Air New Zealand Rolls Out Economy Stretch Seats [LAX to AKL]

Flying in economy to New Zealand just got a whole lot comfier.

You can now book Air New Zealand’s new Economy Stretch seats exclusively on flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Auckland (AKL) departing from February 27, 2023.

“The introduction of Economy Stretch means we are providing more choice for customers at an Economy price point that will meet the needs of families, solo travelers, as well as those just looking for that little bit extra of extra comfort,” said Leanne Geraghty, Chief Customer and Sales Officer of Air New Zealand.

Here’s what you need to know.

Economy Stretch: The New Way to Fly Economy to New Zealand

The all-new Economy Stretch seats are located in the first 4 rows of economy class cabins on all of Air New Zealand’s Boeing 777 aircraft.

It’ll set you back an additional $130 on top of your regular economy ticket. For reference, round-trip economy tickets between LA and Auckland don’t come cheap, with the cheapest fares starting at around $1,360.

Hot Tip: Yikes, that’s an expensive economy fare! Thankfully, you can always opt to use points instead and fly to New Zealand in business class for less than the cost of that economy ticket.

Once you’ve selected your flights, you’ll be given the option to upgrade your experience to an Economy Stretch seat.

The airline claims Economy Stretch seats will boast a 35-inch (89 cm) pitch, or up to 39% more legroom than regular economy seats — making this a tempting new product to fly for the 13-hour transpacific journey.

Other than the seats being further apart and boasting a significantly more generous recline, the seats themselves offer the same hard product as the rest of the economy cabin.

The meal service and entertainment will also remain the same, however Economy Stretch passengers will also receive proper headphones and a fancier pillow by way of added bonus amenities.

Economy Stretch isn’t the only way you can add some extra comfort to your economy flight with Air New Zealand. The carrier has been flying its unique Skycouch product for several years already, which allows you to stretch out in a private row of 3 economy seats.

Final Thoughts

Air New Zealand’s new Economy Stretch product is a solid product to consider if you’re flying between Los Angeles and New Zealand.

Of course, we can’t be sure until we try it out for ourselves. But from what we’ve seen and heard, it looks like it could be just as good as premium economy offerings on other airlines.