From agent support to cabin innovation: Air New Zealand grows presence in the UK market

Can you tell us about your newly formed Air New Zealand UK sales team and why it was created?

Even though we are an offline carrier in the UK market, the connection between New Zealand and the UK is is significant, from both a leisure travel and VFR, perspective. We wanted to establish a sales team to assist in driving those bookings with the trade and to drive incremental revenue with those partners who are already booking us and offer a destination New Zealand product suite. We have quite a focus on premium, so we want to work with tour operator partners to find ways to fit into their business and amplify our sales and theirs. With that in mind, the whole focus of our team is about being premium; at every touchpoint an agency has with us, we want to give them a premium offering back – even if it's just a simple enquiry. We want to provide that support, so it's great to have that presence in the UK now.

Can you provide some examples of how the UK sales team will be supporting travel agents?

We collaborate with the larger revenue drivers of Air New Zealand and Destination New Zealand in the UK trade. We want to develop year-round account plans that involve training and engagement with consultants, uplifting performance via commercial levers or B2B2C marketing opportunities that might benefit both sides. We also want to be present from a business development perspective, too, so we'll be out at key trade events, visiting stores on the high street and making sure agents are equipped with the tools they need to sell Air New Zealand.

(credit: Tom Masson)

Without aircraft operating from the UK, how exactly can travel agents work with Air New Zealand?

Regardless of having no flights, that connection between the two countries is still huge, and as the national carrier, we play a big part in that. We offer our 'All Routes lead to New Zealand' proposition, using a partner carrier from the UK to connect with our Air New Zealand gateway, which enables an agent to build an itinerary on an Air New Zealand ticket. We understand support can be required as it might not always be your first thought if the carrier is not online, so we find it is very beneficial to have agents working with my team directly to make sure they understand how to build that itinerary, and we offer dedicated sessions on the GDS for agents to interact with us.

How can travel agents use Air New Zealand’s 12 gateway options as a selling point – and what are the most popular routes from the UK?

Getting to New Zealand is a long trip and many passengers want to break up the journey. As part of our fare construction, we don’t have any stopover charge for adding a few nights in transit points in each direction. That enables the agent to create a round-the-world itinerary for passengers on our ticket, which is a big USP for us because we have those 12 gateways going via the US, Canada and Asia. Singapore is super popular and the fastest way to get to New Zealand; the transit experience at Changi is very well known and a great stopover point. We have also seen big growth on Vancouver, which is a good option as entry requirements are relatively straightforward for Canada. 

(credit: Air New Zealand)

Air New Zealand emphasises its genuine Kiwi hospitality – how does it sell the country to passengers before they even touch down?

We want to provide a premium experience for our trade partners selling destination New Zealand at the initial booking stage and that experience carries on with our unique Kiwi flavour through the hospitality we offer on board. That is noticeable from the moment you step on board with our crew; we are a laid-back country and not too formal, so you can engage in a great conversation and have a laugh – that initial engagement is important and sets the tone of the flight. Depending on the cabin, we offer differing product selections, to enhance the passengers flight experience, on their journey to Aotearoa – for example, on our retrofitted Dreamliners, passengers in economy and premium can use the Sky Pantry for unlimited Kiwi snacks, or order from their in-flight entertainment screen. 

Food and beverage is a highlight, especially in premium cabins where we offer a five-course tasting menu, starting with a bakery section, and goes on to include dishes such as New Zealand lamb. From my personal experiences, I enjoyed having the pancake stack with berries along with a flat white from the barista coffee service for breakfast; especially as most flights to New Zealand land in the morning, so it's a great way to start your day. Finally, it would also be wrong of me not to mention our Air New Zealand wine selection, which is excellent. Our crew are generous with the pours, too – a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc goes a long way.

(credit: Air New Zealand)

Air New Zealand has unique onboard innovations. What response has it received from passengers who book the signature Economy Skycouch™?

Skycouch is a success story and a great example of our innovation. It is a row of three seats that you can form into a lie-flat experience for an economy customer. These can be found onboard all of our wide-body aircrafts. It is best suited for families, such as parents with young children, as having that chance to lie flat and get some rest for the children – and the adults – makes for a much more enhanced experience, for not too much of a significant upsell price for agents. 

Can you tell me more about your newer Business Premier Luxe™ product and how agents can market this to their high-end clients?

Business Premier Luxe™ is right at the front of the plane and should be marketed as something more private, spacious and offers that next-level comfort – an enhancement to the standard Business Premier™ seat. I would think of a leisure customer celebrating a particular trip, like a honeymoon or a big milestone birthday. We only offer four of these seats on our retro-fit 787 aircraft, however we will have eight seats in Luxe on the new line-fit Dreamliner, which arrives in the second half of 2026. It offers a 24-inch in-flight entertainment screen, a dual dining option with an ottoman that doubles as a guest seat and a fully sliding door for a more private experience. The middle seats have a partition that fully withdraws and there is 30% more space than the standard seat.

What should agents keep in mind when they book their clients with Air New Zealand?

With the retrofit programme ongoing with our 787-9 Dreamliners, it is important that agents look into our agency website to understand the exact product they are going to get, as it is a slightly mixed fleet experience. It's easy to identify which aircraft your client will be flying on, and therefore which product they will be flying on, via the actual code of the aircraft on the GDS, and this information is all available on the Air New Zealand agency website for agents to refer to as a touchpoint – not just for that, but for all product and fare information.