Air New Zealand is reinvigorating Business Class service across their 787 Dreamliner fleet, providing the best sleep in the sky and giving passengers more choice than ever before.
After 2,570 hours of customer research and 170,000 design hours, Air NZ have developed a new home away from home that satisfies the most in demand needs - rest, sleep, privacy and space. With a new design from French based multinational Safran Seats, new Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe Suites will be fitted across the entire Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet across 2024 - 2026 with a fleet of Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner to be delivered soon. The airline's fleet of Boeing 777’s will be retired within the coming years.
The standard layout on short to medium range routes will include 22 Business Premier seats in one cabin with a front row of 4 Business Premier Luxe Suites. The new Boeing 787-10’s will focus on US routes such as New York and Chicago with 42 Business Premier Seats across 2 cabins with both front rows containing 4 Business Premier Luxe Suites, for a total of 8.
Business Premier Luxe
For passengers looking for the ultimate space and privacy in the sky, the Business Premier Luxe Suite is the pinnacle of luxury with a sliding partition to achieve a fully private space, an additional seat where a fellow passenger can join you for a meal on the large table, additional space to stretch out and a soft Merino wool throw. While maintaining all the core elements of Business Premier, Air NZ turns Premier Luxe into an even more premium experience.
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This suite will be priced at a premium and the extra space and luxury will make it worth the while. Air NZ has not yet revealed the price passengers need to pay for this luxury,
Business Premier
The Business Premier seats are being called by Air NZ ‘a comfortable and private nest for a blissful journey and tranquil sleep’. The seats offer a degree of privacy with a mini door that closes above the side table and shielding the aisle without fully enclosing the space. The middle row allows customers to open their nest and share the experience with a fellow passenger.
Both Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe will feature a bed slightly longer than the current Business Class seat, which will be 20.5” wide and turn into an 80.25” flat bed. Additionally it will feature a memory foam mattress and feather pillow along with a seat capable of reclining during taxi, take-off and landing. The standard features include extensive storage in cabinets, shelves and pockets, USB and AC power outlets, 24” personal video screen, and bluetooth audio.
While the current Business Class seats, first introduced in 2005, are now outdated, it’s interesting to see Air NZ still didn’t provide the Business Premier seats with a fully closed option, particularly when their focus has been on rest and privacy.
The cabin overhaul and redesign allows the seat configuration to grow from a 1-1-1 layout to 1-2-1, increasing business class seats from 27 to 50 on some 787’s. The layout also still remains as herringbone giving easier aisle access but limiting privacy and window views. The introduction of the Business Premier Luxe suites is a creative option of utilising the bulkhead space and finding a way to monetize as a separate product. It will be interesting to see how the suites are priced and whether they can be booked outright as a separate class, or as a seat upgrade option from a Business Premier seat.
The Flat Beds team are looking forward to booking this exciting new service on an Air New Zealand Business Class Airfare when they are released.