As exclusively revealed in Business Traveller (see Online News, February 9) Air New Zealand will launch a second daily service to London later this year.
The extra flight begins on October 28 but instead of taking the transpacific route via Los Angeles (as does ANZ's existing service) it will be routed via Asia using Hong Kong as a stopover. ANZ will use a 393-seater B747 which will be fitted with the latest seating in all classes (see Business Traveller's review of the new seating).
Accommodation in business class will comprise of 46 fully lie-flat seats (identical to Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class suites) with 23 seats in premium economy and 324 in regular economy. There is no first class.
Provisional schedules call for flight NZ39 to leave Auckland at 23.59 to reach Hong Kong the next morning at 06.15. After a two-hour stop the service continues as a daytime flight to London giving a lunchtime arrival into Heathrow at 13.30. From London flight NZ38 departs at 21.15 to arrive in Hong Kong at 17.00 the following afternoon. With a departure from there at 19.00, passengers arrive into Auckland at 10.45 the following morning or two days after leaving Heathrow.
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The new Air NZ Business Permier seating |
ANZ claims that the Auckland-London flight time via Hong Kong is practically identical to that via Los Angeles. The new service is expected to appeal to passengers who will appreciate the more spacious and pleasant transfer facilities afforded by Hong Kong's modern airport.
The present service via Los Angeles is proving to be unpopular with a good number of passengers because of toughened security procedures at US ports. Even transit passengers find themselves photographed and fingerprinted, and must reclaim and recheck their bags. ANZ's CEO Bob Fyfe told Business Traveller last year, "We are meeting customer resistance from passengers travelling through Los Angeles. This is a problem we would look to address."
ANZ's new routing will also appeal to the many business people flying between London and Hong Kong. ANZ will have traffic rights and, because it has no brand identity on this route, may offer special fares to fill seats. And it will be a useful service for loyalty members of Star Alliance carriers (of which ANZ is a member) who will now be able to notch up mileage.
For more information go to airnewzealand.co.uk
Report by Alex McWhirter
