7
Nov
The other day I flew the newly reconfigured Air NZ A320 across the Tasman. Business class has been removed and so has space+, the much prized section at the front of economy with extra legroom.
On the new configuration, seat pitch is 30″ which is the same as low cost airlines. As someone who is fairly tall this means my knees graze the seat in front when it is upright and I’m in pain when the person in front decides to recline – which they did the moment we were airborne. There is a design flaw in that the tray table cannot unfold (or be folded back up) when the seat in front is reclined.
Further, if you are tall and the seat in front is reclined there is no chance of being able to view the in-flight entertainment as the seatback personal screen is just in front of your chin. The design also rules out being able to do any work on a laptop or reading papers.
I can’t remember a flight as uncomfortable as this one was – even Jetstar domestic flights are better because they are shorter and no-one reclines on domestic, thus there is a feeling of more room. I didn’t expect to ever say that Jetstar is more comfortable than Air NZ. Oh dear.
Dan said,
My wife said NZ trans-tas was better than UA E-.
The Global Traveller said,
It used to be very good, especially if you had star alliance gold status. The space+ seats had around 35″ pitch. The changed configuration with much less legroom was initially on a trial basis for Christchurch to Sydney flights but now is all A320 routes (there are a couple of a/c not yet reconfigured but they will be changing soon).
AJ said,
It’s a total disgrace. Our company flies managers across the Tasman every week. Everyone is now busy directing their bookings to QF. I hear from QF contacts that business has boomed recently with J and Y on syd-akl.
anat0l said,
Is the seat-back IFE problem you suggest common across all carriers that do the same thing? Or only because the pitch is small?
This appears to be the style of IFE going forward on all major carriers. Usually you can adjust the angle of the screen to suit, even when the person in front reclines. I do agree however that if you are tall and/or plump, things get more difficult indeed. Then again, air travel has never been kind (in Y at least) to these kinds of pax.
The Global Traveller said,
@anat0l – the amount of recline is too much given the seat pitch. If there was zero recline it wouldn’t be so bad. Air NZ having spent so much money on very good IFE (not to mention explicitly charging for some of the options with the new shorthaul fares) it seems crazy that the reconfig means some people can’t use it.
Altair said,
I must agree that the screens are literally “in your face” when someone reclines.
I also believe that I have been spoilt too much by either having bulkhead seats or Space + that the return to normal economy is too big a shock for me.
Oh well back to my normal patterns of Business Class as I no longer travel overseas for work (which was always in economy).
GoldFF said,
@dan – yes airnz used to be better than emirates, but not now with the reconfig. Airnz are now worst option. As global traveller points out – even worse than jetstar!
@AJ – agree, most of my corporate friends are also changing to Qantas/emirates mix for trans tas. Not sure if airnz even cares as this move is clearly targeting the budget traveller
@global traveller – glad someone is raising this issue publicly and i just hope airnz learns before it’s too late and all the FF like myself have gone.
And it’s not just the A320s, but the 767s are also reconfig’d to be worst in class.
Even the brand new 777s that airnz is so highly touting for launch next year will set new record low standards. They are launching 10-wide 3-4-3 config in economy on an aircraft designed to only have 9 wide. No guesses on comfort comparison on 10wide in an airnz 777 vs 10wide on Emirates A380. Just unnecessary nastiness!
Libertyscott said,
Interestingly I was pricing a trans-tasman flight recently and Qantas was 15% cheaper than Air NZ, this was economy – on Qantas’s A330 vs NZ on A320 (with “the Works”). The only reason I might fly NZ is lounge access (as I am NZ * Gold status), but a QF A330 in economy (no issues of bag or meal) is going to beat NZ in A320 without Space + any day. Space + WAS literally the main reason I’d pick NZ over QF, and indeed pay more for it up to a point.
GoldFF said,
@ global traveller
It seems airnz are listening. They have decided to re-refit the A320s with more space+ seating, after only a month of new config.
Someone screwed up big time!
M.K.Stewart said,
At just 152cm tall I can squeeze into any seat,but I have observed the person seated next to me with legs angled and still hard up against the back of the seat in front.An uncomfortable trip assured!
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