Air New Zealand

Retrofit 787s

Air New Zealand revealed the first of its 14 Dreamliners to eventually feature the retrofit at a special preview event on Monday in Auckland, where the refreshed plane is undergoing final testing before its inaugural flight to Brisbane 19 May 2025.

Following its maiden journey on the same day, the jet will make its long-haul debut on a flight from Auckland to San Francisco. 

Other routes to feature the retrofitted aircraft, seven of which are due for completion in 2025, are Auckland-Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and Auckland-Vancouver (Canada), with more routes to be rolled out after that.

With the second of the carrier’s retrofitted 787s underway in Singapore, Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran hailed the launch as a truly special moment for the future of the airline, which celebrates its 85th anniversary

This aircraft spent 184 days in Singapore being retrofitted, the result of several years of extensive research, innovation, and design by our team to deliver a world-class onboard experience,” he said.

“This is the first ever full nose-to-tail retrofit of a 787-9 Dreamliner and marks the introduction of our first new onboard product in over 15 years. 

“We’ve completely reimagined the experience of flying with Air New Zealand, incorporating elegant design elements, innovative Kiwi touches, and features informed by feedback from thousands of customers.”

Among those features are new seating designs, cutting-edge inflight entertainment systems featuring larger 4K HD screens with Bluetooth pairing, and smart storage solutions. 

Business Premier

More Privacy

The eight Boeing 787-9s arriving from 2026 and retrofitted current 787-9 fleet will have either eight or four Business Premier Luxe seats and 34 or 22 Business Premier seats.

The layout, angle of the seat, features and configuration are specifically designed for a 787 aircraft, rather than a compromise between two aircraft types. And for those who are travelling together, if you’re seated in the middle row, you’ll be able to open a sliding door to share your nest with your neighbour.

Doors vs no doors
We found that with the right configuration and layout, we could achieve the level of privacy our Business Premier travellers wanted without doors. It’s a huge weight saving, so it’s fantastic to be able to meet customer needs while flying more sustainably. The Business Premier Luxe seats have more space for a shared environment, making it more open, so we’ve added doors to these suites to mitigate that extra openness.

How roomy are we talking?
The seats will be a roomy 52cm wide, with a bed length of 204cm – about the same length as a standard queen-sized mattress. The space in the Luxe seat opens up in front of the passenger without the constraint of the seat in front. The Business Premier seat has the same width and length, but tapers down to 21.5cm at its narrowest point at the customer’s feet.

Business Premier™

Premium seat
Create a private personal space with a privacy screen, relax into an active backrest, set your armrest with variable positioning options and experience a headrest with 3” adjustment.

Lie-flat bed
Your premium seat easily transforms into a luxurious 2-metre (80”) lie-flat bed complete with mattress, pillows and cosy duvet for optimal comfort and deeper relaxation throughout your journey

Stay connected
All Business Premier seats have in-seat AC power with universal plug, USB A and USBC connectivity, wireless mobile charging point and free in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity so you can stay connected in the air.

Be entertained
Immerse yourself in a range of In-Flight Entertainment options. Use our premium noise reducing headphones or connect your own via Bluetooth. Whether you’re watching a movie on our 24-inch HD entertainment screen or enjoying a good book with your personal reading light, every moment is tailored for your enjoyment.

Buiness Premier LUX

A Little More Luxury

Enjoy all the benefits of Business Premier, with a little more luxury.

Business Premier Luxe will be introduced on our first Retrofit 787-9 aircraft – On sale from 7th May 2025

The seat: Business Premier Luxe is a new paid ‘Seat Select’ option issued as an ancillary product via an EMD

Location: There are 4 Business Premier Luxe seats, located in the front-row of Business Premier cabin

The offering: Business Premier Luxe offers customers more space to make their own, with sliding privacy doors, larger bed and table & a guest seat for companion travel

While the core features of the Business Premier seat and the Business Premier Luxe suite are identical, the Business Premier Luxe suite boasts the following additions:

  • A fully private suite, accomplished by two sliding partitions
  • Additional space for you to stretch out
  • A ‘buddy seat’ where a companion can sit and share a meal, a glass of wine or a game of cards
  • A larger meal table, also made with companion dining in mind
  • Soft product such as a Merino wool ‘throw’

Extra space, a sliding privacy screen and a guest seat means there’s more ways to make this space your own. Stretch out or curl up. Dine alone or share a meal. Plug in or unplug. Shut out or welcome in. No matter what you decide, you’ll experience our signature warmth every step of the way.

Premium Economy Class

Fixed Seat

A whole new level of hospitality. A dedicated cabin for our Premium Economy experience means you can expect our personalised service and genuine care, every step of the way.

We’ve worked hard to deliver a seat that doesn’t impact a traveller’s personal space. The outer part of the Premium Economy seat remains fixed, ensuring your seat doesn’t recline into the person behind you. While the inner part moves to give a Premium Economy seat pitch that is one of the largest in the industry.

The seat has improved privacy through the side wings and protected space, along with improved stowage for personal items.

Premium service – Less conventional for more care
Full of charm and personality, the premium experience starts well before you board your aircraft. You’ll have premium check-in and bag drop, worldclass Kiwi hospitality, and dedicated cabin crew.

Aotearoa on a plate – We love to share our fresh flavours
A menu of delicious dishes showcasing Kiwi cuisine at its most fresh and colourful. Enjoy an exclusive selection of New Zealand wines onboard.

Our gift from home – Our spin on the classic amenities kit
Our amenity kit is a gift from home. Inside you’ll find therapeutic skincare products by Aotea, crafted in New Zealand from native flora inspired by traditional Māori methods

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Economy Class

More Storage

With thoughtful storage so you can have things at the ready while keeping your space clear and tidy. Enjoy a premium leather headrest, pillow and a delightfully comfy blanket.

More stowage

Thoughtfully enhanced personal stowage includes amenity stowage for small personal items.

Work, play or enjoy a meal
Your bi-fold tray enables you to partially deploy to rest a book, beverage or personal electronic device, or deploy in full to enjoy a meal or laptop time.

Travel in comfort
Enjoy an ergonomically optimised seat with sculpted cushions for extra comfort.

Stay connected
All Economy seats have USB A and USB C connectivity and free in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity.

Be entertained
Enjoy a range of In-Flight Entertainment options on a 13.3-inch HD entertainment screen. Watch in comfort and link your own device as a remote IFE handset or adjust your personal reading light to enjoy a magazine or novel.

Comfort, entertainment and great cuisine – arrive fresh with Economy.

  • Seats are 17.2” wide, with a pitch of 31-33” and 5” recline
  • Includes inflight meals and entertainment on long haul flights (Meal is only included on short haul flights for the works and above customers)
  • Preferred seats, Exit Row and Bassinet Seats are available for purchase

Economy Stretch

Extra Comfort

Economy Stretch is Air New Zealand’s new, more spacious Economy cabin experience, offering more legroom and greater pitch than a standard Economy seat, providing extra comfort on our flights. This product can also be purchased as Legroom on our Short Haul Seats to Suit routes. 

Economy Stretch is available on all of our 777-300 and retrofit 787-9 aircraft.

Extra legroom
Customers will enjoy up to 39% more legroom, compared to our standard Economy seats, with a roomy 35″ seat pitch.

Complimentary extras
Along with the extra legroom, customers will enjoy a pillow and premium headset.

Seats will also have a branded headrest cover to differentiate from our standard seats.

Economy Skycouch

Ideal For Families

Economy Skycouch™

A great option for families, couples and those just wanting a bit of extra personal space. Available on our 787-9 and 777-300* fleet.

  • Can be used as a row of three seats or a flat flexible space
  • The couch space measures 5’1” long. The seats are 17.2” wide, with a 33” pitch and a 5” recline
  • Customers are provided with a special underlay, two large pillows and a polar fleece blanket
  • Each seat has a leg rest independently adjustable to two positions: 60 and 90 degrees
  • Multi configurable seatbelts for use in-flight
  • 9” HD capacitive touch screen, shared in-seat power and a USB connection 

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