Delayed New Business Seats for Air New Zealand Are Finally Coming

Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787s are finally getting the new business class that should already have debuted in service this month. Because of delays due to shortages of parts, the first 787 just went into the shop for the new interiors on Sunday, and it won’t be entering commercial service until next year.

This matters for U.S. flyers because the new business class seats promise to be a huge improvement over the current, subpar business class installed on aircraft that serve Air New Zealand’s three U.S. destinations: Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO, and New York (JFK).

The New Zealand Herald reported that the first of the airline’s 14 aircraft due for refurbishment touched down in Singapore last Sunday to be retrofitted with new cabin interiors.

The new interiors — including a new premium economy and economy — will re-enter service with the airline gradually, beginning in 2025. There is no schedule yet for when they will begin serving the U.S.; a spokesperson for Air New Zealand said in an email the airline is “still working through details like (…) which routes our retrofit aircraft will first service”.

Business Premier Luxe Debuts on Air NZ

According to a video posted by the Herald showing a mockup of the new business class cabin, Air New Zealand is installing some “business class extra” seats in the new cabins. The first row will feature 4 seats — arranged 1-2-1 like the rest of the cabin — with additional legroom and an ottoman, allowing 2 people to dine together facing one another.

The airline is calling this extra-space product Business Premier Luxe and will likely sell it at an upcharge, although it did not specify prices.

The refurbishment includes a new premium economy cabin, with a relevant change from the current setup: Seats will not recline in the traditional way but instead will be inside a fixed shell.

Bunk Beds Are Coming, but Not for a While

The refit won’t include installation of the bunk beds that Air New Zealand calls Skynest, which are coming instead to the 8 new 787s that the airline has ordered. For context, Air NZ did not say when those new 787s will arrive, and a 787 production list published by fleet-tracking site Planespotters does not show any coming soon to the airline.

Skynest is an unusual product featuring actual bunk beds in a separate cabin, which Economy and Premium Economy passengers can book for defined time slots. The idea is that a passenger will leave their seat, sleep in a bunk bed for the duration of the slot they booked, and then return to the seat. There would be plenty of time to do so, because Air New Zealand’s long-haul flights can last up to 17 hours nonstop.

The refurbished 787s will still offer Skycouch, which is what the airline calls a block of three standard economy seats that can be made into a bed.

Fewer Seats on Board

The 14 refurbished 787s will have 272 seats, according to the New Zealand Herald, which is fewer than the current layout. There will be 26 seats in business, including those extra-room Luxe seats; 33 in premium economy; and 213 in economy, including Skycouch seats.

According to airplane seating map site Aerolopa, Air New Zealand’s 14 Dreamliners are currently configured in 2 different versions, either with 302 or 275 seats.

Final Thoughts

Air New Zealand has been hobbled by a substandard business-class cabin, offering a seat that doesn’t rival other airlines serving New Zealand from the U.S., including American, Delta, Qantas, and United. However, the airline is finally beginning to install new seats on its Boeing 787s flying across the Pacific, coming after a delay due to shortages.

This is welcome news since it turns Air NZ business from a bad to a likely very good option for redeeming points to New Zealand. In fact, mockups of the new business class cabin on Air New Zealand promise a top-notch product, including “business extra” with a lot of additional space.