Former Air NZ executive Cam Wallace, left, who is now Qantas International head wearing the special PJs with Qantas boss Alan Joyce. Photo / Grant Bradley
Competition on one of the longest routes in the world has started with the arrival in New York of Qantas flight QF3 non-stop from Auckland.
The Australian airline today started flying three times a week (four from late October) in direct competition to the three flights a week that Air New Zealand has been operating since last September. The fifth longest non-stop flight in the world it is a new battleground between two ‘’frenemy’' airlines which co-operate on each other’s domestic operations but compete fiercely on international routes, mainly across the Tasman.
Because the inaugural flight was a special one, some parts of it were different to regular ones. There was a band at Auckland Airport and aboard were VIPs including Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and newly appointed head of Qantas International Cam Wallace, a former Air NZ revenue boss whose appointment to the prestigious post will pit him directly against his old workmates of 20 years.
Other senior airline executives were on the flight along with journalists from NZ, Australia and the United States. The Qantas events team has a reputation for not holding back to celebrate new flights and this was a big production at departure and arrival. But for future flights the hard product (seats and cabin) will be the same for future flights as will the service delivery on board, and food.
Pre-flight
The Qantas app is like many other airlines - much improved if you haven’t flown with them since before the pandemic. Intuitive and stacked with information. Get to know it well in advance to check what’s available on the the entertainment system or book an Uber on arrival. It will be upgraded further as the airline’s Project Sunrise flights (linking Australia’s eastern cities directly with London, Paris or New York) with more health and nutrition information.
The airport experience
Business class passengers have a dedicated check-in at Auckland Airport. For the inaugural, the New York flight had a VIP lane with a pretzel stand which is unlikely to be there for future flights. It’s a 4.30 departure and a good time to pass through AKL with security and immigration processing a breeze.
The Lounge
Business Class entitles you to the Qantas lounge which to the delight of many frequent users is about to undergo a major upgrade, as part of a A$100 million (NZ$110m) lounge programme around its network.
The work in Auckland will start soon and be completed mid-next year with the floor area expanding 40 per cent and seating increasing from 244 to 340. It’s a sign of renewed interest in the New Zealand market by Qantas which will be flying above pre-Covid capacity across the Tasman by late October and looking at new routes, using new aircraft being added to its fleet at the rate of one every three weeks during the next three years.
The exisiting lounge has a fair range of light food and a good selection of beverages, and has showers.
The plane
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was three years old - but has barely been used. The plane was a victim of the pandemic, mothballed in the Californian desert since early 2020 and delivered to Qantas in May. Named Billabong, the 236-seat aircraft was as brand new. Qantas now has 13 of these planes in its fleet, after taking delivery of its first one in October 2017. It is buying specially configured Airbus A350-1000s for its Project Sunrise flights.
The Business Class cabin
The interior was created by industrial designer David Caon and has a clean look with off-bronze seat shells, charcoal grey seat upholstery and sophisticated lighting around the seats and from the ceiling. This is a grown-up space. There are 42 Business Class seats divided into two cabins, the rear one behind the galley with 12 seats. The larger cabin naturally has a more spacious feel. Lighting changes throughout the flight. You have access to three toilets that were kept spotless throughout the flight and are stocked with Li’Tya soap and hand cream.
The seats
In Business Class, this is where the Qantas plane has a big advantage over its Air New Zealand rival. While the Kiwi airline maintains its current herringbone layout seats, its game set and match to Qantas for ease of use, space and privacy. Qantas’ TheVantage XL seats from Thompson Aero are the latest model of what is on its A330s which fly some Tasman services.
The Dreamliner seats have a privacy screen in the middle rows. The seats are spacious, (80 inches (203cm) in length when a bed and up to 25 inches wide. The seat can be in a recline position from take-off right through to landing and you’re strapped in with a diagonal seat belt rather than the more typical lap belt. The seats are logical and easily controlled from upright to from a single panel.
The seat will even give you a gentle lumbar massage at the press of a button. From upright to fully flat takes 21 seconds. It’s a dream to drive and comes with a mattress and a duvet when time to sleep. Lights were dimmed at around 10.30pm (NZT) and most passengers nodded off. The cabin stirred at around 5.30am (NZT).
Storage
There are multiple storage options. Take time to explore them all. I was in 4A, a window seat and controls were to my left. Some travellers get fussy about such things. A USB port and universal charging three pin plug was within easy reach. The slide-out table affords plenty of space for bigger travellers and you can slip out of your seat easily enough if you need to when there’s a meal in front of you. The table is a solid platform for working on and there is plenty of bench space against the window.
Wi-Fi
For those wanting to connect to work or anywhere on Wi-Fi that’s not possible yet. Alan Joyce says the existing oceanic networks aren’t reliable enough for Qantas right now but new satellite launches will solve that and the airline will likely retrofit its Dreamliner fleet. Air NZ does have Wi-Fi. For some, 16-17 hours of being offline is torture, for others it’s bliss.
Amenities
This is where Qantas beats most others by offering pyjamas in Business Class for long haul flights. And for around the first six weeks of the New York service these are no ordinary PJs. Australian designer Rebecca Vallance was commissioned for the job and came up with a navy blue sleeper suit with New York-style influences and they’re incredibly comfortable.
Joyce led the way in changing from business mode to PJ casual, setting the tone for a relaxed and convivial cabin, mainly full of those on the inaugural assignment but with a couple of no doubt bemused passengers. Vallance also designed the bag for amenities. It contains a matching sleeping mask, Li’Tya hand cream, moisturiser and lip balm as well as a dental kit, socks and ear plugs.
Food and drink
Immediately after boarding, passengers are offered a glass of champagne (on this flight a Duval-Leroy Class des Bouveries 2006) though I stuck to a glass of still or sparkling water. The drinks trolley is usually out around 15 minutes after the seat belt sign is off but because of congestion as media interviews were happening, this was delayed by an hour or so. There is a wide variety of spirits, beer and wines which were mainly from Australia although there was a Handpicked Collection 2015 Pinot Noir from Central Otago.
Qantas head of food and beverage Narelle Kellahan was on board and told me passengers were preferring wine to spirits on flights now and since the pandemic, alcohol consumption was falling. Passengers are preferring to stay hydrated with water and that is becoming increasingly important as part of the service. Dinner comes out about 90 minutes after wheels up.
Long time Qantas food and wine guru, Australian chef Neil Perry, has designed a menu with New York influences. Think NY-style spaghetti and meatballs, Classic Reuben sandwich, seared beef fillet with creamed spinach and baked potato, pecan pie and NY-style baked cheesecake. He went for the beef as a main.
Kellahan says the big mover for passenger preferences are plant-based meals and on QF3 there was a potato and leek soup and Korean style sesame baked eggplant with stir fried green beans, jasmine rice and pickled vegetables.
Perry says good food on a plane depends on how well crew and suppliers are trained to deliver it.
‘’We have workshops of testing these menus and building them.’’
Many of the main dishes are just seared when they come on board and cabin crew, led by a galley operator, cook them to order. Kellahan says eggs come on board in big runny batches and scrambled eggs or omelettes are cooked fresh in the galley. The crew nailed the leek and mushroom egg white omelette I had - a good test of airline food.
Perry has advice to get the most out of dining at 40,000 feet:‘’Healthy eating is about eating lots of different things - you can’t eat too much of one thing. It’s about sitting back enjoying food and having a glass of wine if you want one.’’
Entertainment
There’s a 16 inch touch screen right in front of you. Qantas doesn’t swamp you with options of what to watch as Emirates or Singapore Airlines do but you’ll find something - if you have time. The flight map was good enough for me, especially considering the fascinating route. The tech is great to use.
Baggage
Generous thoughout the plane: In Economy, one piece weighing 32kg, in Premium Economy and Business, two pieces at 32kg.
The crew
Cabin crew are all New Zealand-based so there are many familiar accents and friendly faces among the 10 flight attendants who enjoy operating longer flights. They generally get longer rest times and flight attendants have two nights on the ground in New York. There were six flight attendants in Business Class for the special flight. Normally there are four. Crew dealt with panache a slightly tricky passenger manifest on the inaugural. There was lots of chatting and blocking up aisles and the two galley areas for a while but the busy flight attendants were cheerful and chatty throughout, delivering impeccable service.
The flight
Flight time was budgeted at 16h15m but favourable conditions indicated a much quicker trip before take-off although weather and airport delays were a possibility. It turned out to be a a bit of a sprint, a 15h8m flight time and 15.50 to the gate, taxi-ing held up by delayed domestic flights. But at JFK the Dreamliner got a red carpet welcome - a water canon salute to the new service by fire trucks.
The flight had headed over Rarotonga, hitting the mainland at Baja California and then up the East Coast to New York for a flight distance of 14,500km, longer than the 14,200km minimum distance. Captain Sean Golding says it will take the flight path that will use the least fuel. ‘’Because in distance it may be longer, because we’ve got better tail winds you get a better flight time.’’
It took about 80 tonnes of fuel to get there (the plane can take about 100 tonnes). Golding was the fifth pilot on board.
There are normally four but he was called in to handle media queries. The aircraft arrives at Terminal 8, where Qantas commercial partner American Airlines has its hub for easy connections throughout the US and across the Atlantic. Qantas also partners with British Airways and others which operate out of JFK for flights to Europe. New York is now a more popular stopover for Kiwis wanting to fly further.
The price
Lead-in prices for return flights from Auckland to New York started at $2,113 in Economy and $11,193 in Business Class. You’ll be lucky to find these on the website now but the advice from travel agents is to shop between the two airlines flying the route if you’re not wedded to one through loyalty programmes. Air NZ with its 3.5 million loyalty members and Qantas with 15.1 million frequent flyers will play to that market - frequent fliers (who occupy the pricey seats) generally stay loyal to accrue points but more swapping between the airlines is likely.
The bottom line
It’s great to have competition between two quality airlines on a route to such an appealing destination. Non-stop is by far the best way of getting to the Big Apple as you avoid US airport hassles along the way.
That’s a big reason Qantas ditched Los Angeles in favour of AKL as a transit point for Australian customers. Qantas and Air NZ going wingtip to wingtip to New York will mean better deals for passengers in the long term. Right now non-sale fares can be eye watering. While there’s not a lot of difference between them in Economy in terms of personal space, up front in Business it’s a clear win for Qantas for roominess, privacy and the comfort of its seat.
Grant Bradley joined the Herald in 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
-The Herald travelled to New York courtesy of Qantas
The airline sold its last slots at Heathrow in 2020.