Cathay Pacific's new A350 began flying into Auckland this year.
Cathay Pacific's new A350 began flying into Auckland this year.
Grant Bradley takes a look at what’s coming up in the world of aviation.
1. More choice at all ends of the market
Qatar Airways is recognised as one of the world's top airlines for laying on luxury in near-new planes and it will start flying from Auckland to Doha from February 6. The airline is selling seats to Europe for aslow as $1455 - watch out for even better deals from existing carriers as competition kicks in.
Qatar's boss Akbar Al Baker is one of the most outspoken characters in aviation but the airline has been low-key about the Auckland service so far - look for this to change over summer.
From China, new capacity rolls in with Tianjin Airlines starting flights to Auckland on December 21 and Hainan Airlines flying to the city from December 31. Both use A330s and will fly three times a week. Although they will mainly serve the massive Chinese tourist market their arrival means increased capacity to China for Kiwis. The rate of new airlines arriving in New Zealand will slow in 2017, but Kiwi travellers have never had it so good.
The US airlines came in during the past six months with Wi-Fi; Cathay Pacific's new A350 also has it. Air New Zealand has been cautious about inflight connectivity but reckons it now has the technology worked out. Proving flights will begin in the second half of 2017 with internet services progressively available on Tasman, Pacific Island and long-haul jet fleets from the end of next year. The domestic rollout begins in 2018.
Qantas will begin trials early in 2017 and start installing throughout its domestic fleet from the middle of the year.
Cathay Pacific's new A350 began flying into Auckland this year.
Qantas put off buying new planes while it got through tough times but will take delivery of new Boeing 787-9s later next year - its premium-weighted cabin looks fantastic and the attention to detail in its Economy seats give luxe touches to the back of the plane. Kiwis can experience it on the new Perth-to-London service from March 2018.
Air New Zealand is upgrading its 777-300 cabins, refreshing seats throughout and installing new Business Premier fittings and new inflight entertainment.
Emirates is also modernising its very popular bar on its A380s. Fuel-efficient and jet-lag reducing Dreamliners and A350s are increasingly ubiquitous on routes Kiwis fly - any new plane is better than the one it replaces and these are particularly good.
4. Loyalty cards that work
There's been a massive shakeup of the loyalty cards and an intense battle to get them in your wallet. Flight Centre with Mastercard has just launched one that earns meaningfully on all travel and American Express and Air New Zealand have stepped up the earn rate. And you can work them out.
5. Serious aero equipment coming here
Plane makers are battling to replace RNZAF's ageing Hercules. This means some very cool planes could be heading our way. Brazil's Embraer wants to show off its super-quick KC-390 here and Airbus may do the same with its mega turbo prop A400M - like a Hercules on steroids.
Home-grown Rocket Lab is on track for a test launch early next year from Mahia and promises to be one of our most exciting tech companies.
On the wishlist ...
More choice in the regions
Jetstar has been running its regional operation in New Zealand for a year now and brought much-needed competition to the destinations it flies. While it says it is ahead of its business case and is open to expanding, it has no immediate plans to. But there are more QantasLink planes available in Australia, so here's hoping.
The aviation boom has exceeded capacity at Auckland Airport and the company is playing catch-up, spending millions on new places for planes to park and expanding passenger-processing areas. The new departure area looks great on paper and better motorway links opening next year will help smooth the journey.
Oil prices don't go crazy
Even though not every airline wants rock-bottom oil prices (they keep the less-efficient carriers in the game and crimp revenue from the big spending oil and gas sector), low fuel prices are what's helping keep Kiwis flying in record numbers. Long-haul flights are the most vulnerable to oil prices, which have ticked up since a recent Opec agreement on supply.
The fuel rebound threatens a five-year run of industry profit growth.
Test flights are planned for later next year and the Colorado-based Boom, which is developing a 45-seater is confident it can keep the cost of supersonic travel to affordable levels and noise levels won't kill off the plane. It also has some serious financial backing. A Mach 2.2 (2335kph) supersonic flight time from Auckland to Los Angeles is less than five hours or gets to Sydney in just one hour.
On another note
Airlines solve the breakfast issue. No matter where you sit, the eggs are invariably rubbery, tomatoes and sausages soggy. There must be a solution.
Grant Bradley was last month named Australasian Aviation Journalist of the Year.
