Air New Zealand’s 787 business class revamp adds ‘luxe’ suites

The upgraded 787s will gain four spacious suites in the front row of business class.

By David Flynn, March 25 2024
Air New Zealand’s 787 business class revamp adds ‘luxe’ suites

Air New Zealand’s long-awaited new business class will take wing in October this year as the Kiwi carrier begins upgrading its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.

The Star Alliance member’s modern take on what it calls Business Premier will swap the current 20-year old ‘sleeper shells’, with narrow confines and a steep rake that sees many passengers facing one another like commuters on a bus.

Time's up, and not before time, for Air New Zealand's current angled business class pods.
Time's up, and not before time, for Air New Zealand's current angled business class pods.

To the relief and delight of all business class travellers, the new Business Premier seats adopt a more conventional layout which shifts the cabin from open space to your own space. 

Air New Zealand's new Business Premier will arrive in October this year.
Air New Zealand's new Business Premier will arrive in October this year.

Business class seats located on either side of the 787 will be angled slightly inwards, but still close enough to the window to enjoy the view.

Seats with a view: Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier class.
Seats with a view: Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier class.

There’s also greater privacy from sliding privacy panels – although these are not full doors – along with creature comforts such as a storage cabinet and vanity mirror, a spacious side shelf, wireless device charging and a massive 24” video screen with Bluetooth audio streaming to your own cordless headphones or earbuds.

Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier seats include a 24" screen with Bluetooth audio streaming.
Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier seats include a 24" screen with Bluetooth audio streaming.

And crowning this in row 1 will be four larger Business Premier Luxe suites: AirNZ’s take on the ‘business plus’ trend offering more space, comfort and amenity to those willing to spend a little more on their business class airfare.

More space to stretch out: Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier Luxe suites.
More space to stretch out: Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier Luxe suites.

Each Business Premier Luxe suite can be closed off by two sliding partitions, while a companion seat allows a fellow business class flyer to join you to share a meal, a glass of wine or a game of cards.

Fly with a friend in Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier Luxe suites.
Fly with a friend in Air New Zealand's 2024 Business Premier Luxe suites.

Apart from ‘soft product’ enhancements such as a Merino wool throw, Air New Zealand tells Executive Traveller there won’t be any elevation in food and drink, with Business Premier Luxe passengers enjoying the same’Aotearoa on a Plate’ dining concept, which showcases fresh locally-sourced ingredients.

The airline says while it considered Luxe suite options such as “a personal wardrobe or a mini-bar, the strong feedback we got was ‘just give us extra space’.”

Privacy by degrees: Business Premier Luxe suites (left) vs standard Business Premier seats (right).
Privacy by degrees: Business Premier Luxe suites (left) vs standard Business Premier seats (right).

Just how much passengers will have to pay for that additional space remains to be seen, with the Business Premier Luxe option yet to appear on the airline’s booking website.

Nor have the flights which will feature these dolled-up Dreamliners been listed.

Air New Zealand originally intended for the new Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe suites to debut in September 2024 on marathon routes like New York and Chicago, using factory-fresh Boeing 787 jets.

Air New Zealand will begin flying its upgraded 787s in October 2024.
Air New Zealand will begin flying its upgraded 787s in October 2024.

But with Air New Zealand pushing back the delivery of the first two new 787s into the 2026 financial year – a broad window stretching from July 2025 to June 2026 – it will be the refurbished 787s that serve as AirNZ’s Luxe launchpad.

And they won’t necessarily be locked into those ultra-long US routes.

“We’re expecting the first of our retrofit aircraft in October this year,” an Air New Zealand spokesperson tells Executive Traveller, “however where this aircraft will first fly to hasn’t been decided yet.”

“Our retrofit aircraft could be on any long-haul and short-haul route (anywhere we fly the 787 currently).”

“The new aircraft will be more efficient for our ultra-long-haul routes like Chicago and New York. However, until they arrive, there is a possibility our retrofit aircraft may also service these routes.”

Unlike the brand new 787s, the retrofitted 787s will have a smaller business class cabin of just 22 seats (including the four Luxe suites) ahead of the airline’s latest premium economy seats, but will forego the innovative Skynest sleeping bunks which will let economy passenger book a full-length lie-flat bed for four hours at a time.

Bu comparison, the new 787s – which have been designed specifically for ultra-long range flights - will sport 42 Business Premier seats across two cabins, with the first row of each two cabins containing four Business Premier Luxe suites (for a total of eight suites) – with the six Skynest bunks nestled into the front of the economy cabin.

Air New Zealand's 'premium-heavy' Boeing 787 layout for the new Dreamliners.
Air New Zealand's 'premium-heavy' Boeing 787 layout for the new Dreamliners.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

07 Jul 2014

Total posts 5

It's a big mistake for ANZ to deliver this product as late as 2026!  I will never fly them while they have the current business class seats

Re-read the article, Air New Zealand will "deliver this product" from October this year on refurbished 787s. It's only the new 787s which have been delayed to "as late as 2026".


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