Air NZ planning more high-end wines for business class flyers

About $500,000 extra had been spent on new wine in the premium cabin as part of the revamp. Photo / NZME.

Air New Zealand is spending about $1 million on improving the range of wine in its business class cabins.

The range of wine at the front of planes has changed in the past 18 months after a sweeping review that resulted in a single supplier in the economy section, but a group of super-premium wines will be available next year. Chief operations officer Bruce Parton said the airline spent up to $6 million a year on wine for all its passengers.

The revamp last year moved the airline to a three-year deal with a single supplier, Villa Maria, in its economy section which Parton said had upset some in the wine industry, but they had come to understand the need for simplicity in the airline's supply chain. "We were trying to be everything to everyone." The feedback was there was no brand recognition and so the airline was in effect creating a whole lot of cost in the business and the customers weren't getting anything out of it.

"The Villa Maria deal meant we were able to take out previous spend and invest that money back by buying better wines."

About $500,000 extra had been spent on new wine in the premium cabin as part of the revamp.

"It's about being willing to take on feedback - customers rate it [the wine programme] highly but the question is can it be better?"

The airline has just started a process that would result in about $500,000 being spent on between 20 and 30 high-end wines. Vineyards could submit wines for blind tasting and the airline was also working with New Zealand's Masters of Wine to settle on the final labels.

Some of those in the reckoning sell for more than $100 a bottle.

Parton said a 100-case minimum supply was needed to qualify but the airline would engage in three- to five-year deals to give even small wineries the chance to plan for larger orders.