Table of Contents
Sydney to Auckland NZ112
In the middle of March, we had a quick trip to NZ for my brother’s 40th. Due to leave restraints (as we had Japan coming up) we only had 40hr in NZ. We booked a sale fare and purchased “seat only” tickets for 3 of us and “seat and bag” for 1 of us. This Air New Zealand review is my first flight review and so would love to know what you think.
Our flight was the 3.50pm Air New Zealand NZ112 to Auckland from Sydney Airport on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Our first time on this new type of aircraft.
Pre Flight
The Check-in process for Air New Zealand was simple as we arrived very early (just before 2 pm). Mr OTC had already checked us in online before we left home. Something that was a bit different for us was printing our boarding passes and the bag tag at the machine. We then had to go to bag drop with luckily only a few people ahead of us. Air New Zealand check-in staff go through almost the same questions as the machine before we could drop our bag. (The New Zealand side is much more automated we found out on the return flight with even little “pods” that you put your luggage in before it is whisked away)
This was a great time to arrive at Sydney airport, it was reasonably quiet so minimal queues for passport control and Security. Through passport control, as we were a family, they directed us to a shorter line which was nice.
The food options at Sydney airport are not gourmet but as we didn’t pay the $40 each extra for meals, we wanted to have some early dinner and then grabbed a sushi snack for the plane.
On the plane
The plane boarded on time but a few people had managed to get themselves lost in the airport so, with the process of possibly unloading them and then miraculously having them arrive, we were delayed for take-off. The captain kept us informed of what was happening. Luckily the seat only fares included tv screens so the kids were not too upset to wait.
Air New Zealand is known for its quirky in-flight safety demonstrations which makes the process a bit more interesting when you fly regularly. This one was set around the Bay of Islands on New Zealand’s North Island and featured some New Zealand celebrities, although I only recognised Rachel Hunter the model.
Details of the plane
Our seats were selected for us ($10 extra charge to choose your own) we were in row 58 ABC and D. 2nd last on the window side and 5th from the back in the central row. With the “seat only” fare we were offered tea, coffee, water and juice with the option to purchase food, soft drinks and alcohol.
All screens, tray tables and seat functions worked as you would hope in a new plane. The window’s had buttons to tint them rather than blinds which were something new for the girls. Being a new plane, it was nice and clean. The seat configuration was 3:3:3 and towards the back of the plane where we were it went down to 2:3:2.
The seats
The 787 was designed to be 20% more fuel-efficient than the Boeing 767, which it was intended to replace. On the 787 Dreamliner, the seat pitch is 30 – 32” (78 – 81cm) in the part of Economy we were in. The front of the Economy section, they are slightly smaller. For the children and myself, it was quite comfortable. For Mr OTC at 185cm (6ft 2) it was more cosy but spacious enough for a 3hr flight. Maybe not so much for long flights.
I had read since that the seats on Air New Zealand flights are actually reclined 1 inch further back for take-off and landing, a difference from standard Boeing economy seats, passengers are less inclined to recline their seats. It must have worked as the seats did feel comfortable and far enough back from the screen to not feel the need to recline on this short flight.
The seat included the headphone jack, USB port and charging plugs down low. Headphones are provided which Mr OTC used and said were some of the better ones he has used.
Air New Zealand Entertainment
Because we had the seat only fare it didn’t mean there was no entertainment for the flight. The movies needed to be paid for but there were plenty of free options especially for kids. Heaps of TV shows. Parts of series as well as documentaries. There was a large selection of kids shows that were free.
I enjoyed some of the audio options including Desert Island Discs. Something I had heard of but never experienced before. A British program where celebrities are interviewed about music that has influenced their lives and discussing the songs they would choose if they were on a desert island. I heard two- Matt Smith and David Attenborough but there was about 10 to choose from. A great mixture of interview and music.
Inflight information
The home screen of the inflight entertainment included links to the flight maps and information for Air New Zealand destinations in NZ, Australia, Pacific islands, North America, Asia, UK, Europe and South America including arrival information, some attractions and suggested Itineraries.
There was also information about driving in New Zealand including licencing requirements, trip planning, driving conditions, road rules and videos. This could be very useful for people who had never driven in New Zealand previously, especially for those from countries where driving is on the other side of the road.
There is also the option through the inflight system to purchase snacks and small meals, merchandise and NZ sim cards. There is even the Great Air New Zealand trivia Quiz. A mix of general knowledge, NZ knowledge, Celebrity, riddles, Geography and maps, Entertainment (movies and TV), politics and sport. Unfortunately, it is not interactive but you can keep your own tally if you are interested. There are a few options to choose from that appear to each go for a few hours, I didn’t get to finish one on our flight. If you like trivia it is a good way to pass the time. The only downside was there was no background music so you could hear the sounds of the plane.
Facilities
We tried the toilets approximately half-way through the flight, they smelled a bit but that was likely just bad timing. The sensor for the tap worked well and the soap smelled nice and was well stocked. The different butterflies on the wall provided interesting decorations
The kids were given an Air New Zealand activity pack with a kid-sized eye mask, stickers and a cardboard background to stick them on. It also had a reusable drawing pad.
The arrival cards were delivered early giving lots of time to complete them and lollies handed out before landing.
Overall our flight was smooth with plenty to keep us entertained with even with the “seat only” option. We booked Air New Zealand due to previous good experiences and reputation. This flight certainly lived up to it.
Has anyone else had experience with Air New Zealand? Was your experience as good as ours? Do you like our flight reviews? Would you like more of them or would you prefer me to stick to the destinations?