Jaunted - Tag: air new zealand

Bragging About A New Check-In System

amandak — 2008-11-05T09:45:07-05:00

Air New Zealand thinks it’s pretty clever. During the next month or so the national Kiwi carrier is introducing a bunch of so-called innovations which they say are world firsts at cutting check-in times at the airport.

Now, we do agree that Air New Zealand is good at doing new stuff: They were the proud hosts of the first perfect flight and they’ve got their flying concierges, too. But the changes they’re making to reduce check-in times all kinda sound like stuff we’ve heard before.

There’ll be lots of online options for advance check-in and seat selection, and you’ll be able to use a bar code on your cell phone as a boarding pass. A new array of check in kiosks and luggage handling systems will cut wait times, too.

The $30 million super system is meant to make it 40 percent faster for passengers and we’re definitely happy with that. We just think that claiming a “world first” might be blowing your own trumpet just a bit too loudly.

[Photo: code_martial]

At Least One Air New Zealand FA Loves The Spice Girls

pbb — 2008-10-29T14:35:25-05:00

We've seen a drunk flight attendant, a Thai flight attendant soap opera and even the hottest modest flight attendants in Italy, but none of them prepared us for this epic clip of an Air New Zealand FA belting out Spice Girls tracks on an A320.

Keep this in mind next time your flight out of Auckland is delayed because the crew is still "servicing the cabin."

Related Stories:
· How to Get a Date with a Flight Attendant [Jaunted]

New Zealand Travel: Jetstar Wants Its Piece of the Pie

amandak — 2008-09-29T09:30:36-05:00

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]

Retro Is Cool: Airlines Retrofit Winglets to Save Fuel Costs

amandak — 2008-09-16T09:00:28-05:00

Ever heard of a winglet? We thought it might be something you buy at a fast food chicken franchise but apparently it's something that goes on the end of an airplane's wing. Because it reduces drag, it helps reduce fuel consumption. And that is a Very Good Thing, right?

Apparently winglets are standard issue on most new aircraft, but some airlines are so green that they're getting them retro-fitted. Hawaiian Airlines and Air New Zealand are two of the airlines who are loudly and proudly fitting winglets on their Boeing 767s, apparently at great cost now with a view to long-term savings in fuel consumption.

Winglets are something of a miracle fixture, in fact, because they also improve take-off capabilities and reduce engine maintenance costs. So, a little disappointingly, you can't eat winglets, but they're still doing us good.

Related Stories:
· Sexy New Fuel-Saving Winglets for Air NZ [NZ Herald]
· Hawaiian Airlines Orders Blended Winglets [Asia Travel Tips]

[Photo: cbcastro]

Perfect Flights: Only Air New Zealand Knew There Was Such a Thing

amandak — 2008-09-15T09:38:28-05:00

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]

Wellington: Air New Zealand Wants Your Head

egw — 2008-09-10T13:30:25-05:00

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]

Air New Zealand Hearts Jatropha

amandak — 2008-08-29T09:33:18-05:00

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]