Air New Zealand Business Class SFO-AKL

Updated June 23, 2020.

Some problems really do come with a silver lining. For us, realizing we missed our connecting flight in San Francisco on our way to New Zealand by mere minutes was basically heart-breaking–even moreso because at that point, we had already been up for 22+ hours, and now we had to fix this problem.

After exhausting every possible scenario, we finally decided the best option for us would be to take the Air New Zealand Flight at 7:50pm the next day. While missing out on an entire day of our trip was not at all in the plan, neither was flying Air New Zealand’s incredible Business Class—but we are thankful for the opportunity! Check it out and put “fly Air New Zealand Business” on your shortest “to do” list!

The Welcome Service

Walking into the aircraft, we were helped to our seats and warmly greeted by every member of the staff we met! Kiwis (aka New Zealanders) are some of the friendliest people we’ve met, and their airline staff do not disappoint! Upon being seated we were offered a pre-flight beverage: champagne for Steve and water for me!

The Seat

Okay, this is the most comfortable seat I have ever had the privilege of sitting in for any Business Class flight I’ve ever had. No joke! It was cushy, wide, and every seat has aisle access. There are also a few small but adequate storage locations for your phone, charger, reading material, and whatever else you might want at your finger tips in-flight.

Wide seat, comfortable cushioning, and a foot rest my feet can *actually reach!*

Lay-Flat Capability

The best part of those seats? They are also the most comfortable lay-flat beds! When you’re ready to turn in for the night, you simply ask the flight attendant to make your seat into a bed, and the rest is magic. Your seat folds forward, a memory foam mattress pad is placed on top, and your bed is made up complete with a fluffy pillow and a cozy blanket!

Most comfortable lay-flat airplane seat ever!

Amenities Kit

Something else I love about flying Business Class is the amenities kit that always comes with it. It’s like a little gift! And I always reuse the bag or box it comes in because, why not?! In fact, I intend to use the Air New Zealand bag as a clutch for some nice outings my sweet husband Steve and I have planned in this year’s travels!

The Entertainment

There are lots of entertainment choices to choose from including… FREE wifi! This feature was only available until February 2019, but it was quite a pleasant surprise when we discovered that!

Aside from the wifi miracle, there were plenty of TV shows, movies, music, and more to make your flight a little more enjoyable. I mostly watched the insides of my eyelids because my lay-flat seat was oh-so-comfy, but if I hadn’t been able to sleep, there definitely would have been enough to keep me busy! Oh, and the TV moves out of its cubby for optimal positioning!

The Meals

Airline food is admittedly at the top of no one’s list of favorite things to eat, but Air New Zealand does a pretty good job with lots of interesting options and tasty meals! The dinner service was quite a show, as was the breakfast extravaganza. And let’s face it, everything is way better when served with a New Zealand accent and a smile!

Appetizer: smoked scallops and garlic bread

Entree: My opportunity to try the Impossible Burger! It’s a vegetarian burger that claims to taste like a real burger. I think it was close!

Ok, next, I did the craziest thing: I skipped dessert! I would normally never skip dessert while having a new experience like this, but that just goes to show how exhausted we already were after the stress from the day before! I did sleep about 7 incredibly restful hours, though, which is a bigger accomplishent to me! Now, on to breakfast:

Pre-breakfast banana-berry smoothie (kind of made up for no dessert the night before!)

Banana pancakes with blueberry compote and brown sugar cream—amazing!

Some Things I Missed…

While this was one of the best Business Class experiences I’ve had, I did find myself missing a few things that are often offered on other airlines. It would have been nice to have slippers and pajamas on this 13+ hour flight, and I usually count on having a facial cleansing wipe included in the amenities kit, since washing one’s face is not so easy in a tiny, unfamiliar sink! There was also nothing particularly special about the lavatories, but I find all that forgivable, especially after such a good night’s sleep!

Overall, we would definitely fly with Air New Zealand again! And we definitely plan to return to Kiwi Country in the future. Does it sound nice to you?

Check out all my epic flying experiences on my Air Travel Page, and get all the info you need and more to plan your trip on my New Zealand Page!

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