V-Flyer

Most of you know that the Business Premium Seats on ANZ planes are basically the same as VS UC and as I'm sat in the ANZ lounge at LAX waiting for the NZ2 to take me home I thought I'd give you a quick comparison.

For this exercise I flew to Auckland on a 777-300 via LAX and back to LAX on a 777-200. I'm waiting to fly to LHR and another 777-300 (which I just saw arrive 20 minutes after the VS7)

Check In - A draw - both are efficient, pleasant and easy to use (I do prefer T3 though)

Lounge - VS wins - the Star Alliance lounge in T1 is rubbish compared to the T3 clubhouse. The Auckland lounge was OK but very plain as is the lounge at LAX.

Boarding - ANZ wins - clear lines of demarcation for business class (yet to experience LAX).

Cabin - A draw - both cabins are almost identical

Seats - ANZ wins - I flew out on the 777-300 which has the newer seats and these are more comfortable and they have memory foam mattresses. I slept like a log on the way out. Very rare for me. The seats on the 777-200 are basically the same as VS.

IFE - ANZ wins - touch screens with real time movies and you can watch it from gate to gate on the 777-300. The 777-200 system is much the same as VS. Sorry forgot to add that the 777-300 also has USB charging points at each seat and yo can watch content from you iPhone, iPad etc. How cool is that.

Food - A slight win for ANZ - what swung it was eggs benedict on the way out for breakfast.

Crew - A draw - the ANZ crews are very good and I couldn't fault them at all. Although we've had a couple of bad experiences with VS this is reflected in the fact that we fly with them several times a year so the chances are you're going to get a few inconsistencies.

Overall - I'd have to give it to ANZ for the memory foam mattresses alone but I think the new 777-300 provides a better experience. If you're on the older 777-200 then it would have been a draw.

Miopyk 8D

NZ have a great allround product. I would have used them for my forthcoming trip but couldn't get any reward availability :# . Personally I really like the NZ lounge at LAX. Granted it's self-service, but the great views and much better wines on offer make up for the lack of glitz .
Safe trip home.
DL

There are several of us who've enjoyed flying with NZ, my last one was on a 747 to LAX when they still used them and the older, comparable seats. Now all 777s I think? I haven't tried their new seat on the 777-300s but it looks great.

I too remember excellent food, better wines (a clear win for NZ) but likewise the lounges are poorer (although I like the NZ lounge at LAX a lot), crew on a par, etc. They're a great choice.

Great comparisons thanks for the update on the them, I have tried many times to get availabilty with miles but alas no joy!

Whilst the lounge in lax is no ch I really actually liked it and lets face it compared to a lot of the other lounges such as the carribean and mco its a pearler.

cheers

alex

So how bad is the availability for ANZ rewards to LAX?

I know its virtually a no brainer for LA on the points plus cash for tax rating: 25K points less and about 170 quid cheaper tax for return, but if its virtually mythical, I won't bother looking...

I know when I was looking for UC VS rewards a while back. my problem was getting a return flight within the time of the outward. Is it that? Or complete lack of both? Do they have a searchable reward booking system like VS or is it phonecall lottery?

FYI - these entries have got Singapore Airline's tail !

McMaddog wrote:FYI - these entries have got Singapore Airline's tail !

Ha, wrote it without my glasses on my iPad. Getting old is a real s**t.

Miopyk 8D

Smid wrote:So how bad is the availability for ANZ rewards to LAX?

I know its virtually a no brainer for LA on the points plus cash for tax rating: 25K points less and about 170 quid cheaper tax for return, but if its virtually mythical, I won't bother looking...

I know when I was looking for UC VS rewards a while back. my problem was getting a return flight within the time of the outward. Is it that? Or complete lack of both? Do they have a searchable reward booking system like VS or is it phonecall lottery?

For my forthcoming trip, having failed to find anthing on expertflyer and the ANA tool I rang NZ directly. I was VERY flexible with dates but still had no joy (perhaps because I was looking for 2 seats?). I ended up getting the exact dates I really wanted with VS (save for going out on the VS 23 instead of VS 07).
However, I do know that others have had success in finding reward availability.
DL

Interesting observations so thanks for that, I'm flying LHR > LAX > AUK in January on NZ001 so was very interested. I'm going out in PE but will do the return journey on NZ002 in Business Premier.

This is a NZ booking as I was happy with the cost and could not get any reward availability on any part of the route

There is a break of 14 days in LA on the way out and 4 days on the way back and I can't get a straight answer from AIR NZ or make sense of what this trip will earn as part of the Air NZ FF scheme, of which I hold no status.

My question is around the most best earning opportunity ref miles schemes. I hold no status with Air NZ but am Silver with VA. Keen to hear thoughts on how to best leverage the earning opportunity/worth of the respective schemes for this route.

The flight was booked with and is ticketed via Air NZ.

thanks all

Andrew

I flew Air NZ a couple of times in the last few years. LAX>AKL business class (=Upper)

nice service, agree the food is better, and certainly the wines
(really VS, can't you serve something better in UC onboard?)

the best thing was the fees - $35 each in total per person. Plus a lot of miles of course. Just the way it should be.

phantomtwin wrote:Interesting observations so thanks for that, I'm flying LHR > LAX > AUK in January on NZ001 so was very interested. I'm going out in PE but will do the return journey on NZ002 in Business Premier.

This is a NZ booking as I was happy with the cost and could not get any reward availability on any part of the route

There is a break of 14 days in LA on the way out and 4 days on the way back and I can't get a straight answer from AIR NZ or make sense of what this trip will earn as part of the Air NZ FF scheme, of which I hold no status.

My question is around the most best earning opportunity ref miles schemes. I hold no status with Air NZ but am Silver with VA. Keen to hear thoughts on how to best leverage the earning opportunity/worth of the respective schemes for this route.

The flight was booked with and is ticketed via Air NZ.

thanks all

Andrew

Can't help with the earning opportunity other than advise what I got. I was silver with BMI and this trip turned me gold. I think I netted around 40,000 miles with the bonus which leaves me with nearly 100,000 in my account. I'm planning on spending these on a return UC flight to New York with VA.

If you have any Star Alliance account or VA Flying Club then make sure you quote your A/C number on the booking or at check in and the miles will be credited to that A/C.

HTH

Miopyk 8D

I'm still wondering why you have the Singapore Airlines tailfin on your post as opposed to Air New Zealand? ?|