The airline: Air New Zealand
- Route New York City to Auckland non-stop, flight NZ1
- Frequency Three times a week
- Aircraft Boeing Dreamliner 787-9
- Class Economy Skycouch, seats 37H, J and K.
- Flight time 16 hours, 40 minutes (delayed about 70 minutes)
Checking in
I arrive the recommended three hours ahead of departure at JFK International and check-in is seamless; there’s not even a queue.
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in → delay → International
We arrive late into Auckland due to a delay out of New York (caused by runway congestion and other airport issues).
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We → arrive → congestion
It’s bedlam in Auckland with hundreds of connecting passengers being funnelled through only one transit security lane.
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hundreds → ’ → lane
By some miracle, everyone who needs to make the Sydney connecting flight does so.
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who → need → flight
Basic economy allowance is one carry-on bag (up to 7kg) plus a small personal item, and one checked bag, up to 23kg.
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allowance → carry → ?
Checked in luggage goes all the way through to Sydney.
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luggage → check → Sydney
Luckily, mine makes it despite the short connection time.
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mine → make → time
Loyalty scheme
Air New Zealand’s free-to-join, newly renamed Koru program allows you to accrue Airpoints on both Air New Zealand flights plus partner Star Alliance airlines.
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you → join → flights
Skycouches run along either side of the aircraft at the front of the economy cabin, and Air New Zealand can offer between nine and 20 Skycouches on a flight depending whether you’re on a 787-9 or a 777.
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you → run → 9
Essentially, it’s a guarantee you’ll have three seats to yourself.
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you → ’ → yourself
Even better, all three seats have padded calf rests, which become level with your seat when fully raised, creating a nice wide couch.
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which → have → couch
Once the Skycouch is activated, the seat is 29 inches (74 centimetres) wide and 61 inches (1.55 metres) long.
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seat → activate → ?
Skycouchers receive a white mattress topper that stretches over the entire base, along with the standard issue economy blanket and pillow.
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that → receive → blanket
I’m overjoyed to see the economy cabin is almost half empty.
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cabin → ’m → ?
A crew member tells me this is not unusual on the NYC to Auckland leg.
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this → tell → leg
He adds the flight is usually full on the way up from Auckland.
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flight → add → Auckland
Entertainment + tech
The retrofitted aircraft (which I’m on) features 13.3 inch (33.8 centimetres) screens – that’s about 50 per cent larger than the old screens, and one of the biggest displays you’ll find in any economy cabin.
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you → retrofit → cabin
There’s a good entertainment line up and the Wi-Fi is free and easy to connect to.
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Fi → ’ → ?
Friendly, efficient, down to earth – and enough crew to go around given the flight isn’t full.
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flight → go → ?
The crew look snappy in their Emilia Wickstead uniforms with patterns created in collaboration with Maori artist Te Rangitu Netana.
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crew → look → Netana
Skycouchers receive the standard economy menu.
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Skycouchers → receive → menu
Dinner is served shortly after take-off, with the choice of chicken and couscous or beef ragu with polenta and red peppers.
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Dinner → serve → polenta
I opt for the latter, and it’s tasty and fresh.
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it → opt → latter
A glass of Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region does not disappoint.
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glass → disappoint → region
The airline is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and aims to use 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
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airline → commit → 2030
A fellow Skycouch passenger I got chatting to commented that her Skycouch booking had been cancelled at check-in a few weeks prior on her flight up from Auckland to New York.
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booking → chat → York
This can happen due to operational issues if Air New Zealand has to swap a plane out for one of the few in its fleet that doesn’t feature Skycouches.
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that → happen → Skycouches
A refund is issued to affected passengers.
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refund → issue → passengers
It ain’t business class, but being able to get flat is the next best thing.
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being → ai → ?
The writer paid for her economy fare and was upgraded to Skycouch courtesy of Air New Zealand.
*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org
**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.
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Fares → pay → change
The Aporia
