Air New Zealand B787 Business Class Review

New Business Premier seats are now flying across most of Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787-9 fleet, with only a couple of aircraft left to retrofit at the time of writing. This is fabulous news for the Kiwi carrier, which has long been stuck with one of the worst business class seats in the sky.

But while the new Air New Zealand business class is a huge improvement, being better than the old seat isn't the same as being good. Up against other airlines, Air NZ's business class is still catching up rather than leading.

Booking Air New Zealand Business Class

I put the new cabin to the test on a recent flight from Brisbane to Auckland, where Flight Hacks was heading to check out Air New Zealand's Skynest bunk beds. Air NZ provided an economy ticket, and we paid to upgrade to business class.

The only two seats left happened to be in Business Premier Luxe, at an extra $210 to select. Knowing I would end up in one anyway, I skipped seat selection and was assigned a Luxe seat for free at check-in.

Business Premier Luxe is Air New Zealand's take on the premium front-row seat, an idea a handful of other airlines have also started selling in business class. It adds a closing privacy door and a companion seat for dining together. Beyond that, it's much the same as a standard seat, which makes "Luxe" an odd choice of name.

Brisbane Ground Experience & Lounge

Check-in for Air New Zealand in Brisbane is fully self-service, and that includes business class. Staff wander around to help if you get stuck, and the one upside is that there was zero wait.

But I'm still firmly against self check-in for premium cabins. It's nice to have as an option, but when you arrive to a sea of kiosks and two staff, passengers feel like an inconvenience. It's about as premium as scanning your groceries at Woolworths, and a poor first impression of Air New Zealand.

Brisbane Koru Lounge

The design is similar to other Air New Zealand lounges, with a good variety of seating. That’s if you can find a spot, which proved a challenge during my visit. Perhaps the most prized seats sit towards the end of the mezzanine, overlooking the glass-walled terminal and the runway beyond.

After a look at the forgettable buffet, and a quick barista coffee, I left to wander the terminal and catch a few planes before boarding.

Business Class Seat

The cabin looks clean and modern, but perhaps a tad too clinical. Take away the purple mood lighting, and you could be sitting in a very nice dentist's surgery.

Air New Zealand is the launch customer for the Safran Visa seat, which, like its predecessor, faces the aisle. It's not a dealbreaker, but window passengers will need to twist around to see out.

The seat itself is comfortable, both upright and fully flat. Storage is generous too, with a lidded cubby by your waist, space in front for a medium bag, and a further closing compartment on the console.

Charging is well covered, with a universal outlet, USB-A and USB-C. There's also a wireless charging pad on the armrest, but because it's a flat and slippery surface, it is challenging to use.

Business Premier Luxe

For the $210 upcharge, Luxe gets you a closing door, extra floor space and a companion seat. The best of these is the space: in bed mode, the extra width makes it easy to stretch out and roll over.

The door is the next most useful perk, though it comes with a bizarre emergency procedure. Before takeoff, the crew told each Luxe passenger that if the door jams, they'll need to open the privacy divider and climb over the waist-high console.

The screen is actually worse than in a standard seat. It's the same 24 inches, but in the larger suite it feels smaller and further away. It's also set at a slightly different angle to the seat, which is one of those things you can't unsee once you've noticed it.

Because of the herringbone orientation, my seat faced directly towards the toilet, so everyone leaving the bathroom looked straight in.

Finally, my seat clearly hadn't been cleaned, and even had a shoe print left on the leather. Why anyone would stand there, let alone on one foot, is beyond me. Perhaps they had to change a lightbulb.

Entertainment & WiFi

The entertainment library has a solid range of movies and TV shows, easily enough to fill a quick flight across the Tasman or beyond. Like any modern plane, Bluetooth audio is a standout feature, meaning you can pair your own high-quality headphones.

WiFi is free, which is great, but it simply didn't work. My connection wasn't even strong enough to load the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, let alone stream or scroll social media. In the age of Starlink, giving a plane a nose-to-tail makeover without installing real high-speed internet feels like a real missed opportunity.

Business Class Dining

After takeoff, I enjoyed the Gold Blush seasonal signature cocktail, before the meal service opened with a cheese crouton amuse-bouche.

My starter of choice was the wild venison, which also happened to be my highlight of the meal. It was tender, full of flavour and nicely balanced by the beetroot. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.

The kūmara and horopito ravioli arrived mushy, cold and bland, a triple threat of disappointment. The Black Forest sundae was merely average, which was almost a relief.

At least the drinks list did not disappoint, leaning heavily on New Zealand local pours, plus the Champagne on offer which was Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée.

Air New Zealand Crew & Service

If there's one area where Air New Zealand consistently delivers, it's the crew. From boarding to landing, service was warm, attentive and genuinely friendly, with that relaxed Kiwi hospitality the airline is known for. I could complain that the meal service was on the slow side, but this only ended up making the 3-hour flight blow by. By the time it wrapped up, there was only 30 minutes until landing.

Summing Up: Air New Zealand 787 Business Class

Air New Zealand's new business class is a huge improvement on the seat it replaces. The bed is comfortable, there's plenty of storage and charging, and the crew remain the airline's biggest asset.

But it's not quite the leap forward I'd hoped for. The seats still face the aisle, which limits privacy (and in my case meant a view of the toilet), and the colour palette is more sterile than special. Add in a lacklustre airport experience, WiFi that struggled to connect, and a meal that didn't live up to its starter, and the overall experience fell a little short of expectations.

As for Business Premier Luxe, I wouldn't pay the $210 upcharge on a short hop across the Tasman. The extra space isn't much use on a flight where you won't sleep, though it's easier to justify on long-haul.

So, Air New Zealand has finally caught up. Now it just needs to find a way to lead.