Air New Zealand adds Houston to its route map

[Altair]

NZ has announced this morning its long anticipated 4th US destination, George Bush Intercontinnental Airport, Houston, Texas.
Service to to begin with a 777-200ER from Auckland Airport starting in December.

Air NZ says Houston flights will be its longest
Air New Zealand's Auckland-Houston flights will be the longest on the airline's network.
It will take about 13hours 50 minutes to make the near 11,990km flight to the Texan city and an extra 40 minutes to fly back to New Zealand into prevailing head winds.
This will be another 30 minutes more than the airline's current longest flight - the Auckland - Vancouver service, a distance of around 11,340km.
For its Houston flights the airline will use refurbished Boeing 777-200s and are set to start in December.

Houston will allow New Zealanders to fly directly into the southern heart of America, is a major hub for the southern and eastern United States and also offers good connectivity to the Caribbean and Latin America. Houston links well to feeder flights from US Star Alliance partner, United Airlines.

Flights could be up to five times a week depending on the time of year and Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said it was hoped to build services up to daily.
......

Full story at nzherald.co.nz

 

[TomVexille]

More options to the US is a good thing for me

 

[zainman]

Will probably still be impossible to find award seats on their flights to the USA though

 

[anat0l]

Will probably still be impossible to find award seats on their flights to the USA though

Most of the award seating will likely be: (a) upgrades (from paid PE) - guaranteed price or instrument, (b) upgrades for auction and (c) elites who have too many Airpoints Dollars than they know what to do with (but they do benefit from fixed cost awards rather than the current price).

Methinks, though, that Air NZ likely makes enough from selling the Business Premier seat alone without needing to worry about giving any seats away for awards, especially to the rest of the Star Alliance. The airline made $300 million last year, come on!


I assume with the aircraft choice, this long flight should be well and truly easy and ETOPS etc is no problem, yeah? Anyone would like to avoid the slow start that QF had in the early days of the SYD/DFW operated with 747ER...and a few on and off stops in NOU.

 

[JK1964]

Pity they can't get a 787-9 on to the route. I will not fly the Air NZ 777-200 long haul again after flights AKL-LAX and YVR-AKL. The 777-200 is far too noisy - even at the pointy end.

 

[TomVexille]

Pity they can't get a 787-9 on to the route. I will not fly the Air NZ 777-200 long haul again after flights AKL-LAX and YVR-AKL. The 777-200 is far too noisy - even at the pointy end.

Their current 789 config is a high density configuration aimed at the non premium Chinese and Japanese markets. For NZ to put the 789 on US routes would require them to refit them. Not happening yet.

 

[AviationNZ]

Pity they can't get a 787-9 on to the route. I will not fly the Air NZ 777-200 long haul again after flights AKL-LAX and YVR-AKL. The 777-200 is far too noisy - even at the pointy end.

I've never noticed it being bad, but I wonder if the current 772 fleet refit program will provide the opportunity to address that. Is is possible to change the hull in any way with extra noise protection?

 

[JK1964]

I doubt it will make any difference. In contrast the 773 is so much quieter up the front, being a longer fuselage you are further away from the engines. Interestingly, United had proposed to operate the Houston - Auckland route with the 787 but eventually decided against it.

 

[anat0l]

I've never noticed it being bad, but I wonder if the current 772 fleet refit program will provide the opportunity to address that. Is is possible to change the hull in any way with extra noise protection?

I flew in a 772 in Business Premier (the old one, of course) and didn't notice that it was appreciably louder than other similar aircraft out there.

When they refit the 772, are they also doing 3-4-3 in Economy like their newest 773 aircraft?

 

[TomVexille]

I flew in a 772 in Business Premier (the old one, of course) and didn't notice that it was appreciably louder than other similar aircraft out there.

When they refit the 772, are they also doing 3-4-3 in Economy like their newest 773 aircraft?

I believe that they are.

As for noise, NC headphones do a pretty good job these days.

 

[AviationNZ]

I believe that they are.

As for noise, NC headphones do a pretty good job these days.

Correct with the 3-4-3...and I totally agree, wouldn't travel anywhere without my Bose QC15's!!!

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Just spent the weekend in Auckland & without much effort for looking i came across two billboards advertising the new route for Air NZ in the city centre.

December is a good time to launch this route by Air New Zealand & it will be interesting to witness how this affects LAN & Qantas for those Aussies who's destination is in fact Argentina.

 

[TomVexille]

Just spent the weekend in Auckland & without much effort for looking i came across two billboards advertising the new route for Air NZ in the city centre.

December is a good time to launch this route by Air New Zealand & it will be interesting to witness how this affects LAN & Qantas for those Aussies who's destination is in fact Argentina.

Are you talking about the new EZE or IAH flight?

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Are you talking about the new EZE or IAH flight?

Looks like I posted that comment in the wrong thread.

Referring to EZE.