Air New Zealand Business Premier Review: Kiwi Hospitality Meets a Cabin in Transition
Air New Zealand’s Business Premier is one of those products that will really feel very different. On one flight you might find the airline’s long-standing herringbone seat. It has a design that was quite an innovation when it launched. Still, now it looks decidedly dated alongside today’s private suites.
On another, you could be stepping into a newly refitted Boeing 787-9. It has a modern Safran seat offering better sleeping comfort and even a door-equipped Business Premier Luxe suite.
This makes the Business Class experience just a bit more complicated, but also more interesting.
Though the seat itself is changing, the things Air New Zealand does best stay remarkably constant. Consider that warm Kiwi hospitality, excellent food, generous wine pours, thoughtful local amenities, and a very strong flagship lounge in Auckland.
Here’s what you should expect from the whole Business Premier journey.
Airport Experience and Lounges
Business Premier passengers have priority check-in, expedited security at airports where available, priority boarding, and entry to Air New Zealand or partner lounges.
The experience really shines in Auckland, where the main international lounge frequently receives high praise. The reason is its comfy seating, runway views, attractive design, and a wide variety of food and beverages.
The buffet offers both hot and cold items, while the self-service bars showcase a truly impressive array of New Zealand wines.
One of the standout features is the artisan coffee bar. Passengers can order a barista-made coffee from their phone and collect it themselves when it’s ready, thus avoiding the usual lineup.
The lounge also offers large shower suites, office spaces, and an uncommon outdoor veranda where travelers can breathe fresh air before an extended flight.
Other Air New Zealand lounges in Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne, San Francisco, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Nadi pretty much stick to this plan. Expect showers, food, barista coffee, self-service beverages and very comfortable seats.
It’s not the case, though, that the catering will blow away all travelers. A few reviews mention that the food seems pretty much the same or doesn’t inspire. And one passenger was even known to bring a McDonald’s into the lounge. Nonetheless, the whole experience at Auckland is definitely better than lots of your average Business Class lounges.
When at airports without an Air New Zealand facility, passengers use partner lounges instead. These are generally fairly comfortable though rather less unique, providing quieter areas, buffets and essential office equipment.
The Seat Depends on Your Aircraft
This is really key to know before making a reservation.
Air New Zealand is right now shifting between two generations of Business Premier seats – and the difference is quite noticeable.
The older product may be seen on Boeing 777s and unrefurbished 787-9s, utilizing a 1-1-1 herringbone configuration. Every single passenger will have immediate access to the aisle. But the seats themselves point towards the cabin rather than outwards towards the windows.
The seat is approximately 22 inches wide and converts into a bed roughly 6 feet 6 inches long. As opposed to simply reclining into bed mode, the seat back actually folds forward to expose the mattress underneath.
This results in an actual flat, comfortable sleeping surface featuring a memory-foam layer, a duvet, and two pillows. Nevertheless, changing the seat could be somewhat fiddly, and the narrow footwell might feel rather restrictive for taller passengers.
The new Business Premier seat located on refurbished 787-9s is clearly a step up.
Air New Zealand is, in fact, the first customer for a brand-new Safran Visa-based design arranged in a 1-2-1 herringbone pattern. Each and every seat still retains direct aisle access, although the bed is roughly 6 feet 8 inches long.
What’s most important here is that it instantly converts into a flat bed by merely pushing a button. There’s zero need to get up and manually flip the seat – a move that makes the whole experience ever so much easier if you’re feeling rather exhausted.
Newer Business Premier seats have a slightly narrower base area, measuring about 20.5 inches, though improvements in design and better use of space make it appear even more contemporary.
Standard Business Premier seats come with a small sliding partition rather than a complete door.
If one wants a bit more seclusion, the first four Business Premier Luxe suites feature closing doors, extra space, and an extra-large ottoman with a separate seatbelt, too.
So that means your partner could join you for dinner, making Luxe really the best option for couples.
New Zealand Food and Wine Take Center Stage
Onboard dining is really where Air New Zealand shines most often.
Business Premier meals will focus heavily on the flavors and ingredients of New Zealand itself, with full table service and two main meal services on many long-distance routes.
Dinner might start with an amuse-bouche like smoked salmon with chive crème fraîche, then be followed by fresh bread served with olive oil from Hawke’s Bay. The main courses quite often feature lamb, beef, seafood, seasonal vegetables or modern interpretations of dishes popular locally.
Presentation is perfect without being overly stuffy itself. And the cabin crew’s easy-going style really makes the meal feel super inviting rather than a ceremony itself.
Wine is another real standout feature. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is naturally very well represented right alongside Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, sparkling wines, beer, spirits, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options too.
Your pours are usually quite generous themselves, and some flights even offer Laurent-Perrier champagne. For those getting ready for bed, Air New Zealand offers a sleep ritual that might include calming tea, sleep balm and a very relaxing drink mix.
Service can sometimes be a bit patchy, especially during those super-busy breakfast periods, but the food, wine and genuinely friendly crew remain the heart of the whole experience.
Entertainment 
The entertainment system has films, TV programs, music, and audio content coupled with active noise-canceling headsets.
On older aircraft, an 11-inch screen looks quite small compared with the newer business-class offerings on modern planes. The system itself can be managed via a touchscreen or a handheld controller. And on some versions, passengers can order refreshments or even control the cabin lighting using the screen.
But new Business Premier seats have great screens and provide noise-canceling headphones.
Reviews of the content library are somewhat divided. Some travelers discover more than enough films and series for even the very longest flights. Others think that the selection contains far too much locally produced material and not nearly enough of the latest international releases.
It works beautifully, but it’s not the most advanced entertainment experience up there in the skies.
Amenities with a Strong Local Identity
Air New Zealand’s amenity kits highlight local ingredients and craftsmanship.
Many feature skincare made by Aotea, a New Zealand company inspired by native plants and traditional Māori knowledge. Products might include soothing balm, hand- and body cream, and hydrating lip care.
Typical kits will also have socks, earplugs, a dental kit and a pen. Contents vary by route and time frame, and some passengers have said that an eye mask isn’t always included.
The newest Luxe kits really do feel more premium – with sustainable materials, wooden accessories and magnetic closures. The cabin itself also takes its inspiration from the colors and feathers of New Zealand’s Tui bird.
The Bottom Line
Air New Zealand’s Business Premier is a business class experience driven much more by service than by spectacle.
The older herringbone seat is still quite comfortable for sleeping itself but will feel out of date. The new Safran seat and door-equipped Luxe suites really do bring the cabin nearer to those of its modern competitors for the first time.
What remains consistently strong is the amiable crew, New Zealand-inspired cuisine, excellent wines, quality bed linens and an impressive Auckland lounge.
Travelers who book through Simply Business Class (SBC) may also discover some top Air New Zealand fares at savings of up to 50%, all dependent upon the route and availability.
The seat may vary with each plane, but there’s always that easy-going Kiwi hospitality on every single flight.
