Air New Zealand: year-round Boeing 787 Adelaide-Auckland flights
By David Flynn, November 29 2017
UPDATE | Air New Zealand will fly its Boeing 787-9 aircraft to Adelaide year-round following a seasonal stint this summer.
With the Adelaide-Auckland Dreamliner flights originally slated to end on March 25 2018 – reverting to an all-economy Airbus A320 – that means Adelaide flyers can continue to book travel in business class and premium economy throughout the year.
AirNZ's Boeing 787 departs Adelaide at 11:40am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays as flight NZ192, reaching Auckland at 6:30pm local time on the same calendar day.
Out of Auckland, NZ191 is wheels-up at 8:15am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays ahead of a 10:45am touchdown in Adelaide.
However, the airline's all-economy Airbus A320 jet will continue appearing in Adelaide's skies during peak periods throughout 2018 to provide up to two additional flights per week, departing both cities on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Those flights will be NZ791 out of Auckland and NZ792 from Adelaide, so passengers hoping to fly on the Dreamliner should seek out the Boeing 787 flights above instead.
PREVIOUS, March 15 2017 | Air New Zealand will begin flying its Boeing 787-9 between Adelaide and Auckland from 26 October 2017.
The Dreamliner will fly three days a week – on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – as NZ191/192.
Most of AirNZ's Dreamliners will carry this white-and-black colour scheme
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
NZ192 departs Adelaide at 11.55am to reach Auckland at 6.25pm, with NZ191 wheels-up from Auckland at 8.35am and arriving into Adelaide at 10.40am.
During the peak season from 16 December 2017 to 27 January 2018 this will be supplemented by a less glamorous Airbus A320, following roughly the same timetable as the Boeing 787-9 but on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday as flights NZ791/792.
Of course, if your schedule allows it makes far more sense to fly on the Dreamliner.
You not only get a quiet, modern jet with clever tech to combat inflight fatigue – welcome even on this relatively short 4-5 hour jaunt – but the Boeing 787-9 sports both business class (below) and premium economy seats, unlike the all-economy layout of the Airbus A320.
In related news, Air New Zealand expects to cut the ribbon on its all-new lounge at Melbourne Airport's international terminal by May, which will cheer the mood of travellers who've been putting up with the temporary lounge since late last year.
The lounge will complete the airline's trans-Tasman lounge network, which has seen swish business class lounges open in Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland, and will share the same modern design as its siblings.
Once open, the Melbourne lounge will see a trio of premium lounges on Australia's east coast bookending the popular trans-Tasman corridor to Auckland, which attracts more traffic than any other international route.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
28 Dec 2016
Total posts 74
Ok thats weird. Why is NZ flying a 9000mi ranged plane on a 2000mi sector
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2016
Total posts 167
They already fly it sporadically to the east coast and regularly to Perth...
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
The only aircraft they fly to Perth...up to double daily in peak season.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 105
There must be enough demand for it.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
Presumably the demand for seats, and for premium seats, outstrips what an NZ A321 can provide?
05 Oct 2011
Total posts 195
Most likely because they have a spare 12 hours three days a week for that aircraft type and so they can use that to sell genuine Business and PE to USA from ADL
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Jun 2016
Total posts 8
I think it's great. Finally Adelaide is getting some proper attention from NZ.
09 May 2011
Total posts 25
I would have thought that a year round daily Airbus 320 would be better suited, giving much more flexibility to the market.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 699
Yeh I was going to mention that or add additional routes to Christchurch, Queenstown or Wellington.
15 Mar 2017
Total posts 3
This is great news for Adelaide customers wanting to fly business or premium all the way to North America! Previously had to fly economy Adelaide to Auckland.
06 Jan 2015
Total posts 66
Fantastic news for Adelaide.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 79
Fantastic! I flew Adelaide via MEL to get the widebody as it seemed preferable to 5hrs on the A320. Bonus you can upgrade now though! Much prefer this than hopping via MEL.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 122
Great few days for Adelaide! Qatar released details yesterday that they will increase DOH-ADL to daily from 2nd December 2017.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Aug 2011
Total posts 165
Perfect timing to feed into the NZ flights to/from the US. NZ sensing opportunity beyond the Tasman, particularly to win some premium traffic ADL-USA. Of course the 787 will shortly be NZ's smallest wide-body as the last 767 disappears in a few weeks.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Mar 2014
Total posts 38
This is great news! I fly regularly to New Zealand from Adelaide and this route has been underserved for a long time. I thought it would go to A321 or get a few extra flights a week over the peak period, but the 787-9 is a bonus.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 461
I think it's a great move that NZ are doing this.I recall on my last trip to New Zealand which was ex Adelaide on the outbound I had to put up with the A320 which was awful in 2012.I recall on my second trip there getting the Ansett domestic flight to Melbourne which funnily enough was on an A320 to connect with the wide body 767 which was end of 1998 going into the first day of 1999 when I arrived just after Midnight into Auckland.I think for a lot of you and it saddens me to say this that a lot of you won't step on an Air New Zealand plane all because of what they did to drive Ansett out of Business almost sixteen years ago.
30 Aug 2013
Total posts 438
I guess there's sufficient premium demand from ADL to the Americas that it makes sense for NZ to offer a 3 cabin service all the way but agree with others it's seems odd to make a 3 weekly 787 instead of a daily A320...
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 13
The economics must have worked for them as you have some premuim end pax and the 787s are fuel efficient.Air NZ seem to think they can make the 787 work for relatively short sectors but Joyce ruled out the 787 for domestic services.
NZ
13 Aug 2016
Total posts 64
NZ is lucky we're they get to balance the cost of the aircraft out by using the off-peak period for long-haul to shuttle them across the tasman, otherwise would of been parked up at AKL for 12hours. So effectictely reducing ownership costs to gain an short-haul fleet of widebodys.
28 May 2016
Total posts 127
A >3.5 hour Tasman trip has very different economics to the likes of a <1 hour MEL-SYD flight
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