Social Media May be Hot, But It’s Not for Everyone – BNET
I look at social media at the Singapore Airshow to figure out why it matters. (In this case, I don’t think it does.)

Two Reasons Why Japan Air Lines Chose American and oneworld over Delta and SkyTeam -BNET
JAL has chosen American and oneworld, and I think there are really two reasons for it.

United Airlines Posts an Excellent January, Industry Traffic Data Roundup – BNET
Huge kudos to United for now offering revenue estimates each month. And January was a great month to start because they had stellar numbers.

Air New Zealand’s Secret Weapon: War Dances and Happy Customers – BNET
One more look at Air New Zealand’s culture thanks to a unique award acceptance speech that saw CEO Rob Fyfe go topless. (If this post sounds a bit odd, it’s because it’s the first one under the new policy that all posts at BNET go through an editor.)

This is sort of a hybrid trip report in that I didn’t actually go anywhere domestically in New Zealand, but I had to see Air New Zealand’s domestic check-in process for myself. So I’m combining that with my flight home. Overall, it was another very good experience, though I think the service level was slightly better on the way out than it was on the way home. (And yes, I ended up in business, not premium economy.) I promise, this will be my last ANZ post for awhile.

My flight home was at 715p, but I was able to arrange a visit to the domestic terminal at Auckland first. When I interviewed CEO Rob Fyfe back in May, he explained that their new check-in process for domestic flights would allow people to arrive only 15 minutes before their flight. I had to see for myself.

The airline arranged for John Whittaker, the man in charge of the domestic operation, to take me out there. He set up a booking for me so I could go through the process myself. It lived up to its billing, for the most part, though security slowed me down to make 15 minutes a little too tight. Here’s a 2 minute video of me walking through the check-in process.

This process really eliminates lines almost entirely. Sure, if people have complicated changes or problems that need addressing, they have to see an agent, but the vast majority of people don’t need that. They just need to drop a bag off and get checked in. If you don’t have a bag, you really don’t even need to go to the kiosk. You can print out a confirmation page at home or you can pull up a barcode on your phone and just walk through security. At the gate, you can scan your pass and it will spit out a receipt for you. Then you’re on your way. You only need to check in at the kiosk if you have a bag to drop.

Now, the only problem with an arrival 15 minutes before departure here is the security line. I was there at the absolute peak of the afternoon and it took about 10 minutes to get through. Domestic security is much easier – no shoes off, and heck, they don’t even check your ID, but it did make a 15 minute door to plane timeline pretty difficult during the afternoon rush. Still, you could easily have made it in 30 minutes.

Once through, there’s a really nice lounge that has food and showers, but the gate is where it got interesting for me. Instead of having a big podium for check-in, the focus is really on the gate reader. That’s where the work gets done. There is just one employee, a turn manager, who handles the flight on the ground, but a flight attendant comes off the plane to board the flight as well.

On the ramp, only one person pushes the airplane back. He has a remote that controls the unmanned pushback tug which works on a rear wheel (at right). Then he stands at the front of the plane and walks it back. Pretty slick operation.

Once I was done getting the tour, it was time to head to the international terminal. Unfortunately, they aren’t connected in Auckland. I could walk it, but there were thunderstorms around, so John drove me over on his way out.

The check-in area is enormous, but I went to a small private room on the side set aside for premium cabin check-in. It’s a more intimate setting with a few desks of people to check you in. Up to this point, my efforts to snag a window in premium economy had failed. The flight was full, and I was only willing to take a window so I could rest my head. So, I checked in and got my boarding pass for the upper deck in business and then headed to security.

Immigration lines were about 15 minutes long, and then security took 10 seconds. On the other side, I went up to the relatively newly renovated Air New Zealand lounge. The place was massive and had all kinds of areas – kid zones, no cell phone zones, massage areas, etc. I settled in for a few minutes of email checking before our concierge Brigitte came to meet us. She said that they were able to arrange a premium economy seat downstairs if I’d like, but I cracked.

I had gotten lost hiking on Waiheke Island (at left) earlier in the day and missed my ferry. My feet were cut up from what I believe was a rogue blackberry bush, and I was a little sunburned. The thought of giving up a flat bed right then was too much. Sorry guys. I’ll just have to find a way to review the new premium economy when it rolls out later this year.

They announced in the lounge that everyone had to leave for our flight early for the extra-special TSA-mandated patdown. Joy. So we went down to find a couple of gates isolated from the rest of the concourse with a makeshift partition. First, we waited in a 10 minute line just to talk to someone. They checked our passports again and made sure it matched the name on the boarding pass. Then they checked some magic list. I wasn’t on it, so I thought that was bad news, but now I think it was the opposite. I moved up to the next person who checked my boarding pass and sent me through a corridor that dumped me out at the gate. Others had to get the full pat down and search and that took a very long time.

The partitioned gate area was too small, so everyone was standing around like sardines waiting to board. Brigitte circulated around the room answering questions while the rest of us watched boarding time come and go. Security had managed to delay our flight by about half an hour, and the staff looked to be a bit frustrated that there was nothing they could do.

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January 28, 2010
Air New Zealand #6 Lv Auckland (AKL) 715p Arr Los Angeles (LAX) 1015a (same day)
AKL: Gate 8, Runway 23L, Dept 15m Late
LAX: Gate 28, Runway 25L, Arr 32m Late
Aircraft: ZK-NBW, Boeing 747-419, Named Wellington, Maybe 90% Full
Seat: 20A
Flight Time: 11h51m

We did finally board and I took my seat upstairs with two other journalists. An older American woman boarded right behind us and the flight attendant said to her, “It looks like you’ll be sharing the cabin with these gentlemen.” The woman looked startled and said, “What?!” After repeating it, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought you said ‘Germans’.” We couldn’t help but laugh.

We took off and passed by some beautiful storm clouds before pointing northeast toward LA. I passed on dinner, flipped my bed down, popped some Ambien, and woke up 7 hours later. I was up for good at that point, so I tried to flip my bed back, but I was struggling with it a little. Nobody came to help. My glass of water also remained empty all night. The service during the middle of the flight wasn’t quite up to the level of the service on the way down, but the service at the beginning and the end when most people were awake was excellent.

I had a bacon roll once again, but this time it was more like the English-style of bacon. Delicious. (No bubble and squeak was offered, by the way.) Brigitte came up to chat with me as part of her rounds, and I found out she had only been doing this for a couple months. She used to be a journalist. So I asked what she recommended that people do in LA, and she said that she doesn’t usually get many requests for that. But when she does, it’s usually for long layovers, so she’ll point them to a beach or Santa Monica; something close by. She said that each time she travels, she tries to explore a new area so she can recommend it.

Then she went above and beyond.

Brigitte handed me her card and said that she had spoken with our concierge on the way down and he told her that I asked him for the registration of the aircraft. So she got the registration for me and wrote it down without me having to ask. Wow.

I naturally assumed that this was some sort of special treatment and she said that no, they talk like this all the time. If a couple is on a honeymoon, for example, the outbound concierge will tell the inbound concierge so she can ask specifically how the trip went and offer them a celebratory drink or something along those lines. Fantastic service.

Though we had light chop for the first two-thirds of the flight, the last third was pleasantly smooth after the sun came up. We landed just a few minutes late, and immigration was quick and painless. I didn’t have a ride, so it took me 2 hours to take public transit home. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but maybe LA will get its public transit act together one of these days. Nah, probably not.

[See More New Zealand Pics]
[See New Zealand Videos (some better than others)]

Premium Air Traffic Change Holds Steady in November, Mid-Haul Flying Rebounding – BNET
It’s time for the monthly premium air traffic report. Nothing bad here, but nothing great either.

How Air New Zealand Started the Process of Creating a New Cabin Environment – BNET
Air New Zealand explained how they went about creating a new seat over the past 3 years, and I thought it was really interesting. Here’s part 1.

Lie down all the way to LA: Air NZ – TVNZ
While at the ANZ rollout, TVNZ pulled me aside for an interview and I made the final cut.

Air New Zealand’s Process for Narrowing 30 Concepts To the Final Two Seats – BNET
This is part two of my look into ANZ’s strategy with their new product rollout.

JetBlue Prepares for Necessary but Painful Reservation System Transition – BNET
JetBlue is basically shutting down its reservation system and throwing it away this weekend. What happens on the other side should be better, but we’ll have to see how it goes.

Udvar-Hazy On His Way Out at ILFC, Differing Opinions on Firms Future – BNET
The man who is synonymous with ILFC is leaving, what does that mean for the biz?

It had been hinted about around the local media here in New Zealand for the last few days, but now its official. If you fly in coach on Air New Zealand, you’ll be able to lie down, well, some of you will. I was at the big reveal of the new interior yesterday, and I liked what I saw.

All three cabins are getting a makeover, though the business cabin is a much more minor change than the rest. The process has taken them more than 3 years, and they hired famed design firm IDEO to work with them along with several local structural design firms. (Read more about the process on BNET.) The result is what CEO Rob Fyfe required – a new, superior product that takes up no more space than the old product and costs the traveler the same amount for a seat. They’ve done just that in coach.

The best way to have a look is to watch this 8 minute video. Ed Sims, Group General Manager of the International Airline for Air New Zealand, walked me through each cabin talking about what’s changing. Take a look and then let’s talk below.

They’ve been saying this product is revolutionary; is it? To some extent, yes. Clearly the business class isn’t revolutionary, but the other two cabins are quite innovative to say the least. I guess the best way to answer this is . . . are there any other economy cabins in the world that allow you to lie down? Unless you’re on an empty flight, the answer is no. Here’s what they’re doing.

Economy Class
When the new economy class rolls out on the 777, you might be dismayed to see that it’s going to be in a 3-4-3 configuration. That’s one more across than in the standard configuration, but many airlines have gone toward that model. The width will now be around 17.2 inches, about what you’ll find on a standard 737, but less than that you’ll get on say, United’s 777s.

Of course, while United may give you more width, Air NZ gives you a couple inches more legroom. The 777-300 will have mostly 33 inch pitch throughout, and I found it to be quite comfortable, even if it is 1 inch less than what you get on the 747s today.

There will be 246 coach seats on the plane, and they’ll all have individual power outlets, USB ports to watch your own content on their entertainment system, a screen that is 2 inches larger than the current large screen, and foot nets to rest your feet. Personally, I don’t like foot nets, but it’s better than nothing, I suppose.

While many airlines have gone toward the winged headrests in coach, Air NZ is taking it one step further. They’re now attaching pillows to the winged headrest to make for a really comfortable place to put your head.

Of those seats, 66 on the sides of the first 11 rows of coach will be part of the new SkyCouch offering. If you’re an individual, the only difference is that instead of a foot net, there are full leg rests. If you want to sit in these seats, you’ll be able to pay about US$150 more, but that’s not the real value.

The value comes when you use the three seats together to turn into a bed. The seats will already be designed to be flush with each other so you can lie down. The armrests will also go all the way up. Meanwhile, the legrests will all come up to fill in the area where your legs usually go to create a big bed. Two short people can cuddle up while taller people would need to prop their heads up against the wall to avoid getting run over by carts.

Since Air NZ serves a high percentage of leisure traffic, these seats are meant for couples and families. If a couple books the two seats, they’ll be able to buy the third for half the price to make a more affordable option for lying down than you’ll find in premium cabins. If you have a family of three, you can pay $150 more for everyone to share the area together. If your kid can lie down, your flight will be much better.

Premium Economy
This is a very compelling option. While the current premium economy isn’t much of an upgrade, these are real premium seats that should be considered more like “business lite.” The configuration is 2-2-2, but the center is different from the sides. The center seats, which they’re calling inner space, face in toward each other, and the large armrests go up. When they do, you can change your position to face each other and even have a meal. The tray table comes down at an angle so you can put your food on the armrest and a laptop on your table. Room for everything.

There are no legrests in this cabin but rather Otto the bean bag. Seriously. Otto can be moved around to be used as a legrest no matter which way you’re sitting. The point of these seats is to allow you to move around and fidget as much as you’d like and have plenty of comfortable positions available. Very well done.

The outside seats both angle toward the window, so they’re meant more for the individual traveler. You can still talk to each other if you’re a couple, but these really also give you privacy if you’re not. This cabin really seems to be all about flexibility and choice.

Business
Other than the shiny new white leather (which they really think won’t get scuffed up, uh huh), not a ton is changing here. The seat is the same, though the screen will also grow a couple inches. The big change is the mattress. Right now, some passengers complain that the mattress is too hard, so they’re adding an inch or so of new padding to soften it up. They’re also including a mattress pad that adds additional padding and a new duvet. I tried it; it’s quite nice.

Other than that, there will be changes to the meal service. They’re actually installing ovens on the plane to cook the food instead of simply reheat it. They’re looking toward a menu of comfort food since that’s what people seem to really like. In the premium cabins, this will be more of a “bistro” style of offering, but it goes back to coach as well. They showed off a mammoth burger for coach that looked delicious. Oh, and like Virgin America, you’ll be able to order food and drink when you’d like from your seatback entertainment system.

Overall, I think they’ve done a really nice job here. If you’re a family or a couple, this is really the first affordable flat bed option that I’ve seen in the skies. Or if you just want to fidget, the premium economy was really impressive.

These seats will first roll out on NZ 5/6 between LA and Auckland beginning before the end of the year. In April, it will shift to NZ 1/2 and go Auckland – LA – London. Eventually, it will be on every long haul flight. The 747s will be retired and the 777-200s will be refitted with this interior.

[See all my photos of the new Air New Zealand cabin here]

Good morning from beautiful Auckland, New Zealand. Don’t ask me what day it is, because I have no idea. This whole international dateline thing still messes me up. Over the weekend, Air New Zealand flew me down here for a big media event today launching their new cabin interior. Though I will have full details tomorrow, early reports are suggesting there will be the ability lie down in coach. Yes, you’ll want to read tomorrow’s post.

But today, let’s talk about the existing product and the flight down from LA. It was absolutely stellar. Comparing Air NZ to my Air France flight to Tahiti last year is like comparing Singapore Airlines to Alitalia. There isn’t a comparison.

Air New Zealand provided the ticket down to Auckland and yes, they flew me in business class. Despite some people telling me I’m insane, I’m actually trying to get downgraded to premium economy for the flight home so I can give you a report on that, but the flight is full and they say it may not be possible. I’ll keep you posted.

Back to this flight. I got to the airport at 530p, two hours before departure. I figured I didn’t need to be there that early, but there were a few of us on this trip together so I thought it would be nice to meet them in the airport for a little bit. I was also a little concerned since you aren’t allowed to check-in online. (I’m told they’re considering that for the future.)

I walked up to the premium check-in area and they instantly gave me my boarding pass and asked if I was happy with a window on the upper deck. No problems there, of course, since I had snagged my seat a few days earlier online. Then, the agent came around from behind the counter and escorted me to the lounge.

Wait, that didn’t sound right. I double-checked to see if this was something they did for all their premium customers and he said no. He was just given instructions to escort our group. Ah, I see. Not a fan of that. That’s not exactly helpful for me to give an opinion on what other customers will see now is it? If you were traveling outside our group, you had to face a roughly 30 minute line which I skipped. Once Northwest left Terminal 2 at LAX, they took away the premium security line, so the experience has gotten a bit worse in that regard.

After cutting in line at security (grr), I went up to the lounge. I had only been in the tired, worn old Northwest lounge in Terminal 2 at LAX, so seeing the much larger, nicer Air New Zealand lounge was a good surprise.

There was not only a large area with cold cuts and other snacks, but it looked newly redone with plenty of room and even some showers. I later found out that while we had to use the old Northwest lounge when we flew Air France business class to Tahiti last year, Air France First Class passengers get to come here.

Once again, the special treatment continued, much to my dismay, with a corner of the lounge blocked off for our group to get together. I met the other writers would be joining me down to NZ along with Kathryn Gregory, Air NZ’s Marketing head in the US and Roger Poulton, a 40 year Air NZ employee who is now Vice President of the Americas. He came to see us off while Kathryn was flying with us.

In the lounge, we got to know each other and I wandered around to take it all in. Then, the inflight concierge Aaron Nelson came through. I’ve written about Air New Zealand’s concierge program before and how I think it’s a great idea. Now, I had the chance to dig in and try it out.

Aaron had actually been working as an account exec with the airline before he decided to apply to become a concierge. Right now, concierges are based in Auckland and London and only operate on the North American routes. They arrive about 1.5 to 2 hours before the flight and immediately start looking for any problems to solve. I asked Aaron how they measure the success of the program and he said it’s all about complaint reduction. Air NZ has a zero complaint policy, and routes with concierges have seen complaints down by more than 20% while other routes haven’t seen that drop.

So he wanders the gate area looking for anyone who needs help. He introduces himself to everyone and offers his assistance throughout the flight. He’s not a flight attendant, so he doesn’t have the same rest rules. He is responsible for helping anyone who asks throughout the entire flight. When he wasn’t helping, I saw him constantly roaming the aisles to reach out to people.

After monopolizing his time, I told him I would come and bother him on the airplane again so he could do his duties before we boarded. They started boarding the flight but we waited until the end to get on. We left the lounge and got on the plane about 10 minutes before departure.

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January 23, 2010
Air New Zealand #5 Lv Los Angeles (LAX) 730p Arr Auckland (AKL) 525a (on 25JAN)
LAX: Gate 22, Runway 25R, Dept On Time
AKL: Gate 10, Runway 23L, Arr ~15m Early
Aircraft: ZK-NBU, Boeing 747-419, Named Rotorua, Full
Seat: 20K
Flight Time: 12h10m

Immediately after boarding, I headed upstairs to my seat. I was instantly greeted by name by Marian our flight attendant (as were all the other business class passengers, I checked) and was asked if I’d like a tour of the seat so that I could know where everything was. Having flown in this seat once a couple years ago, I didn’t feel the need for the tour, but I let them do it anyway.

Soon enough, Aaron the concierge had come up as well to check on our cabin and see if we needed anything. Soon, we were buckled up and ready to push back one minute early. Unfortunately, they routed us around to the south runways so we had to taxi for quite awhile. The good news is that Air NZ lets you use your inflight entertainment the second you board, so I just fired up a movie.

We launched peacefully into the beautifully clear night, the first one we’d had in LA in a week, and pointed the nose south toward NZ. It was a straight shot over nothing for about 12 hours.

I had been offered a pre-departure drink and my order had been taken for a drink right after takeoff as well. Determined to get a good sleep, I stuck with water. Soon enough, they started coming around with dinner service. I was actually drifting in and out of sleep, so I woke up to find my tray out with a tablecloth on and a glass of water waiting. I’m not sure how they did all that without waking me up, but they did.

I just wasn’t hungry and instead was more concerned about trying to get sleep, something that is nearly impossible for me on an airplane. The flight attendant offered me a light dinner or simply just an appetizer and dessert after I turned down the full meal, but I told her that I thought I would pass. She had that look of a concerned mother but she obliged.

I decided that I would watch a couple movies and then go for about 8 hours of sleep, if I could. A 12 hour flight is just about right for that. So, toward the end of my second movie, the lights were dimming and others had gone to bed. Marian and Aaron both came back asking me if I would like to have my bed made up. See, this is the same seat Virgin uses where they flip the seat over so you have a flat bed on the back.

I told them I would do it once the movie finished. As soon as it finished, I had another flight attendant come up and ask if I needed my bed made. I went back to the lav, got ready for bed, came back out, and sure enough I had my bed made waiting for me.

Aaron the concierge came by once again to ask if there was anything else I needed, and we got into a brief discussion about how I could spend my single free day in Auckland. I purposefully didn’t do any research because I wanted to see what the concierge could do. He asked me what type of things I liked, and after a few minutes, he promised he would have a great itinerary ready for me when I woke up.

With that, I laid down and popped an Ambien. I now love Ambien. I went to bed around 8p Auckland time. Though I woke up briefly a couple times (the last row of biz upstairs is right next to a little self-serve bar, so it’s a little annoying), I didn’t wake up for good until about 315a when they started waking the cabin up for breakfast. Unreal. I simply can’t sleep on airplanes like that, and I was thrilled.

Marian came through gently offering to turn beds back into seats for those who were ready. I took her up on it, feeling fantastic after getting so much sleep. And now I was hungry.

Marian brought a cart through with a variety of morning drinks. I opted for a delicious strawberry smoothie. Then she came by with fresh fruit and cereal to start.

Aaron dropped by while I was eating to give me my personalized packet with suggestions of how to spend my time in Auckland. I asked him if he did this often, and he said on this flight he had put together about 10 itineraries. It’s usually between 10 and 15.

While some of the materials were pre-made, some he actually typed up in his workstation and printed out for me. He also included a card with his email address and a general Air NZ concierge email address if I needed any further help. Apparently, if someone is having flight problems or other issues, he can radio ahead to take care of them. If they ever get inflight internet onboard, I can only imagine what he’ll be able to do.

Before he left, I asked if he could find the aircraft registration for me. Within a couple minutes, he was back with it. (This was one of Air NZ’s vintage 747s – nearly 20 years old.) Then it was time for more breakfast – this time I took a croissant but passed on the vegemite. Ugh, nasty stuff.

Then Marian came through offering bubble and squeak (pass) or a bacon sandwich. Clearly I opted for the latter. I was expecting a bacon sandwich to be more like what you get in Europe – more of a ham/pork sandwich, but no. This was the bacon we know and love in the US, and it hit the spot.

Soon enough, we were descending into Auckland. It was nice to finally see land after a dozen hours over water. We landed and I paid particularly close attention to the people sitting around me to hear if they said anything about the flight. I heard things like “incredible service” and “just a fantastic seat.” There were a lot of happy passengers, and I was one of them.

We headed off to the hotel to relax and more importantly, shower. I’ll have reports tomorrow from today’s interior reveal.