Air NZ to reinstate business class frills

By CHRIS DANIELS, aviation writer


Air New Zealand is bringing back hot meals to its "Tasman Express" service, in a bid to win back business travellers turned off by its budget-style service.

It is the second time in a month that the airline has reinstated frills to its business-class service, after an earlier backlash brought the return of china and cutlery to its planes.

From next Monday, the airline will again offer business-class passengers a "pre-takeoff drink, an appetiser, a hot meal choice from a selection of meals, a bakery item with the main meal, a more comprehensive dessert, a Kapiti cheese selection and a full bar service".

The airline, proud of a successful change last year to its domestic operations, has realised that it pushed the "no-frills" approach too far for transtasman business-class travellers.

Airline spokesman Mark Street said customer feedback had prompted the airline to move back to business-class hot meals.



Planes flying the Tasman routes, including the airline's new Airbus A320 aircraft, would not have to be re-configured to allow a return to hot meals, he said.

The cost of reintroducing the meals was "not insignificant" and business-class fares would be reviewed in the new year.

Mr Street said that despite these latest changes to business class, Tasman Express was going well, with good bookings for the Christmas period.

David Burns, the general manager of Flight Centre's corporate travel division, said competitive pressures had forced the airline to bring back hot meals.

Many firms were for the first time looking outside Air NZ for business travel, despite the attraction of its air-points system and better frequency.

Mr Burns said corporate travellers were prepared to pay more for better service, especially on flights of more than two hours.

Day-trips to Australia meant a long day for business travellers, and many looked forward to a good meal and glass of wine on the way home.

These travellers were now being tempted with premium-class service on airlines such as Dubai-based Emirates, now the third-biggest carrier on the Tasman route.

Emirates last week unveiled its new Airbus A340-500 aircraft, which flies between Dubai, Sydney and Auckland, and which offers premium first- and business-class food and wine.

Air NZ's cheap-fare, "cafe-style food" service introduced on October 29 was not well received by business travellers. One multinational technology company has instructed its agents to book staff on any airline but Air NZ for transtasman travel.

The chief executive of a top-10 company has also ordered staff to stop flying Air New Zealand.