Air New Zealand vs Qantas: Mystery test reveals which does domestic better

Air New Zealand and Qantas are among the top-rated airlines in the world.

So, which offers the best domestic service? Stuff Travel put both to the test on two mystery flights – we flew Adelaide to Sydney with Qantas and Christchurch to Auckland with Air New Zealand.

Here's which came out on top.

Both Air New Zealand and Qantas use self check-in kiosks for domestic flights – with Qantas in the middle of rolling out new technology that will check in customers “four times faster”.

Both were quick and efficient, without queues.

Air New Zealand has , the cheapest being a “seat fare”, which doesn’t include checked-in luggage. To get a bag, you need to buy the more expensive seat + bag fare.

Qantas, however, includes at least one 23kg checked bag on all domestic fares.

Walking inside the Adelaide Qantas Club is like a time portal to the early 1990s: while spacious, it’s dated. The meal choices included porridge, plates of baked beans, cereals, boiled eggs, toast, salads, a pile of cheese slices and ham. It was underwhelming.

In contrast, Air New Zealand's Christchurch lounge is modern and has an impressive selection of excellent food, snacks and drinks. The only complaint was that it was too full.

Our Air New Zealand service departed five minutes late and arrived at the gate two minutes late. Due to a sick crew member, our Qantas flight left 53 minutes late and arrived 41 minutes late.

Our Qantas plane was a nine-year-old 737-800, the backbone of its domestic fleet. It has two classes: business and economy.

The Air New Zealand flight was on a 9-year-old A320. It is all economy, however, the front of the plane has Space+ seats with more legroom.

I was in 29B of Air New Zealand's plane with 30" pitch and 17.7" of width. On Qantas, I was in 12B with 30" of pitch and 17.2” of width. Air New Zealand's felt comfier and slightly roomier.

Air New Zealand had only two options: the old-school screen from the ceiling or the Koru Magazine.

Qantas had in-flight Wi-fi (worked intermittently) and a screen in the back of every seat, with a selection of movies and TV shows.

Air New Zealand's crew were friendly, efficient and caring for a passenger who needed oxygen during the flight. I also admire their commitment to incorporating Māori culture into its service.

Qantas crew were also friendly, however, I've never heard an Aboriginal word used on a Qantas flight during any announcements. It's quite the contrast to what Kiwis are used to.

Air New Zealand offered its standard tea, coffee and water service alongside two snacks – Proper Crisps or a chocolate Cookie Time Cookie.

In contrast, Qantas offered a wider selection of drinks (including soft drinks) but just one snack: chocolate chip lamington cookies.

Air New Zealand offers a better domestic product with four wins, compared to Qantas' two.