Flight Review: What’s Air New Zealand’s trans-Pacific offering like?

Recently, one of our editors had the chance to fly on Air New Zealand trans-pacific, between Auckland and Houston onboard a Boeing 777. What was the flight like? Keep reading to find out.

Details:

Flight number: NZ 28

Route: Auckland International Airport (NZAA/AKL) to Houston, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH/IAH)

Flight Time: 13 hours 2 minutes

Aircraft: ZK-OKO | Boeing 777-300ER

The view from my seat in the Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

Departure airport experience:

When checking in for my flight there was an issue with the self service kiosk I was using but the kind Air New Zealand crew were quick and helpful when correcting the error.

I have often heard that clearing security when departing Auckland is always a pain and takes a long time however this was the opposite of my experience. Despite departing at a peak time, around 5 PM, international security was fast and only took just over five minutes, plus all the staff that I interacted with were helpful and kind.

After arriving in the departure hall, I had plenty of time to roam the many new duty-free stores and have something to eat at a restaurant with a great view of the busy ramp.

My flight was scheduled to depart at 7:45 PM from gate 6 of the main international pier. And at 7:20, the flight began boarding on time. Again, the staff were all super nice and worked efficiently. After getting on board the aircraft, we were informed that there would be a short delay and after fifteen minutes we pushed back and took off.

A view of the wing of the Boeing 777 after departure from Auckland | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

Seat:

My seat for the flight was 44K, a window seat just rear of the wing in the Economy cabin. On select flights, the row I was seated in can convert into Air New Zealand’s signature Economy Skycouch for an extra charge, however, I did not take this up for my flight to Houston. Air New Zealand’s Economy seats have a seat pitch between 78 and 88 centimeters depending on where in the cabin you are seated and all seats have a recline of 12 centimeters.

My seat was soft, comfortable and came equipped with an adjustable headrest. When I arrived at my seat, there was a small pillow and blanket on my seat. The pillow was very soft and the blanket was warm and large enough to cover my entire body.

As my flight was overnight, I tried to sleep and managed to get roughly 8 hours of shut-eye before waking up shortly before flying over the mainland US.

Inflight entertainment:

The inflight entertainment on my flight was good and plenty of options for movies and songs to choose from. Although most of the songs loaded into the system were quite old and lacks newer songs and artists. There were a lot of both films and TV shows available across many genres which made finding a movie I liked easy. Using the inflight entertainment screen, passengers are also able to request items from the crew such as chips, biscuits, drinks, and amenities.

The two meals I received on the flight | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

Food & Drinks:

During the flight, passengers received two meals, dinner just after departure and breakfast in the morning about 2.5 hours ahead of our arrival.

For dinner, there were two options, chicken or beef. When offered I chose the beef meal, which included beef with gravy and vegetables as the main meal, a small rice salad, a warm bread roll, cheese and crackers, and a cup of vanilla Kāpiti ice cream. The dinner was served just over an hour after departure from Auckland. The main part meal was warm and the beef tasted good although the vegetables were tasteless. My ice cream was even still cold when I got around to enjoying it. Overall, the meal was tasty, enjoyable, and well-sized for an economy meal.

After sleeping through most of the flight over the Pacific Ocean passengers were served breakfast. I chose to have the pancakes breakfast, which included pancakes with passionfruit curd and vanilla syrup, a fruit salad and a cup of strawberry Fresh ’n Fruity yogurt. The pancakes were warm and prepared well, and the curd and syrups were tasty. The fruit salad also tasted suprisingly fresh and pleasant. In general, I really enjoyed the breakfast on this flight.

My view of the Boeing 777-300ER’s wing moments before landing | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

Arrival airport experience:

After the thirteen-hour flight, we touched down in Houston seven minutes ahead of schedule and taxied to our gate in Terminal D before disembarking perfectly on time at 2:10 PM in the afternoon.

Clearing customs in the US always take a while unfortunately, although after about 40 minutes of waiting in queue, I was officially in the United States and made my way to the baggage belt which already had the bags of my flight doing laps around the baggage belt.

Final verdict & cost:

Overall, the service on this trip was incredible. Between the helpful ground staff and kind, friendly cabin crew, it’s hard to think of something the crew did unsatisfactorily. Both the departure and arrival airports were easy to navigate and clean and tidy. The two meals I received on the flight were both great and I’d happily enjoy them again on a future flight. The Inflight entertainment was also good and I’d say it’s one of the better IFE systems operating in Oceania.

My flight cost $600 NZD and was booked roughly 2 and a half weeks in advance. The ticket I purchased was Air New Zealand’s Seat and Bag option and included both a carry-on and checked bag. I feel this price was adequate but potentially a little too pricey, however, this is likely due to the last minute nature of my booking.

In the end, if I ever get the chance, I’d absolutely fly on Air New Zealand trans-Pacific again after my great experience on this flight and I recommend the airline as a great option for crossing the pacific from New Zealand.