Air New Zealand (Premium) Economy 787-9 Christchurch to Auckland

I decided to split my time in New Zealand between the South and North Island. I enjoyed my time in Christchurch, though three nights were more than enough. Luckily, I had the chance to experience the countryside, which was amazing!

I bought a ticket on Air New Zealand from Christchurch to Auckland. The fare was relatively cheap — it cost me 83 NZD, roughly around 55 USD. It was a “basic economy” fare, but with my Star Alliance Gold status, I was entitled to an additional cabin bag and reserved seat in advance. What even better was the flight was operated by a Boeing Dreamliner. Since they didn’t sell business class seats, I was able to snag a premium economy seat for free, and those who are willing to pay extra get to select a business class seat.

In this series:

• Introduction: New Year 2020 In The South Pacific
• Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Los Angeles to Istanbul
• Turkish Airlines Business Class 777-300ER Istanbul to Manila
• Malaysia Airlines Business Class 737-800 Manila to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur
• Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge Satellite Terminal – Kuala Lumpur Airport (KUL)
• Jewel Changi Airport
• Qantas International First Lounge – Singapore Changi (SIN)
• Qantas First Class A380 Singapore to Melbourne
• Qantas International First Lounge – Melbourne (MEL)
• Qantas Business Class 737-800 Melbourne to Christchurch
• Doubletree Chateau on the Park – Christchurch, New Zealand
• Christchurch Botanic Gardens and Tour Around the City
• Getting Lost in the Countryside: Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
• Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge – Christchurch (CHC)
• Air New Zealand (Premium) Economy 787-9 Christchurch to Auckland
• My First Impression of Auckland, New Zealand
• Adina Apartment Hotel Auckland Britomart, New Zealand
• The North Island Must Do: Hobbiton and Rotorua
• Fiji Airways Business Class A350-900XWB Auckland to Nadi
• Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa – Nadi, Fiji
• Fiji Airways Business Class A330-200 Nadi to Singapore
• Malaysia Airlines Business Class 737-800 Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
• Malindo Air Business Class 737-900 Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu
• Shopping Spree in Thamel – Kathmandu, Nepal
• Cathay Dragon Business Class A330-300 Kathmandu to Hong Kong
• 16-Hour Delay on my American Airlines, with a Happy Ending
• Cathay Pacific First Class 777-300ER Hong Kong to Los Angeles
• Fin: Final Flights and My Closure with American Airlines – It was Good While It Lasted

As I mentioned in my previous post, the check-in agent wasn’t particularly friendly and knowledgeable about elite benefits. She persisted that I wouldn’t be allowed to bring two cabin bags without paying for a checked bag. Sometimes it puzzles me when a customer knows more about the airline policy than the airline staff themselves. She finally just shrugged her shoulders and stopped arguing.

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After visiting the impressive Air New Zealand Domestic Lounge, I headed downstairs and walked to the gate. Though boarded had not started so I had to wait for a couple more minutes.

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Flight Number: NZ594
Route: Christchurch (CHC) – Auckland (AKL)
Schedule: 11:30 – 12:55
Duration: 1h 25m
Aircraft Type: Boeing 787-9
Cabin: (Premium) Economy
Seat: 25A
Date: January 01, 2020

Moments later, boarding started. We boarded the aircraft through door 2L and were greeted by a friendly flight attendant.

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Waiting at my seat was a plush pillow, which was impressive, considering it was a relatively short domestic flight.

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Air New Zealand premium economy cabin has the typical 2-4-2 configuration with a decent seat recline and footrest.

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Once boarding completed, the main door closed. We pushed back, taxied to the runway and started rolling down the runway in no time.

I wasn’t sure if its the weather or just the window, but when I looked outside, it seemed pretty hazy.

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On this short flight, there wasn’t any meal service, except a cookie and water — there wasn’t even an option for sodas, tea or coffee.

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The flight was pretty uneventful. Though for some reason, we cruised at a very high altitude — 41,000 feet!

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Also, please note that Wi-Fi on this flight was free.

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While still in the air, I also checked out the lavatory, which was pretty standard.

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On the descent, I looked out of my window and noticed what appeared to Mount Taranaki — very cool!

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We touched down 7 minutes ahead of schedule and parked at a remote stand. What I really love about parking at a remote stand is that you get to deplane using stairs — you get a close-up view of the plane! I guess that just my inner aviation geek. 😉

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We then got on the bus and headed to the terminal.

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Once you exited a small baggage claim, there was a kiosk where you can get a bus ticket to the city. I would highly recommend taking the SkyBus because it was pretty easy and straightforward. It only cost 35 NZD for round-trip fare, which took about 45 minutes to get to Auckland city center.

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Conclusion

Air New Zealand domestic flight was a limited-service product, meaning it takes you where you need to be without providing full service. I think it was still an excellent option considering the fare wasn’t that expensive, and I still had access to the domestic lounge in Christchurch. The service was good, but nothing to brag about. All in all, it was a nice flight. I would fly with them again over the low-cost competitors.