealand
• Selection of fine wines from New Zealand and 42 Below cocktails available
• Tableware specially designed for Air New Zealand
• Self-service snack area available in the Business Class cabin for light refreshments during the flight

Entertainment

• Individual 10.4″ video screen at each seat with on-demand movies, TV shows, and audio programming
• Noise cancellation headsets available at each seat
• Each seat has individual power port for laptop
• On-demand programming includes a special kids’ section

Other Amenities

• Complimentary amenity kit for each passenger includes socks, eyeshades, ear plugs, toothbrush/toothpaste, lip balm, and eye gel
• Bathrooms in Business Class have toiletries by Pacific Organics for passenger use
• Large cotton pillow, duvet, and sleep sheet are provided for maximum comfort while sleeping

Regular Business Class on Air New Zealand is more akin to what you might expect from Business or First Class on a domestic flight elsewhere in the world. The seats are more spacious and comfortable than in coach, but they don’t recline fully and they don’t offer the same kind of “privacy screen” that a Business Premier seat does. They’re still upholstered in leather and come with adjustable lumbar and headrest supports.

On Business Class flights that aren’t long-haul routes, you’ll have to do without those 42 Below cocktails during the flight – those are only available on long-haul trips. Also only available on long-haul flights are the self-service snack areas in the cabin.