Airline Awarded First Place for Best Business Class to the South Pacific in 2008
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (December 12, 2008) - Air New Zealand proudly announced today that it has been recognized by Business Traveler magazine as the "Best Business Class to Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific" in 2008. Through an aggressive strategy to continuously upgrade its aircraft fleet and onboard amenities, Air New Zealand secured its place as the most innovative and attentive airline serving popular destinations in the South Pacific, such as Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and a number of Pacific island destinations. Business Traveler magazine has been a leader in recognizing excellence in business travel for nearly 20 years and publishes nine editions around the world.
"We want business travelers to be able to focus on their work rather than ours," said Roger Poulton, Vice President, Air New Zealand - The Americas. "Air New Zealand designs a seamless journey with customers at the core - from a new state-of-the-art domestic check-in to the lie-flat bed, award-winning food and wine, and more than 400-hours of inflight entertainment starting the moment you step aboard to the moment you land."
"Our new in-flight concierge service offers our business travelers personal assistance with anything they need before, during and after the flight," said Poulton. "We are thrilled that our customers have cheered for us, resulting in this honor from Business Traveler for our Business Class service."
Air New Zealand Business Premier cabins offer customers luxurious comfort with revolutionary lie-flat seats - 22-inch-wide leather armchairs that convert into 6-foot, 7.5-inch beds featuring an ottoman footrest that doubles as a visitor's seat. In addition to ensuring maximum comfort, the airline's in-flight entertainment systems allow passengers to enjoy recent blockbuster movies, TV programs and exclusive audio programs from the moment they sit down until the moment the aircraft lands.
Beyond comfort and entertainment, Business Premier passengers experience a unique New Zealand dining experience with dishes that feature New Zealand's finest natural produce, selected from a panel of consultant chefs. Additionally, Air New Zealand offers an award-winning premium wine selection created by top New Zealand wine consultants. These finishing touches help create the ultimate flying experience on one of the world's top airlines - recognized again as the best in the South Pacific.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including non-stop flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Vancouver to New Zealand, as well as Los Angeles non-stop to the Cook Islands and Samoa. Other popular destinations include Australia, China, Japan and Tonga. In addition to flying non-stop Los Angeles-London, Air New Zealand's route between London and Hong Kong now allows customers to fly round-the-world on one airline. Consistently rated among the world's best international airlines, Air New Zealand's new Inflight Concierge Service provides all passengers with a range of services to every , from travel advice to assistance with onward bookings. Air New Zealand's most recent accolades include "Best Transpacific Airline" at the 26th Airline Industry Awards, "Best Passenger Service" award by Air Transport World magazine, "Best Airline to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand", Business Traveler Magazine (USA) and "Best Business Class Red Wine" for the Martinborough Pinot Noir 2005 at the 2007 Cellars in the Sky awards. United Mileage Plus, US Airways Dividend Miles and Air Canada's Aeroplan members earn and redeem mileage on select flights. Flight and vacation essentials can be booked on AirNewZealand.com or by calling 1-800-262-1234 in the USA and 1-800-663-5494 in Canada. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance network.
Contact:
Sarah Miller-Reeves
Public Relations and Sponsorship - the Americas
Air New Zealand
1960 East Grand Ave, Suite 300
El Segundo, CA 90245, USA
Tel 310 648 7039
Fax 310 648 7117
AirNewZealand.com
NOTE: The content of all Air New Zealand media releases are accurate at the time of issue, as stated at the top of each release. For updates on any changes, please contact Air New Zealand.
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award, Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Blue1, bmi, Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Aegean Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines and TAM have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers 19,500 daily flights to 1,071 airports in 171 countries.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com.
