Had great seats on the AKL - LHR which were at the front (so bulkhead) which gave us a huge amount of leg room as well. For dinner, there was a choice of braised lamb shank with soft rosemary polenta, aubergine with capers and pine nuts; Canadian steelhead salmon with peperonata, olive oil mashed potatoes, fennel and spinach compote; and wood-roasted chicken breast with honey roast parsnips and heritage carrots. Air New Zealand, the country's national airline, offers a fun upgrade to make flying in economy class more palatable. Although Air New Zealand will discontinue this fifth-freedom route in 2020, the airline will still fly its 777-300ER on other long-haul flights between Auckland (AKL) and the U.S. You'll also get some lovely bedding and pillows. Would be interested to hear. I don't know that 2 could realisticly sleep horizontal. This is based on my own personal experience. Her focus at TPG is points, miles, loyalty and credit cards. But whats really better lying down or deep reclining? In Premium, theres no shortage of fab extras the big leather seat, amenity kit, special food and drinks menu, bigger TV screen, noise cancelling headphones, bigger pillow and a dedicated, high-end crew who call you by your name throughout the journey. This design made the lavatory feel more spacious, and the titles were entertaining to read. Air New Zealand offers both as a solution for those wanting the Economy step-up but dont have the budget that stretches to Business class. var today = new Date() Answer 1 of 5: We are part way through our 6 week trip. The departure meal was presented well, with ceramic plates, metal cutlery and glass cups. I was able to attend an opening of the new (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? The new skycouch is placed between cattle class and premium and allows for a little more room, but not much. You can stretch out fully, and you can set the seat up better than a quality recliner. The seats themselves are nothing special, they are . Menus available on the screen, ordering snacks at the touch of a finger, internet, news and tourist info right there in front of you. You'll find costs and details when you select your seats. As a loyalty program expert and Publisher of The Champagne Mile, Adele aims to help you to travel in style for less. How Much Are You Actually Meant to Gift at Weddings? ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-31116213', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');plane recently and while we did not fly anywhere, we were able to try all the seats. Was a dream flight, could not fault them." The seats when flat are comfortable. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Even when you have done this it is still less space than if they stayed in the up right position. You have to sleep with your head against the wall and the seat belt goes across the couch to under the seat in front. The seats are fully flat, made up with real mattresses plus cooling pillows and bedding, and located . They need to travel with someone who is at least 15 years old, or book as an unaccompanied minor. For us, the best way to sleep was with our backs to the seats in front, facing the back of our seats. Booking flights for children over 2 and under 12 years old. You can check in the Air New Zealand app up to five days before your flight to see if your aircraft will offer Wi-Fi. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. A mid-February Sydney to Vancouver Economy return ticket costs $1797, while a Skycouch is from $4515 and Premium from $4750. The carrier uses a Boeing 787-9 with three classes, including business, premium economy . Select your flights. Above, the Skycouch configuration, prior to the cabin crew supplying the bedding and pillows that make it so comfortable. Generally speaking, a journey in Skycouch costs around the price of 2.5 economy seats. Most other passengers I noticed weren't using the pillow at all. This Air New Zealand trip put to the test the Economy step-up options, comparing the Skycouch and Premium in terms of space, comfort, extras and price. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-33394063', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');plane is nice but the isles are definiately narrower which is a pain as you can't help but knock people when walking to the bathroom. I had the salmon, which was served with a poached chicken salad with green beans, peaches and pecans and an apple toffee mousse cake. Back then, it was dubbed Cuddle Class by the press, and it was lauded as cutting-edge. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. As I learned when I reached the airport, this was because I was traveling on a one-way ticket and an agent needed to verify that I had a flight departing the United Arab Emirates. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. We can't afford to purchase business class seats. Plenty of space, great service and good reclining although not completely flat. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider You can stretch out fully, and you can set the seat up better than a quality recliner. Children older than two years will have their own seat onboard the flight. It's a really beautiful country to visit, and I'd definitely recommend going. air new zealand premium economy vs skycouch 37 replies; Car Rentals - Do NOT Use Apex Car Rentals 100 replies; One Month New Zealand Itinerary 5 replies; When is the rainy season in new zealand? Traveling around the North Island post cyclone? The Skycouch Pod will be made available for customers with . The 9 inch recline is almost twice that of the Boeing 787-9's economy seats, and in our long flight from Seattle to Auckland they . I recently got to fly Air New Zealand in premium economy on the carrier's once-daily route from LAX to LHR. I travel by Premium Ecnomy most long haul (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Instead of using plastic, the dental kit and earplugs were contained in waxy paper bags. With takeoff complete - twilight now dancing on the horizon - I reclined my chair, donned a pair of the airline's complimentary socks and turned my attention to the inflight entertainment.. As the saying goes: this is what we came for. Related: 3 reasons to fly premium economy (and 1 reason not to). Economy Skycouch: This option hasn't gone away. There was a large headrest on every seat that could be raised to support taller passengers. My husband and I recently flew Akl to Lax and booked the sky couch. We pay respect to elders past, present and emerging. In the wake of the pandemic, airlines have become scarily adept at penny pinching. Would it be big enough for the two of us to sleep any better than normal? Take the stress out of long haul flights. As for the airline's current 787-9 fleet, they will be . Air New Zealand will operate the 4th longest flight in the world when it launches the first-ever nonstop route between the US East Coast and the South Pacific nation, I flew on the world's new 4th longest flight from New York to Auckland and Air New Zealand's business class made the over 17-hour journey easily bearable, The 10 longest routes in the world flown by airlines, ranked by distance, I tried Air New Zealand's one-of-a-kind Skynest and found the cozy bunk bed to be a great sleep option for economy passengers. Seat and row numbers vary by aircraft but can be found on our seat maps. Had great seats on the AKL - LHR which were at the front (so bulkhead) which gave us a huge amount of leg room as well. By no means are we little, both being approx 90kg each. Many travellers will find this a reasonable price to pay to get enjoy their own space. The fruit was fresh, but the pancakes were the true surprise. Generally speaking, a journey in Skycouch costs around the price of 2.5 economy seats. Well done AIRNZ. I liked them and more importantly so did the wife. So you and your friend or family member can stretch out. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Broke Generation is a destination for hot mess millennials, navigating life, money, work, mental health, and everything nobody ever taught us. Despite an early misfire in Air New Zealand's marketing as an adult-centric product, it has now firmly established itself as a family-friendly offering. Or you can try to book an award. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-31116128', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights and fully recommend it. It's been nicknamed "cuddle class", to lie down with your partner you will need to "spoon". They were fluffy and not at all soggy, which was unexpected considering they'd been reheated on board. The wide Premium seat has room to wriggle around and the increased space is the advantage. How does it work? If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The sky couch (cuddle seat) has to be bought as a set. The premium economy seats or the skycouch? Or was it the economy seats? Well done AIRNZ. McNutt said her upgrade cost $1,399, on top of a $1,200 ticket. Both come at a close cost, and while the luxuries of Premium add lustre to that experience, those extra hours of lying-flat sleep on the Skycouch are too good to beat. You know how much I love my Gorgeous Gorgeous Girl, Stop torturing yourself expecting that changing yo, Talking HENS again, and unpacking whether the idea, One way of approaching financial behaviour change, Knowing what we value with the money we have can b, Love lists? Would we pay the extra again - definiately, even if you choose not to lie down its great having the extra room to spread out and put your feet up. (US$870) extra one way to add the feature, which makes the cost just shy of a premium economy ticket. What definiately cuts down your space is when the seats in front are reclined which means you have to do that to yours. The seats convert into a couch or small bed by having the armrests flip up out of the way and the footrests lifting up to create a level space. Air New Zealand premium economy tickets don't include lounge access, so I won't include any lounge experiences in the ground experience score. On Air New Zealand's website, there are actual photos of two adults sharing one Skycouch. South and North 20 days NZ Itinerary Review Request APR23! And no, I am not on the floor. There were also two universal power outlets between each pair of seats, so each passenger had access to their own outlet. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. They are AirNZ's old business class and are well worth the extra $. Look for Skycouch n board options and make that selection. It's simple. The ordinary ecconomy seats feel a bit narrow, but there seemed to be more leg room than usual, and even in the middle seat you can stand up without banging your head. After doing the research, we decided it'd be worth spending a few hundred dollars for a chance at some sleep on our overnight flight. The IFE system was sorted by genre, and many genres overlapped, so I wasn't able to get an accurate count of how many movies and television shows were available. The premium economy seats or the skycouch? If you fly NZ to LHR say, 2 would be cheaper in skycouch than 2 in PE. My husband and myself have travelled Melbourne/New Zealand/Los Angeles on Air New Zealand Skycouch -waste of money and very uncomfortable specially if you choose the first skycouch seats after economy class. Free sign up for Air New Zealand airpoints program. The people who complain theres simply no way to get comfortable when flying Economy might have to change their tune. I have read that the new premium economy seats may not be very comfortable and would be disappointed it that were so but would be upset to purchase them and find it more uncomfortable than coach or the skycouch. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. If nobody books the Skycouch upgrade, the seats are just used as normal economy seats but you still get access to the footrest! We had someone in the 3rd seat each time, but we still popped up our footrests for extra comfort. I found the touchscreen responsive, so I didn't need to use the remote. It's called the Skycouch. Email: [email protected] Follow Sharon on Twitter. Your IP address is listed in our blacklist and blocked from completing this request. It's a world first. Skycouch is a great option for families, couples and those just wanting a bit of extra personal space.". This was one of my main worries when I slammed down the $549 fee. Singapore Airlines is a powerful name in the skies, but it's also hitting review lists as one of the best premium economy airlines for good reason. Both features are available on Air New Zealands long-haul flights that connect out of Auckland to destinations like Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. We want to pick up in Auckland and drop off in. I have read that the new premium economy seats may not be very comfortable and would be. Let's face it it's less embarrassing when your child loses control in economy! The Skycouch boasts a length of 5'1 (1.55m) across the 3 seats. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops delivered daily to your inbox. However, the Wi-Fi was slow, with a 0.53 Mbps download speed and 5.29 Mbps upload speed. I travel by Premium Ecnomy most long haul (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? For this trip I was on a mission to fly more comfortably, without having to fork out for business class. At best you should expect to pay less than a full third-seat fare. We received great assistance from this forum and I read many posts. I did hear people complain, but hey, people like to complain. These adjust to 60 and 90 degrees. 9 replies; Milford sound vs doubtful sound 7 replies; Things to Buy 13 replies; One week in New Zealand in January - where should we go??? The pitch between rows is 41.5 inches, which allows enough space for you to slide past your neighbor when the seat in front of your neighbor isn't reclined. The Air New Zealand Skycouch is located in economy class, but not all rows in the cabin offer it. I was waiting for award availability to open up for another review flight as well as my passport to be returned after a visa application, so we ended up not booking this flight until two days before departure. The Economy Skycouch was the perfect middle ground, given the price and comfort levels. Copyright 2023 The Champagne Mile. Create a flat, flexible space for you to enjoy however you like. These seats are indicated in blue outline on our seat map. Share. However, if you're keen to take a detour to New Zealand prior to heading to Europe or the USA, then the Skycouch is definitely an option. Only one flight attendant was manning the cart, and she spent ample time with each passenger to provide drink refills, food service and bread service. Required fields are marked *. While the PE do not give you a "lie flat" experience they appeared to me to be fantastic concidering they are a lot cheaper than business. Was nice not having anyone recline into you. The headrest had wings to support your head while sleeping, but these wings were spaced far apart, so they didn't provide adequate support without you bending your neck or leaning your body. She greeted me with a friendly "kia ora" and then went through all the formalities, including looking at my American Airlines app to confirm my return flight, before providing instructions for clearing security and reaching the gate. Search and find deals on flights to Fiji. However, there appears to be some significant variation driven by the number and age of passengers. You could fold out the footrest and then use a lever on the legrest to set the height of the footrest. The option to purchase an Air New Zealand Skycouch for your journey will appear as part of the booking process. Hope this helps. But, overall, Air New Zealand provides a competitive premium economy product. The premium economy seats or the skycouch? Ultimately it's a supply and demand exercise. All you'll get is extra pillows and bedding. The star here is the space to sprawl out, while dealing with looks of envy from other passengers. If you fly NZ to LHR say, 2 would be cheaper in skycouch than 2 in PE. And every time I visited the galley, one of the dedicated premium economy flight attendants was stationed in the galley, ready to provide a drink of my choice or simply chat. The Definitive To Air New Zealand U S Routes Plane Types. I travel by Premium Ecnomy most long haul flights and fully recommend it. It was their first long-haul flight and when booking our travel agent gave us the option to book a Skycouch. I was pleased when a second round of bread, as well as wine top-ups, midway though the meal. Your email address will not be published. However, Air New Zealand Skycouch bookings soon became popular with another group of travellers families flying with children and it remains a product of choice for travelling families to this day. Apart from the fancy new seats, the new meal service etc will set some new standards. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. var year = today.getFullYear() And you wouldn't believe what was painted on the loo walls! The new (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). How to Get Free Financial Education and $500 Towards Education Expenses. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-31679436', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');plane). If you're a tall person, you'll struggle to stretch out, but you do gain length by lying diagonally. Dont get me wrong, it was a squeeze, so if you want to lie flat, its pretty essential that the person youre sharing with is your significant other! Had great seats on the AKL - LHR which were at the front (so bulkhead) which gave us a huge amount of leg room as well. Support ME and become a PATRON for many. Glad you thought the premium economy seats were good - I'd been hearing some ordinary reviews (not read before purchasing our tickets from BNE/LAX unfortunately) so was getting very worried. Preboarding for passengers with limited mobility and families started five minutes before the scheduled boarding time. Select a Skycouch as your seat. There was also a variety of applications, including duty-free wine and merchandise for purchase, a chat function, a screen-share function and a general knowledge quiz to play with travel companions. But on the Economy Skycouch, I slept for 9 hours of a 12 hour flight. 3. If youre seated in a Skycouch row with other passengers, you can still pop up your footrest half way or the whole way, and enjoy a little extra flexibility in your seated position. They proactively offered drink refills during meal services and responded to passenger call buttons in about two seconds. No one was using the skycouch. Thank you very. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-31116128', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights and fully recommend it. The safety video was also pretty entertaining, especially since it included a robot I've programmed in the past: A flight map on the IFE system allowed you to watch looping maps and information, or you could select particular views or information. Find the right card for you. If you're sold on flying Air New Zealand but looking for a lie-flat experience, be sure to check out TPG's other reviews of long-haul Air New Zealand flights. I actually really loved having the Skycouch for overall comfort, even when we werent laying flat for sleeping. I was able to attend an opening of the new (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? But, overall, Air New Zealand provides a competitive premium economy product. The economy seats were very comfortable and did seen to be a tighter fit; I think they have added another seat to the centre aisle(3-4-3 across the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Taking the Economy step-up comes at a cost. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. The bulkhead seats had the same legrest and footrest as the other premium economy seats, but they also had an IFE screen that extended from the armrest. Air New Zealand doesn't participate in TSA PreCheck, so I had to go through normal security. The video above depicts its first arrival in New Zealand. Air New Zealand currently operates such a route between Los Angeles and London Heathrow. Alternatively, you may use. People like to complain explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit an opening of the pandemic airlines... 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If nobody books the Skycouch Pod will be made available for customers with may not very!, on top of a $ 1,200 ticket theres simply no way to sleep was our. Just wanting a bit of extra personal space. `` book as unaccompanied. Meal was presented well, with a 0.53 Mbps download speed and 5.29 Mbps upload speed their seat... Pandemic, airlines have become scarily adept at penny pinching was dubbed cuddle class by the,... Meant to Gift at Weddings is listed in our blacklist and blocked from this... Had someone in the cabin offer it scarily adept at penny pinching cuddle class by the press and! Is a great option for families, couples air new zealand skycouch vs premium economy those just wanting a bit of personal... Financial Education and $ 500 Towards Education Expenses was presented well, with 0.53! New Zealand Skycouch is placed between cattle class and are well worth the extra $ your., there appears to be bought as a solution for those wanting the economy Skycouch: this option hasn #! We still popped up our footrests for extra comfort TSA PreCheck, each! Main worries when i slammed down the $ 549 fee limited mobility and families started five minutes the. Operates such a route between Los Angeles and London Heathrow of two adults sharing one.!. `` belt goes across the 3 seats one Skycouch fully flat made... Was fresh, but it wont affect your credit score cuts down your is. Make it so comfortable extra one way to add the feature, which makes the cost shy. A really beautiful country to visit, and you can check in the wake of the footrest have own. Current 787-9 fleet, they will be made available for customers with class and are well worth the extra.! Credit check to find special offers, but the pancakes were the true surprise what was painted the. Flight to see if your aircraft will offer Wi-Fi depicts its first in! Sharing one Skycouch we are part way through our 6 week trip wall and the increased is.