Air New Zealand's upgrade program allows you to upgrade your seat in 3 ways. The first option is to purchase an upgrade directly through the airline's website, over the phone, or at the airport. This option allows you to choose from a variety of seats, including premium economy and business class. Another option is to bid for upgrades within a certain range. The highest bidder will be given an upgrade if it is available. Finally, if you fly with Air New Zealand often, you may be eligible for an upgrade through the airline's loyalty program.
Few people have the opportunity to visit hangars, much less Hangar 22, an Air New Zealand facility in Auckland that is so secret that it is only known and accessible to a small group of employees.
For the uninitiated: Hangar 22 is Air New Zealand's top-secret product development facility, born in 2017. To be honest, it's less of a hangar and more of an innovation lab, where new products – from airplane seats to user experiences – are conceptualized and tested. . We were told that 18 months of in-depth customer research preceded the production process.
If it's one thing Air New Zealand is known for, it's being innovative. After all, they use herringbone seats in Business class, which was a state of the art feature back in 2005. Air NZ's Business Premier is a business class seat that provides a wonderful sleeping experience, but lacks the space and privacy it has earned. expect from newer Business class products.
The airline needed a hardware upgrade to measure up to its excellent software (crew, service and food) and has spent five years of R&D on the upgrades we will see in 2024. Yahoo Singapore got a chance to visit Hangar 22 in Auckland , and experience the upgrades that can be expected from Air New Zealand.
We continue to monitor the situation using online forums, the seat inventory website and the Air New Zealand website. Given the number of Gold Elite, Gold and Silver members with recognition upgrade vouchers to redeem (their status benefits), the chance of getting another one is very low.
We received reports of Gold and Silver members not successfully redeeming award upgrades between Australia and Sydney or Melbourne, suggesting more demand for premium seats than supply even on short-haul routes.
Our view is that although the prices proposed below are fair and reasonable, the success of the bid is again limited as the recognition upgrade vouchers redeemed by Gold, Gold and Silver Elite passengers come first before anyone bids. This means that if twenty Airpoints Perak members or above wish to redeem their vouchers and there are only six spare seats, there is no chance of successful bidding again. We believe this situation (or something similar) occurs on almost every North American and Singapore long-haul route.
However, there is good news. First, according to this April 2023 RNZ article, Delta, United, American Airlines and Qantas are all launching and/or increasing service from New Zealand to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and/or New York. Second, Air New Zealand's new 787s (arriving between 2024 and 2026) will have up to fifty business class seats per aircraft. This is an increase from the 18 or 27 currently available. We hope that increased competition on North American routes and increased seats per 787 will help increase the chances of success once again.
For the best flying experience, you should try our premium cabin. If you've already booked, you can go online or go into the Air NZ app to change your seat to Premium Economy or Business Premier.
Simply go in to your booking, then:
Select the flight you want to upgrade
Select the cabin class you wish to upgrade to
Choose a seat in the new cabin
Pay the price difference
We will send you an updated booking confirmation
In addition to better seats and premium dining, you'll also enjoy additional baggage allowance, premium check-in and priority boarding.
Upgrade to a premium cabin
You can change your Economy seat to an Economy Skycouch for a very relaxing flight. Your own custom row of three seats turns into one large couch. If you are flying with your partner or children, it can be a great option.
All you need to do is update your booking online, or in the Air NZ app. If your flight has a Skycouch on board, we'll show you the available Skycouches on your flight.
On board, staff will explain and assist with the Skycouch configuration of your choice. Pillows and blankets will be provided to make the Skycouch more comfortable.
OneUp allows you to upgrade for less than the price of a full international flight ticket.
You make an offer to upgrade online, or in the Air NZ app. If you succeed, you pay the amount and enjoy your upgraded seat. If your bid is unsuccessful, you pay nothing.
Learn more about OneUp
OneUp cabin upgrades can move you to the next cabin class. So, if you book in Economy, you can make an offer to upgrade to Premium Economy. If you are in Premium Economy, you can try for Business Premier.
Just bid the amount you want to pay for each seat. If your offer is accepted, you and your friend move up in cabin class and you pay the agreed amount. If you don't get an upgrade, you don't pay a cent.
It is best to place your OneUp offer at least three days before your flight. If you are a Silver, Gold or Elite Airpoints member, we will increase the value of your offer depending on your tier level.
Make an offer for a OneUp cabin upgrade
You can also use OneUp to upgrade to Economy Skycouch. This is a great way to make traveling a lot more comfortable without breaking the bank.
Air New Zealand Airport is our frequent flyer program. The more you fly, the more you benefit - and that includes access to exclusive upgrades.
If you are an Elite or Gold Airpoints member, we give you two recognition upgrades every year of membership. Silver members receive one recognition upgrade each year of membership. You can use it to upgrade one cabin class on one sector of travel.
Use a recognition upgrade
As an Elite Airpoints member, you also receive one short-haul award upgrade each year of membership. You can request an Economy to Business Premier upgrade when you fly to most trans-Tasman and Pacific Islands destinations. You can use your own upgrades or gift them to others.
Use your Elite short haul recognition upgrade
Finished upgrading your recognition? Elite members can also request upgrades using Airpoints Dollars at a fixed rate. You can apply to upgrade on Air New Zealand short-haul and long-haul flights.
Our Guide to getting upgraded
We've written this guide for all levels of familiarity with Air New Zealand and the Airpoints program. While OneUp is available to any passenger booked on a flight operated by Air New Zealand, it's important to mention that Tier-level Airpoints members (ie loyal customers with fancy-looking cards) get extra perks when it comes to making deals. However, there is a lot of information online that is inaccurate and unhelpful when considering making a OneUp bid.
We believe value for money is the most important factor when making an offer. Air New Zealand may claim your bid is "weak" which is misleading. Therefore, we have put together this guide to dispel some myths and make the process clearer for passengers and to help towards a more positive OneUp experience.
To truly appreciate the upgrade, we must consider what Air New Zealand currently offers in Business Class. You get the whole shebang, such as lounge access, welcome champagne on board, plated meals, amenities and a glorious flat bed, which is a true luxury on a long-haul flight.
But it's pretty clear from the configuration above that it lacks perceived privacy, especially if you're sitting in the middle row where your view is a small window, feet on an ottoman, and what your neighbors might be doing.
With a bit of foresight after studying the seating plan, I managed to get the best seat in the house (last row of the first column), which allows for a better overview of the cabin and a sense of privacy.
It is a curious position. I couldn't see what my neighbors were doing even though I was nearby. Even so, the privacy leaves a lot to be desired, as it's common for people walking along the aisle to bump into your ottoman (or stare at your sleeping face if they want, though my seat gets a bit of that.) Since privacy is valued in most major carrier Business products, this is where the class fails.
The service, however, is where Air New Zealand really shines. I discuss it here briefly; the service is warm and friendly from start to finish, and the food is delightful (tip: never turn down an extra serving of garlic bread). I had the bed made, headed to the bathroom, and in less than five minutes returned to a ready bed, complete with a comfortable mattress and blanket. There's even a turn-down service that comes with essential oils and sleep tea, should you ask for it.
With the right hardware, Air New Zealand can really shine. We just have to wait until 2024 to see this next improvement.
Using frequent flyer points on other Star Alliance airlines to upgrade to Air NZ business class is also a great option and you don't need to hold Star Alliance Gold (or Silver) status to request an upgrade.
For example, United MileagePlus members can use United miles to upgrade from economy and premium economy to business class on all Air NZ routes, subject to availability, when booked on flexible economy fares Y or B or premium economy tickets E, O or U .
On all flights between Australia and New Zealand - including the longer Perth-Auckland journey - it's only 10,000 United miles to upgrade, even though to join you'll pay a penny for the high-priced ticket.
The number of frequent flyer points or miles required to upgrade with Air New Zealand varies between Star Alliance frequent flyer programs, but remember that Virgin Australia is not a member of Star Alliance, you cannot use Velocity points for business class upgrades on Air New Zealand.