Qantas is launching its Auckland-New York services with bespoke pyjamas by fashion designer Rebecca Vallance (pictured). Photo / Supplied
Qantas is launching its Auckland-New York services with bespoke pyjamas by fashion designer Rebecca Vallance (pictured). Photo / Supplied
Qantas will operate brand new 787 Dreamliner aircraft on non-stop flights from Auckland to New York which it will launch with bespoke pyjamas for Business Class passengers.
The airline is also introducing amenity kits and a new menu - with a New York theme - for the flights of upto 17 hours plus.
From June 14, the airline will operate three weekly flights from Sydney to Auckland to New York, increasing to four a week from October. The flight previously operated via Los Angeles and pits the Australian carrier wingtip to wingtip with Air New Zealand.
The Auckland-New York flight is the fifth longest currently operating.
The relaunch of the New York flights brings Qantas closer to returning to 100 per cent of its international network’s pre-Covid capacity by March of next year.
Qantas group chief customer officer Markus Svensson said New York is a favourite destination for many and the airline is launching a number of customer initiatives to herald Qantas’ return to the city.
Qantas is one of the few airlines in the world to provide Business Class passengers with complimentary pyjamas.
And the airline announced today it will launch a limited edition PJ and amenity kit range in partnership with leading Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance.
For a limited time, Business Class customers on the New York route will be offered a navy sleeper suit featuring a monogram of the Qantas “Roo” and Rebecca Vallance logo, incorporating the flight numbers QF3 and QF4 and a bespoke New York heart design.
They will also receive a custom-created Rebecca Vallance amenity kit, with a matching eyeshade instead of the existing Koskela amenity kit being rolled out across the international network.
Vallance said she was excited to combine her passion for travel and fashion to create the one-off Qantas design.
Qantas will use new Dreamliners on its flights to New York. Photo / James D Morgan
“New York has always felt like a second home to me, and I’m so proud to be working with the national carrier to offer travellers some keepsake PJs and amenity kits to enjoy long after they have landed,” said Vallance.
Qantas creative director food, beverage and service Neil Perry has created a range of New York-inspired dishes to be added to the inflight menu to coincide with the launch of the new route. It comes on top of a recently revamped menu offering on other flights.
“New York is one of the culinary capitals of the world, from its much-loved street food to its internationally revered fine dining Michelin-starred restaurants. We are using some amazing Australian produce to put our own spin on some of New York’s most famous food experiences,” said Perry.
New York-inspired menu items across QF3 and QF4 premium cabins include spaghetti and meatballs, classic Reuben sandwich, NY bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers and lemon, General Tso chicken with smashed cucumber salad, steamed rice and broccolini, and a classic beef hot dog with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.
Air New Zealand also flies the 14,200km route, launching three-times-a-week flights last September.
Air New Zealand brought back pyjamas from Kiwi “luxury athleisure” brand Marlow which were given to Business Class guests on its inaugural flight to New York last September but there’s no word on whether they’ll be rolled out again on regular ultra-long-range services. It has introduced new amenity kits for Premium passengers.
Other airlines flying to New Zealand also offer them but not necessarily on flights to Aotearoa and mainly to First Class passengers.
Qatar offers “designer loungewear” made by The White Company to Business and First Class passengers.
Singapore Airlines’ pyjamas are for Suites and First Class customers, meaning the return of the Airbus A380 in summer will mean PJs are back. They are carried on all flights where those cabins are flying. On overnight flights they’ll be offered to customers, or customers can request them.
Cathay Pacific is slowly restoring routes to other countries where its First Class offers a “sleep suit”, soft slippers and eyeshades which have been “thoughtfully designed by PYE, and made from some of the highest-quality cotton in the world”.
Emirates offers pyjamas to First Class customers who travel overnight, and are made with “hydra active microcapsule technology” that keeps your skin soft while flying.
The fabric gently releases naturally nutrient-rich sea kelp as you move around, preventing dehydration and stimulating circulation, the airline says.
