Air New Zealand’s revamped Dreamliner is now...

Air New Zealand has introduced dates and routes for its first completely revamped 787-9 Dreamliner. Meaning in simply a few weeks, you possibly can try the airline’s brand-new seats (and carpet, curtains, leisure methods and extra).

The airline overhauled all cabins — together with economic system, premium economic system and enterprise class — on its first retrofitted 787-9 over a 184-day interval. It additionally added two new all-new business-class merchandise styled Enterprise Premier and Enterprise Premier Luxe. That is the primary of 14 Air New Zealand Dreamliners set to be redesigned by the top of subsequent yr.

So, how are you going to expertise these new seats for your self? The brand new Dreamliner will fly between Auckland and the next cities: San Francisco; Brisbane, Australia; Rarotonga, Cook dinner Islands; and Vancouver, British Columbia. These routes can be found to guide as of Wednesday, Might 7, with flights taking off within the coming weeks.

As an illustration, the inaugural Auckland-to-San Francisco flight will take off on Might 19 at 7:45 p.m. native time and land at 12:50 p.m. PDT on the identical date (time journey!). The return San Francisco-to-Auckland flight departs Might 19 at 10:05 p.m. Based on a press release, there will probably be “extra routes to observe as extra of the retrofits are full.”

Associated: What to know when planning a family trip to New Zealand

guide Air New Zealand’s new Dreamliner with factors and miles

Air New Zealand Airpoints are laborious to come back by; it is a lot simpler to guide Air New Zealand award seats by way of its Star Alliance companions. Nonetheless, to seek out flights with this actual aircraft, it may be useful to start out your search on Air New Zealand’s web site.

As an illustration, on the inaugural revamped 787-9 flight from Auckland Airport (AKL) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Might 19, the brand new Enterprise Premier Luxe seats are talked about underneath the business-class fare.

On the subsequent web page, you will have the choice to improve to Enterprise Premier Luxe. Or you possibly can choose these seats from the seat map later within the reserving course of.

This similar flight is accessible on United Airways’ web site for 60,500 miles one-way in economic system, plus $47 in taxes and charges. Or, in case you have an eligible United cobranded card, you will pay solely 55,000 miles. You may see right here, too, that the 787-9 Dreamliner known as out close to the flight quantity.

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Whereas Enterprise Premier and Enterprise Premier Luxe aren’t out there with United miles on the above flight, a business-class award between the U.S. and New Zealand would sometimes value 110,000 miles (or 100,000 miles for United cardholders), so hopefully we see these redemptions pop up quickly for the brand new 787-9.

The identical flight booked by way of Air Canada Aeroplan is an excellent higher deal, costing solely 50,000 factors in economic system. You may pay barely extra in taxes and fees: 136 Canadian {dollars} (roughly $98), which continues to be very affordable for a long-haul worldwide flight. Equally, there isn’t a Enterprise Premier or Enterprise Premier Luxe out there to guide on this flight by way of this accomplice, however typically, business-class redemptions on different planes that fly this route go for 75,000 Aeroplan factors.

With money charges for a similar date beginning at 992 New Zealand {dollars} ($589) one-way in economic system, this comes out to round 0.98 cents per level — slightly below worth for Aeroplan factors, that are price 1.4 cents every per our Might 2025 valuations.

You’ll be able to switch bank card rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards. You’ll be able to switch Chase factors and Bilt Factors to United, however you are higher off transferring to Aeroplan because it affords higher award charges on this case.

One other solution to guide the brand new Air New Zealand Dreamliner is with Singapore Airways, which fees 66,000 KrisFlyer miles (plus $42) for one-way economic system saver award seats. (Equally, there aren’t any business-class redemptions out there on this particular flight, however they are often discovered for 146,500 miles on different planes on this route.)

This is not the most cost effective solution to fly on Air New Zealand’s new Dreamliner, but it surely’s a pleasant choice in case you have a stash of bank card rewards that may be transferred to KrisFlyer, corresponding to Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Final Rewards factors.

Associated: How I used 75,000 Chase points to fly business class to New Zealand

The draw back is that, for now, specialised seat varieties like the brand new Enterprise Premier Luxe and the economy Skycouch are not bookable by way of accomplice airways. However we’ll be watching this area to see if and when award bookings change into out there.