Air New Zealand’s First Retrofitted Dreamliner Enters Service This Month — Here’s Where It’s Flying

Air New Zealand’s first refurbished Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is almost ready to fly.

The aircraft features a completely redesigned business class cabin and updates to its premium and economy class cabins.

“We’ve completely reimagined the experience of flying with Air New Zealand, incorporating elegant design elements, innovative Kiwi touches, and features informed by feedback from thousands of customers,” said Greg Foran, CEO at Air New Zealand.

Let’s take a closer look at the new interiors and find out where you can fly this revamped plane.

Inside Air New Zealand’s Retrofitted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The first of Air New Zealand‘s 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft has had a nose-to-tail refurbishment, while the second aircraft is currently being retrofitted in Singapore.

The airline has given the aircraft a full revamp and introduced new technology that will be available to all passengers, regardless of cabin class. These enhancements include Bluetooth audio pairing at every seat and the ability to use a mobile phone as a remote for the inflight entertainment system (IFE).

Air New Zealand expects to have 7 retrofitted aircraft in service by the end of 2025, and the project’s completion date is scheduled for before the end of 2026.

Let’s take a look at what passengers can expect.

Business Class

The most significant change is up front in the business class cabin, which the airline calls Business Premier.

The outdated 1-1-1 configuration, with its awkward seat angle, has been replaced with this stylish, modern cabin with seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Improvements to the cabin’s 48 seats include sliding privacy screens (not fully closing doors), wireless charging, and 24″ IFE screens. Middle seats also feature a privacy divider.

Air New Zealand has also opted to offer a more exclusive row of seats at the front of the aircraft. This follows the lead of other airlines, including Air France and its extra space business class seat, JetBlue’s Mint Studio, and Virgin Atlantic’s Retreat Suite.

The so-called Business Premier Luxe seat can be booked for an extra charge when purchasing a regular business class seat.

These seats feature a fully closing door, a larger bed for more comfortable sleep, and extra space that allows passengers to dine with a companion.

As the seats are yet to go on sale, we don’t know exactly how much the upcharge will be. However, in a previous statement, a spokesperson for the airline commented that the fee will likely be between $121 and $475, depending on flight distance.

Premium Economy

The 52 seats in Air New Zealand’s new premium economy cabin have a fixed hard shell. This means that the seat in front doesn’t encroach on your space when reclined.

The introduction of wings between each seat is intended to promote a feeling of privacy.

The airline has also increased the storage available for passengers flying in premium economy.

Economy

There are changes in the 125-seat economy cabin, too. First and foremost, passengers will be pleased to find IFE screens that are 50% larger than what was previously offered.

From the images provided by Air New Zealand, the headrests don’t appear to have adjustable wings, which can improve the ability to sleep in economy. This could be an oversight regarding the comfort of its passengers on the airline’s long-haul flights, particularly to the U.S.

Economy passengers will find new, thoughtful storage options, such as a mini snack tray.

At the front of the economy cabin, Air New Zealand has introduced a new Economy Stretch concept for those looking for extra recline and leg room without paying for a premium economy fare. Choosing these seats will incur an extra charge (not yet specified) at the time of booking.

The airline also decided to keep its Skycouch concept. This allows passengers to pay extra to lie fully flat across a section of 3 economy seats, thanks to a footrest that raises to create a large surface to sleep on.

Where You Can Find Air New Zealand’s Retrofitted Dreamliner

Tickets for flights on Air New Zealand’s first refurbished Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will go on sale on May 7, 2025.

The first retrofitted jet, registered ZK-NZH, will fly its first paying passengers on May 19 from Auckland (AKL) to Brisbane (BNE) before embarking on its first long-haul flight with the new cabins to San Francisco (SFO) the same evening.

Air New Zealand’s San Francisco service operates 5 times weekly according to the following schedule:

• Depart San Francisco (SFO) 10:05 p.m. — Arrive Auckland (AKL) 6 a.m. (+2)
• Depart Auckland (AKL) 7:45 p.m. — Arrive San Francisco (SFO) 12:50 p.m.

The aircraft’s next scheduled destinations are Raragonga, Cook Islands (RAR), and Vancouver (YVR).

Round-trip business class fares between San Francisco and Auckland start at around $7,271, while in economy, you can expect to pay around $1,200.

Final Thoughts

Air New Zealand’s updated Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will finally make the airline competitive in 2025, especially in the premium cabins. Needless to say, we’re excited to try out the new cabins for ourselves and look forward to seeing the retrofit program completed quickly!