Air New Zealand has just unveiled plans to retrofit its entire Boeing 777 with new business class seats starting in 2027. However, these won’t be the same new business class seats that are currently being installed on the Boeing 787 fleet… and that’s probably a good thing?
In this post:
Air New Zealand plans reverse herringbone seats for 777s
Air New Zealand intends to introduce a new business class product on its entire fleet of seven Boeing 777-300ERs (that excludes the ex-Cathay Pacific frames). Specifically, the airline will be installing reverse herringbone seats with doors on these aircraft, based on the Collins Aerospace Elevation platform.
The cabin will feature 44 seats (just as it does now), with seats having 43″ of pitch. All seats will have direct aisle access and privacy doors, and center seats will have sliding privacy dividers between them. Seat back entertainment will consist of 18″ monitors with bluetooth audio. The seats will also have USB-A and USB-C charging, but no wireless charging.
Air New Zealand’s plan is to reconfigure the first aircraft with these interiors as of March 2027, with hopes of having the plane in service by May 2027. Of course when we’re talking about aircraft interiors, it’s especially important to emphasize that delays are common, and even likely.
As before, the planes will feature 342 seats, with the same number of business class seats. However, we’re going to see two premium economy seats removed and two economy seats added, as obviously a little more space was needed to make room for these seats.
Here’s what’s Air New Zealand Chief Customer & Digital Officer, Jeremy O’Brien, had to say about this project:
“Our current Business Premier and Economy cabins have served us exceptionally well since we welcomed the first 777-300ER into our fleet in late 2010, however the time is right to raise the bar once again. Alongside our retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, these upgrades will deliver a more consistent experience across Air New Zealand’s international fleet, with a design and production standard that matches the world-class Kiwi service we’re proud to provide onboard. Our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft continue to play a key role in our international network, and upgrading the interiors means we can keep these aircraft flying for longer, while reducing the maintenance demands that come with an older cabin product.”
This looks great, even if the inconsistency is odd
Air New Zealand’s new 777 business class is long overdue, and customers should be very happy about this. There’s nothing cutting edge about it, but it puts the product in the category of being very competitive. That’s a massive contrast to the current herringbone seats you have on these planes, which I’d argue are among the worst business class seats (at least purpose-built long haul ones) flying nowadays.
Now, from a consistency standpoint, I do find it strange how Air New Zealand is currently installing two different new business class seats on two different fleet types. In some cases that’s necessary due to cabin width, but clearly that’s not the case here, since the 777 cabin is actually wider than the 787 cabin.
Ironically, I think Air New Zealand’s new off the shelf business class on the 777 is a superior product to the custom product on the 787, which doesn’t even have doors.
Bottom line
Air New Zealand will be installing a new business class product on its Boeing 777 fleet, which is long overdue. The airline will be installing a familiar reverse herringbone product with doors, which represents a major upgrade over the carrier’s current herringbone seats on these planes.
The only thing I can’t make sense of is why the airline is installing a different product than on the Boeing 787 fleet. Admittedly I actually think this product is better than the new 787 product. Regardless, it’s nice to see Air New Zealand’s entire long haul fleet get a refresh.
What do you make of Air New Zealand’s new 777 business class?
We flew ANZ in March. Actually, I really liked the old configuration. Yes, at first, it looked weird with everybody’s feet in the aisle. However, sleeping was much better. Your legs were free to move. In the new configuration and in most business class seats, your feet are in a coffin box and movement is very restrictive. Just my two cents worth.
What is it with you and doors in business class. People can still look over and see what you're doing. It's nothing more than a gimmick
My first thought on the benefits on doors is not that I can now do something behind it I couldn't do without one, for fear of being seen. It ain't on the list. You can just not use them, you know?
Doors help to disconnect you from every movement in the cabin. It’s more relaxing when you don’t have to see absolutely everything going on, including other passengers’ screens. In any event, these “what is it with doors” comments are tedious. Some passengers like them, so let them like them.
Air NZ keep making weird (read bad) choices.
These seats are perfectly fine, but a bit meh for something being introduced in 2026.
The 787 seats are absolutely terrible. Out of all the options for that aircraft, they chose what has to be the worst: herringbone (aisle facing) seats.
There is a very good technical reason NOT to use the herringbone arrangement (head near wall) with reverse herringbone (head away from wall) being acoustically much better. Aircraft suffer from an "acoustic boundary" effect which means the noise level is loudest right at the aircraft wall. In the old Air NZ and Air Canada herringbone seat, when it is put in the flat position your head is right in this boundary area, and the noise...
There is a very good technical reason NOT to use the herringbone arrangement (head near wall) with reverse herringbone (head away from wall) being acoustically much better. Aircraft suffer from an "acoustic boundary" effect which means the noise level is loudest right at the aircraft wall. In the old Air NZ and Air Canada herringbone seat, when it is put in the flat position your head is right in this boundary area, and the noise level is significantly higher. It is the noisiest part of the aircraft - in the old Air Canada 777 herringbone seats it was like putting your head next to a diesel tractor!
On top of this there is the cricked neck to look out the window, and the fact you are facing all the activity in the aisle. I was dumbfounded when Air NZ started reconfiguring their 787’s with a fancier herringbone, seemingly not to have learned anything from experience.
These days Air NZ don’t fly anywhere much useful long haul for us anyway, their flyer scheme is a standalone and unfathomable dollar value rather than distance points; plus for Australians, their Pacific network doesn’t connect seamlessly. It nearly always requires an overnight in Auckland in either direction, and a propensity to departing or arriving in far flung Pacific ports at 2am.
Despite the usually friendly crew, they are altogether an oddly disjointed airline we long ago abandoned.
I haven't considered NZ for TPAC flights since switching to J. The 787s were bad 1-1-1 that became a 1-2-1 herringbone. With current 777s in 1-2-1 herringbone, I've opted for more modern, better designs on other carriers. This move might make me consider using them on a 777 TPAC. Yet, I will be on a 777 in J trans-Tasman with them. This allows me to see if I really will dislike the current layout in...
I haven't considered NZ for TPAC flights since switching to J. The 787s were bad 1-1-1 that became a 1-2-1 herringbone. With current 777s in 1-2-1 herringbone, I've opted for more modern, better designs on other carriers. This move might make me consider using them on a 777 TPAC. Yet, I will be on a 777 in J trans-Tasman with them. This allows me to see if I really will dislike the current layout in an environment where I wouldn't be trying to sleep (4 hour morning flight) with a pretty decent price.
More of the same twisted abnormal seats to be sold at increased fares .
Collins must be really struggling with logistics that Airlines are still choosing what is essentially Super Diamond with a door over their cutting edge Elements (Starlux A350, Etihad newer 787) or Horizons (Aeroflot A350, Korean 787-10) seats. Either that or they are charging super high for the newer seats. This "Elevation" still has only 18" screens and tight foot space, similar to the Elevate Ascent seats that everyone seemingly chose for their 787s like UA/AA...
Collins must be really struggling with logistics that Airlines are still choosing what is essentially Super Diamond with a door over their cutting edge Elements (Starlux A350, Etihad newer 787) or Horizons (Aeroflot A350, Korean 787-10) seats. Either that or they are charging super high for the newer seats. This "Elevation" still has only 18" screens and tight foot space, similar to the Elevate Ascent seats that everyone seemingly chose for their 787s like UA/AA etc.
Safran Cirrus is still far more comfortable and even their budget Skylounge core (Emirates A350 J seats) are roomier and with option to add larger screens.
Worst business case seat..? No argument from me.
Jeremy O'Brien - “raise the bar once again"? Yep, from 2 decades ago when the seat was introduced.
"...consistency"? You must mean the budget protein served in business 'premier' with near First class pricing.
Me? Air NZ (Gold Elite 10+ years) happy to be cured of the Frequent flyer Stockholm Syndrome now that I've flown the competition and accessed far superior lounges.
Could it be that they are going with an off the shelf product to remove certification risk since they custom seat would have to be re-certified on the 777?
With fewer airlines upgrading their 300ER interiors, maybe it was quicker to get these seats than try to get behind the 100s of 787s also getting new seats at present?
The only airlines I see upgrading theirs are American, Cathay, Emirates, EVA, Air New Zealand, Air India, Air Canada, Philippine Airlines, Korean, Thai, Turkish.
A lot of 77Ws are starting to be replaced.
I wonder who the OEM is.
One thing I appreciate is the stitching or pleats on the seats which most airlines don't even bother with. Emirates and Riyadh Air are the two notable mentions who adds those touches.
Other than that, it looks sterile tbh. New Zealand has beautiful landscapes, so they could've added some colour that would resemble their landscape such as green, blue, brown.
Forget the OEM question, I should've read the entire article and looked at the seat in its entirety.
Niccce. I love me some more 'suites with doors.' While this is for their 773, it's interesting how they've got the 1-1-1 on their 787 for the super-long-haul from JFK-AKL. (The middle on that one seems very exposed. Also, the facing-inward, instead of out-ward, is not my fav. Wonder if they'll update those.)