Air New Zealand Lays Off All 777 Crews

I got a vibe that this may be the end of the 777s at Air NZ. Would it be unrealistic to predict a transition to a full 787 Long Haul fleet and a full a320 short haul fleet in order to simplify its operations?

@ Phil - it would have a brave bet that in, say 5 years time the extra capacity a 777-300 has over a 789 still wouldn't be needed on LAX-AKL and their other biggest routes

I have an open jaw trip booked in late May on Air NZ from MEL-AKL-SYD. They’re only offering a voucher, which is essentially useless to me. Do I have any recourse?

Wow. Out of all the airlines I've flown the cabin crew at all my Air New Zealand flights have been the best in terms of smiles, service, and overall personality and work ethic! And this is in business, premium economy, and economy!
I would have hoped that Air NZ could have retrained them to work in the call center for a few months perhaps or in a different role since they all know Air NZ fairly well in terms of culture and service. Even if it's reduced pay, I think some of them would take that offer.

Dam...

Some say that EasyJet expect NOT fly more in 2020

Mabye just start to plan for a domestic X-mas..

/Lars

Maybe the 787-10 will eventually take over the 777s, would be a great loss though and the Crew that uses to man them.

Yes, but the newly unemployed in New Zealand can take great pride in the fact that the global media view their prime minister as a hero.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivahwittenbergcox/2020/04/13/what-do-countries-with-the-best-coronavirus-reponses-have-in-common-women-leaders/#26f40cee3dec

@Tyler, they can take great pride that they live in a country that will support them as unemployed Kiwis. Free healthcare and unemployment benefits are ample to live on. They can even go to their first-year of college for free if they chose to.

@Tylyer
Exactly! This is a complete joke. Same with Angela Merkel's management of the crisis in Germany. She is doing basically nothing, everything is done by lower level federal employees and the good scientists. Merkel is simply waiting 2 weeks and then says that all measures that the people like were her own idea and all other measures were not hers.

@Mosfet
Let's see for how long NZ will be able to continue these benefits while they have closed down the very important tourism industry that generates all the tax dollars who enable it in the first place.

Very sad ... the 787 is not very comfy in the 3-3-3 economy seating plan . Cramped for certain

My heart goes out to Doug. I was incredibly lucky to travel to New Zealand and Australia in December and early part of January. From LAX-AKL, travel through the north and south island, then MEL-CNS-SYD, and return SYD-LAX plus two connecting flights home. Twenty-two days, 11 flights (business and economy), four airlines, eight hotels. Little did we know the Coronavirus was beginning to threaten the world and travel industry. It’s sad to think this couldn’t have happened. Now I am sad so many travelers’ dreams are shattered by this pandemic.

In one sense I understand the extreme measures being taken by Air New Zealand, Quantas, AA and other airlines to NZ and Australia. New Zealand and Australia are so far from most countries, so it makes sense to extend every possible measure of protection to them. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/09/asia/new-zealand-lessons-intl-hnk/index.html

As for switching from one type of aircraft to another less comfortable, that does not make sense. The long flight is quite “trying,” and it’s time airlines make all seats high quality. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how airlines possibly implement “social distancing” and cleanliness.

And just when they were entertaining the idea of a new business class… I fly them, and I was looking forward to that, but now, I guess we even have to wait longer for that to happen. Their crew is the best I've ever experienced.

do we have a list or map of lon haul flights still flying?