Qantas low-cost spin-off Jetstar has caught our attention again. Although we were quite distracted by its online rugby game, Jetstar has been busy elsewhere, starting rumors that they're going to gatecrash New Zealand and start up domestic flights across the country.

Locally-based airlines Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue aren't too keen on the idea. They're pretty sure there's only room for the two of them in the Kiwi domestic market and haven't enjoyed sharing a few routes with Qantas already.

When you stop to think about it, most tourists don't even need to fly around New Zealand anyway: Driving or camping are much more in. But since we still love that virtual rugby from Jetstar, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Could Enter (NZ) Domestic Market [Stuff.co.nz]
· Sports Travel: Rugby League, Virtual Style [Jaunted]
· Jetstar coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: monkeyc.net]]]> amandak 2008-09-29T09:30:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/15/65854/3066

Air New Zealand made a perfect flight on Friday, and we weren't on it.

We've been craving a perfect flight all our traveling lives and it should include no delays, a comfortable seat far away from screaming children, edible food and a smooth landing. Air New Zealand's criteria were a little different: They tried for using less fuel and having lower carbon emissions--and apparently succeeded in saving 1,200 gallons of fuel and emitting 30,000 tons less of nasty carbon stuff.

The so-called perfect flight was achieved by streamlining the whole process. That included giving the plane priority take-off and landing, using an alternative fuel source while on the ground at Auckland airport, and ditching a strict flight plan so that the plane could vary the course according to conditions.

Most of these procedures are fairly impossible to implement--could we give every plane priority landing?--but the idea is good. Combine it with a jatropha-fueled flight and we'll be calling Air New Zealand the greenest of 'em all.

Related Stories:
· Air NZ Passengers Take a Ride on Perfect Flight [LAT]
· Air New Zealand Hearts Jatropha [Jaunted]

[Photo: planegeezer]]]> amandak 2008-09-15T09:38:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/10/12140/6970

Airlines are only getting started selling all the available space in their cabins to pad their bottom lines with ad dollars. But Air New Zealand's newest campaign is casting in a way that makes us suspect they know where their message will be impossible to ignore--by using nature's billboard.

The carrier is currently seeking people with shaved heads to carry temporary-tattoo advertising, stealing from the grand tradition of Goldenpalace.com to announce its check-in changes. The biggest of these is the move from a weight-based baggage system to a piece-based system; first bag is free up to 25 kilograms, with a NZ$15 ($10) charge for the second bag, NZ$50 for the third and NZ$150 for the fourth and up.

What does this have to do with some dude (or lady)'s bald pate? Beats us, because by the time you're stuck on the plane staring at it it's too late to repack. What's next, banner ads for the whale tail?

Related Stories:
· Airline to Offer Bald Facts on New Service [AP, via Yahoo]
· Air NZ Heads up New Ad Campaign [Stuff.co.nz]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: nicholas lee nicholas]]]> egw 2008-09-10T13:30:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/29/81044/2512

We've been hyping up the alternative jatropha biofuel idea recently to help planes fly around a bit greener. So we're mighty pleased to hear that Air New Zealand is on track to make what it says will be the world's first large passenger aircraft test on jatrohpa-sourced fuel sometime before the end of 2008.

The jatropha plant, Air NZ says, is a great source for earth-friendly fuel--it grows with little water and produces an inedible oil, and they've been sourcing their jatropha from sustainable plantations in India and South East Africa. The oil is about to be sent to the engine people at Rolls Royce for final testing.

Air New Zealand has big green goals: it wants to be the most environmentally sustainable airline in the world, and has set an objective of using a million barrels of environmentally sustainable fuel per year by 2013. Mightn't be long before we're delayed on the tarmac for re-jatropha-ing.

Related Stories:
· Air New Zealand Bio Fuel Trial on Track for Year-End [Jaunted]
· Alternative Fuel Flying: Is Jatropha Nut Oil the Answer? [Jaunted]
· The Green, Green Skies of New Zealand [Jaunted]

[Photo of jatropha seeds: Laboratorio en Movimiento]
]]> amandak 2008-08-29T09:33:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/19/54257/2285

Year after year the same protest goes on in New Zealand: someone tries to ban the Boobs on Bikes parade as an "offensive public event."

And year after year, the courts decide that Boobs on Bikes can go ahead. This year it's an Auckland court saying that since last year over 80,000 people gathered to watch the topless gals (and guys) ride motorbikes through the city streets, it obviously wasn't offensive to everybody.

That means that on Wednesday all visitors to Auckland will probably spot the Queens Street parade, a precursor to the Erotica Expo. Get there early, because those crowds mean it's hard to get a good viewing spot. And there's plenty to be viewed.

Related Stories:
· NZ Court Gives Green Light to Boobs on Bikes Parade [Reuters]
· Boobs on Bikes Ride Again [Jaunted]
· New Zealand Appreciates the Human Form [Jaunted]

[Photo: dgansen]]]> amandak 2008-08-19T09:05:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/11/81249/9719

We've mused before that New Zealand might be on its way to having more tourists than sheep but we always thought that'd be because travelers kept, uh, flocking there.

Turns out that instead, the number of sheep in New Zealand is decreasing. Well down from a 1982 peak of having 22 sheep for every one New Zealander, these days the stats can only boast eight sheep per Kiwi resident. Drought and more cows are the cause, but we're scared this trend will change New Zealand forever--and take away the reason for a whole lot of sheep jokes. That's baaa-d news!

Related Stories:
· Kiwis Only Have Eight Sheep Per Person [news.com.au]
· New Zealand is #1 (and #2 and #37) [Jaunted]
· New Zealand Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: vtveen]]]> amandak 2008-08-11T09:15:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/1/64433/51639

Down in New Zealand the Queenstown Winter Festival is on again, with ten days of craziness to mark the start of the winter ski season in the southern hemisphere.

Our favorite part of the festival is Mountain Mayhem day on Saturday. All kinds of weird stuff happens here, including the Dash for Cash which involves a ski race and an obstacle course in pursuit of a $500 prize.

But the best part of the day is the Suitcase Race, in which contestants toboggan down the mountain on suitcases. The rules say you should bring your own suitcase, although they apparently do have a few spares if, say, you're traveling with a lightweight backpack that might not make it down the mountain.

Related Stories:
· Queenstown Winter Festival [Official Site]
· Mountain Mayhem as Queenstown Gets Piste [news.com.au]
· Good News for Lovers of Winter [Jaunted]

[Photo: Str1ke]]]> amandak 2008-07-01T09:15:09-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/