Flight test: What it's really like to fly to New York and back with Air New Zealand

After getting off to a rather rocky start, Air New Zealand’s new route between Auckland and New York has now been in action for just over a month.

Initial issues with and being offloaded have been sorted out, and so far the airline has been able to successfully operate the marathon service non-stop (a couple of times it’s narrowly avoided having to touchdown in Fiji due to weather conditions).

So now that all is going smoothly, what’s it like to fly on the fourth-longest route in the world – and can it be done comfortably in economy?

We checked out the cheap seats.

NZ2, Auckland to New York, and NZ1, New York to Auckland.

If you’re connecting via a domestic flight, as I was, I would recommend a gap of at least two hours (my flight from Wellington was delayed, and I had to make a run for the international terminal, leaving me a sweaty mess before the marathon flight had even begun).

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The version used on this route has been designed to have more premium seats, with 27 business premier seats, 33 premium economy seats, and 215 economy seats. This includes 13 rows that can be converted into the “Skycouch”.

I was in a bog-standard economy seat. On the outbound flight, I had to pay $19 to select my seat. I chose 58H, an aisle seat down the back.

There was a passenger in the window seat, but to our joint delight, the middle seat remained unoccupied – despite it almost being a full flight.

For the return trip, it cost nothing to select a seat. Again, I went for an aisle seat right in the back, 59C. Thanks to a passenger cap on this leg due to more fuel being needed, many either had a row to themselves, or, again in my case, the middle seat free.

The flight from Auckland to New York has a scheduled flight time of 16 hours and 15 minutes, while the return flight is 17 hours and 35 minutes.

This ended up being about right – but mainly because of hold-ups on the ground. On both flights, we had to spend ages waiting on the tarmac at JFK Airport.

Despite departing from Auckland about 40 minutes late, the flight from Auckland to New York landed right on time, at 6.55pm. But it took so long to get to the gate that we didn’t end up getting off the plane for another hour.

On the flight back, we sat on the tarmac for close to two hours before we were finally cleared to take off. Fortunately, the pilots were able to make up a good chunk of time, so we only arrived half an hour later than the scheduled arrival time. Still, from boarding to landing, we sat on the plane for a total of 18 hours.

Doing these flights in economy is certainly bearable – though it did help having those middle seats free both ways. I would have struggled without the extra personal space.

Having previously flown between Dubai and Auckland on Emirates’ A380, I couldn’t help but compare that experience with this route, which is a similar length. The Dreamliner definitely feels more like a sardine can – there isn’t as much space for getting up and stretching your legs around the plane.

Still, the Dreamliner does have some neat features. I liked the flexible headrests, which you can twist into a shape that will support your head. And the mood lighting was cool – like the orange glow that mimicked the sunrise, gently signalling it was time to wake up.

While there were a handful of decent new releases, overall I was disappointed by the selection of movies and TV shows. There wasn’t the quantity of content you would expect for an ultra-long-haul flight – on the outbound trip, I felt like I had to ration my viewing, to ensure I’d have something to watch on the way back.

There was a special “New York” section, featuring movies and TV shows set in the Big Apple, which was a fun idea, but again, the options weren't that great (I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to showcase the destination).

Come on Air New Zealand, can’t you at least get a season of Sex and the City on there?

Also disappointing. You’re given a pair of earbuds to use with the entertainment system. These were quite tinny, and kept falling out of my ears.

The pillow and blanket were of a flimsy quality. Toothbrush sets, ear plugs and eye shades could be requested via the entertainment system, but by the time I figured this out, they had run out.

Wi-fi wasn’t available on my flight to New York, but it was on the way back – and it worked well throughout the flight.

I had come prepared with a carry-on full of treats, as I wasn’t convinced two meal services would be adequate for such a long flight. But I didn’t end up needing to do much extra snacking, as there was so much food on the trays.

On the outbound flight, dinner was served about an hour after take-off. There was a choice of braised lamb, potatoes and peas, or chicken korma and rice. The main came with a salad, bread roll, cheese and crackers, and chocolate cake.

For early risers, a panini was handed out to tide us over until breakfast, about three hours before landing. It was scrambled eggs and chicken sausage, or cinnamon hotcakes, with bircher muesli, a bread roll, muffin, and fresh fruit.

I thought the meal timing on this flight was odd. Considering we were landing in New York at night, it felt strange to be having breakfast right before we arrived.

On the way back, dinner was similarly served about an hour after take-off, with a choice of Tuscan beef, scalloped potatoes and seasonal veges, or chicken pasta. Once again, it came with a salad, bread roll, cheese and crackers, a dulce de leche cake, and “brookie” bar (brownie cookie).

A sandwich was also on offer overnight for those who needed something extra, then for breakfast, served about two hours before landing, it was a choice of a cheese omelette or hotcakes.

On both flights, you could order additional drinks and snacks via the entertainment screen – though the options weren't very exciting, just cookies and corn chips, like on a domestic flight.

Flight attendants were efficient and friendly, but no-nonsense when they needed to be (like when half the plane tried to stand up the moment we touched down). Air New Zealand’s cabin crew really are some of the best in the business.

Air New Zealand uses Terminal 1 at JFK Airport, which is served by a number of other international airlines.

On arrival, be prepared for long queues at immigration. It took me about an hour to get through.

One thing to be aware of when departing is Terminal 1 doesn’t have many shops or restaurants. If you want something to eat before your flight, the best place is the food court, which is on a mezzanine floor above where you check in. After security, your options are limited.

Be sure to allow plenty of time to get through security as the queues here can be long, too – I waited for about 20 minutes.

Air New Zealand flies non-stop from Auckland to New York on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Economy fares start from $1057 one-way. See