Air New Zealand's Premium Economy and Business Premier cabins offer excellent service, dining and comfort. But which gives the best value for money?
Stephanie Holmes compares two of Air New Zealand’s Premium Cabins on a return journey to Singapore.
AIRLINE: Air New Zealand
FROM: Auckland to Singapore (connecting to Kolkata, India with Singapore Airlines)
VISAS AND REQUIREMENTS: New Zealand passport holders don’t need a visa to visit Singapore, but you will need to fill out an electronic SG arrival card and health declaration within three days of arrival. I was only in transit on the way to India, therefore needed to apply for an Indian eVisa. This is done via the Indian High Commission website and costs around $90. There’s a lengthy, in-depth form to fill out.
DEPARTURE AIRPORT EXPERIENCE:
I was flying from Auckland at 11.10am on a Tuesday morning, and the airport was calm and quiet. I’d tried to check in online but was unable to, and when I tried to use the self-service kiosks, they refused to check me in too. The queue for the service desk moved quickly though, and the helpful Air NZ ground crew member soon had me sorted out. The issue was an immigration check – travelling onwards to India meant they needed to sight my visa documentation when checking me in. It wasn’t until I got to the front of the queue that I realised, as I was flying in the Premium Economy cabin, I could have gone straight to the Premium check-in area for faster, dedicated service. No bother though, the whole process took less than 10 minutes.
Returning home, I had an overnight flight from Kolkata to Singapore, then 12 hours in transit at Changi Airport. As I’ve discovered on a previous trip, there is more than enough to keep you occupied for an extended stopover at Changi so I didn’t plan to leave the airport. Instead, I booked a room at Aerotel at Terminal 1 for a few hours sleep and some time by the rooftop pool. I’d planned a very relaxing stopover but instead, I was feeling rotten thanks to the kind of terribly upset stomach common to travelling to India, so I spent the entire stay asleep in my room.
Before my flight, I went to Singapore Airlines’ fabulous SilverKris lounge – premium Air New Zealand passengers have access thanks to the Star Alliance partnership. That was a miserable time too – I was feeling too sick to eat anything and, much to my absolute chagrin, couldn’t indulge in the free champagne. What a disappointment.
SEAT:
For the outbound flight, I was seated in 24J in the Premium Economy cabin of a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. There are 33 PE seats on this aircraft, in a 2-3-2 configuration. This flight was very quiet, with more than half the seats empty, including the ones next to and across the aisle from me, making for a very pleasant flight experience. The PE seats are black leather recliners with a 102.5cm pitch and 47.5cm width, padded leg rests, fixed armrests with space for drinks, large seat pockets and plenty of legroom.
Coming home, I was in Business Premier and managed to score myself seat 1A. Much has been written before about Air New Zealand’s herringbone business cabin layout, and it’s certainly nowhere near as private as other carriers’ premium cabins, but the lie-flat seats are still very spacious and comfortable. The pitch is 2m, bed length is 1.98cm and seat width is 55cm. I was able to snuggle in and rest thanks to the comfort of cosy duvet, memory foam mattress and two full-size pillows. I slept soundly for more than seven hours of the 10-hour flight.
CREW:
Ngapoto, the crew member looking after my side of the plane on the outbound flight, was an absolute delight – friendly, warm, funny and helpful. She expertly navigated the balance of being chatty without overbearing and seemed to pre-empt passengers’ every needs.
Coming home, I was feeling too ill to engage much with the crew and they respectfully left me undisturbed, other than to deliver some food (that I couldn’t eat – another disappointment, the Malay chicken curry and chocolate brownie ice cream looked delicious).
PASSENGERS:
The outbound flight was a mix of business and leisure travellers – a few of us were tapping away on laptops making the most of the daytime departure to catch up on work. A few screaming babies at the front of the Economy cabin caused a bit of disturbance at both take off and landing.
I have no idea who the passengers were on the return flight – I was in a world of my own, only focused on resting.
FOOD AND DRINK:
The meal services on the outbound flight were an excellent showcase of Kiwi ingredients and produce. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of Hawke’s Bay bubbly with my lunch, which was a roasted beetroot, feta, pomegranate and fresh basil salad, followed by seared hapuka with Chinese wine sauce, rice, pak choy, carrot and mushroom, and a dessert of vanilla bean pannacotta with fresh strawberries and brown sugar crumble. Dinner was served shortly before landing – a smoked chicken, fig, and walnut salad, followed by a choice of roast chicken, slow cooked NZ lamb or another variation of hapuka, with a mango lychee mousse for dessert.
As above, I pretty much avoided food on the home journey, and only drank Sprite. What a waste of Laurent-Perrier champagne!
ENTERTAINMENT:
On the Auckland to Singapore leg, the free Wi-Fi wasn’t working due to a technical issue. But on both journeys, there was a full range of movies to watch, including new releases and Oscar-nominees like Barbie and Past Lives, as well as newer Kiwi movies like Tom Sainsbury’s excellent comedy horror Loop Track. The TV selection wasn’t quite so up to date, with no brand new release shows, but there were still many great full seasons to sink into, like the final season of Succession, as well as a documentary about the family it’s loosely based on – The Murdochs: Empire of Influence. There was also a range of music, podcasts (including the Herald’s excellent series Chasing Ghosts), radio shows, mediation playlists and audiobooks, plus games and a live feed of CNN. Absolutely no excuse for boredom.
ARRIVAL AIRPORT EXPERIENCE:
Changi was its usual calm, quiet, efficient self on my outward journey. Coming back to Auckland Airport when I got home was a very different experience for me – it was the first time I’ve been randomly selected for a full biosecurity interview, where the officer took out everything in my suitcase and hand luggage and questioned me extensively about my travels. The biosecurity officer was polite and friendly, but the experience was quite stressful, especially after the preceding 30-hour journey. I was desperate to get home but ended up being interviewed for about 45 minutes. I was still feeling ill at this point, so my sweaty, pale face no doubt aroused suspicion and I wouldn’t be surprised if they mistook me for a drug smuggler or someone up to no good.
THE BEST BIT:
Outbound: The fabulous food and excellent service from Ngapoto.
Inbound: Being able to lie down and sleep.
THE WORST BIT:
Outbound: Screaming babies. Dudes, you’re going on holiday, just sit back and enjoy it.
Inbound: The extended biosecurity interview.
FINAL VERDICT:
Business Premier is top-notch, but the cabin layout could be an issue if you’re used to flying with airlines that provide privacy. If Business Class is out of your price range, Premium Economy offers an excellent, comfortable service with as many of the bells and whistles you get in Business. Plus the added bonus of more money leftover to splurge at your holiday destination.
This story has been updated to correct information around visa requirement.
Stephanie Holmes has worked at New Zealand’s Herald since 2016, specialising in Travel and, more recently, Lifestyle and Entertainment, with her entire journalism career dedicated to these subjects.
From skipping the queues to planning your parade spot, here's all you need to know.