Cathay Pacific (CX)
oneworld
Ten flights per week from Auckland to Hong Kong and onto 84 destinations worldwide, plus oneworld connections to 570 destinations in 135 countries.
Inflight services: Email, laptop power, tele-phone and fax facilities in all classes. First class: seat extends to full length flat bed (180 degree recline) with privacy screen. Services include sleepsuit, luxury duvet and pillow and meals on demand. Both first and business class offer 10 screens and “Cinema on Demand” with choice of 30 movies and 20 channels. Business class seats have 60 pitches plus hard cocoon, lumbar support, privacy wings and water bottle holder.
Economy class offers personal screens with 20 channel choices, and snack foods (ice cream and noodles!) on request.
Airport lounge access: Two first and business class lounges at Hong Kong International Airport (The Wing and The Pier) plus access at many international airports.
Loyalty programme: Asia Miles. Free to join. The Marco Polo loyalty club offers world wide lounge access, preferred check-in and priority waitlisting.
Phone: 0800-800 454.
www.cathaypacific.com
Emirates (EK)
Fly daily Auckland-Sydney-Dubai (Airbus A340-500), Auckland-Brisbane-Singapore-Dubai (Boeing 777), Auckland-Melbourne-Singapore-Dubai (Boeing 777) and three times/week Christchurch-Melbourne-Dubai (A340-500), increasing to six weekly flights in August.
All flights have onward connections, the network currently comprises 76 destinations in 54 countries.
Inflight services: First-class “suites” on the A340-500 have full privacy screens, massage-feature leather seats converting to flat beds, dining table, vanity table and mirror, mini-bar, large video screen and seven-course la carte meals at times selected by passengers. Passengers can phone the crew in the galley.
Other classes: Six-course meals in business; five-course in economy. Personal satellite phones in all classes. Laptop computer recharging facility. Fax machine. Email/text facility and 500 channels of information, communication and entertainment.
First and business class wardrobe storage. Generous pitch and roomy sleeper seats on Boeing 777s first and business class.
Airport lounge access: For first and business class customers and Skywards Gold members. Free limousine transport for first and business passengers (up to 40km).
Loyalty programme: Skywards. No joining fee and generous conditions.
Awards: More than 250 international awards. Voted second best airline in web-based Skytrax Awards 2004, (world’s largest passenger survey).
Developments: Dedicated Emirates first and business lounge planned for Auckland.
Phone: 0508-364 728.
www.emirates.com
Freedom Air (SJ)
Fly Auckland to Brisbane and Gold Coast, Wellington to Brisbane, Christchurch to Brisbane, Gold Coast and Fiji, Dunedin to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast, Hamilton to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Fiji, Palmerston North to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Fiji.
Inflight services: Single class, no inflight meals (snacks and drinks available for purchase), one of the smallest seat pitches.
Airport lounge access: No.
Phone: 0800-600 500.
www.freedomair.com
Malaysia Airlines (MH)
Fly daily Auckland to Kuala Lumpur and return. (This service flew via Brisbane until April 2004.) The airline has network of 115 destinations in six continents.
Inflight services: All business and first class seats have 26.5cm individual screens and laptop ports, and New Zealand bound aircraft are currently being fitted with AVOD (Audio and Video on demand). Economy class also has individual screens. Economy’s 34 seat pitch (indicating leg room) is among the most generous of all airlines.
Complimentary limousine service available on arrival to and departure from New Zealand for business and first class passengers whose travel originates in New Zealand.
Loyalty programme: Enrich. Free to join.
Awards: Skytrax Best International Airline Cabin Crew (last three years), voted one of the Top 10 Airlines every year for the last 10 years and Business Travel World Magazine’s Best Asian Business Airline for four years.
Airport lounge access: Available for all business and first class passengers at all online airports.
Developments: Complete refurbishment of business and first class cabins (including third generation beds) in 747s, 777s and Airbuses starting in November 2004.
Phone: 0800-777 747.
www.nz.malaysiaairlines.com
Pacific Blue (DJ)
Fly daily from Christchurch to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and return. Daily from Wellington to Sydney return. Connecting services in Australia through Virgin Blue.
Inflight services: Single economy class, plus ‘Blue Zone’ seating in the front row and over wing exits, offering more leg room. Cost $30 extra per segment at time of ticketing, or on request at check in, if available, at no extra charge. Light meals and drinks available for purchase.
Airport lounge access: Travellers transferring to Virgin Blue flight can pay $5 for access to Blue Room business class lounges. They have cinemas, beauty parlours, massages, bars, restaurants and business facilities such as computer access, cell phone chargers, printers, and boardrooms. Available at Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane domestic terminals.
Awards: Parent company Virgin Blue is the World’s Best Low Cost Airline, according to AOG.
Developments: New services include Christchurch or Wellington to Coolangatta, Wellington to Brisbane, Darwin or Melbourne. These will transit to connections through Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Loyalty programme: rebate programme for corporate companies who book with Pacific Blue and Virgin Blue is expected to be in place within the next few months.
Phone: 0800-670 000.
www.flypacificblue.com
Qantas (QF)
oneworld
Currently more than 200 flights per week between Australia and New Zealand, including direct to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and between Queenstown and Brisbane and Sydney during the ski season. Also domestic connections throughout Australia. From Australia operates over 500 international flights to 80 destinations in 37 countries.
Five domestic New Zealand destinations (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Rotorua, Queenstown).
Inflight services: Currently being introduced in business class is the Skybed, an award-winning sleeper seat with cocoon style privacy, lumbar support and massage features, plus 26.4cm screen, PC outlet, SMS service accessed via the in-seat telephone, with an inflight reply facility that is world first, and storage for shoes, water bottle and spectacles.
Economy class has 16cm personal screens on 747-400s, but some of the least generous seat pitch of any airline (30 to 32 inch).
Airport lounge access: Over 250 Qantas Club lounges worldwide.
Loyalty programme: Qantas Frequent Flyer. Points earned on Qantas and 28 partner airlines including oneworld alliance partners, plus over 100 other partner companies.
Developments: Services between Wellington and Melbourne to increase from five flights per week to daily from 5 July; and new Adelaide-Auckland service will begin in December 2004 (three times week).
Qantas Holidays is launching new internet booking service ‘ReadyRooms’ on July 1, for Australia-wide accommodation within 14 days of travel.
Phone: 0800-808 767.
www.qantas.co.nz
Singapore Airlines (SQ)
Star Alliance
Twelve weekly flights direct to Singapore from Auckland and five weekly from Christchurch (to increase to daily from November 2004). Connections to 58 cities in 33 countries.
Inflight services: In all classes KrisWorld, SIA’s personal inflight entertainment system with the latest movies, music and games.
First class “SkySuite” passengers have individual 14 entertainment screens and receive Givenchy-designed duvet and sleeper suit and turn down service. Seats convert to fully-reclined bed and have the widest span of all airlines.
Raffles
