Air NZ Reward Seats

Has anybody managed to score Air NZ business class reward seats using BMI Diamond Club miles?

I have enough miles (+ cash) for 2xJ seats LHR-LAX in December and am thinking ANZ is the best way to do it - however, trawling ANA's seat availabilty site, ANZ is showing absolutely no reward seats, in any class.

The only other option seems to be UA who have some seats available - what are the 777 J seats like on this route?

The old-style UA J seats are very mid/late-1990s. Just regular recliners. Comfortable enough, but not flat beds, and definitely showing their age these days. No AVOD either.

The new UA J seats are flat beds, with huge AVOD screens, etc. Someone who is used to United would not believe they are on a UA plane the first time they board one of the refits.

However, there aren't any refitted 777s on the UA flightline at the moment. The first 777 is in the hangar for refit at the moment. There are one or two refit 744s flying around, and about six or seven refitted 767-300s.

Availability in general on NZ1/2 has been massively squeezed by the switch from the 744 to the 777, which will happen in October, and is a mistake if you ask me. Sure, it might push yields up, but has other consequences.

Last time NZ downgauged NZ1/2 (two years ago, when NZ38/39 started up) it was disastrous, with pax being bumped off almost every flight in all cabins, and being the last LAX flight of the day, having to be put up in hotels, or go home and come back next day.

I was considering NZ for a LAX trip later this year, but with the PE seating being halved (from 39 on the 744 to 18 seats on the 777), the price has rocketed, and I'll probably fly VS PE, or UA with an upgrade.

Cheers,
Mike

I am finding bugger all reward availability to anywhere on *A using BMI miles in August[:(!]