Air New Zealand introduces new, wider, economy – what to know

Promoting economic expansion.

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The 12 hour and 55 minute flight from Los Angeles to Auckland will soon be a bit longer for select passengers on Air New Zealand.

This week, the carrier announced the launch of a new cabin class called “Economy Stretch,” which offers 39 percent more legroom, for a total of 35 inches of seat space. The new service class – which will be available for booking from February 27 – will also include pillows, headphones and an additional premium seat option.

The new service costs 175 NZD, or about $108 USD. 42 “Economy Stretch” seats are available for purchase on the Los Angeles/Oakland route.

“Customers have told us they want more space to relax, and at a competitive price. Economy Stretch answers this challenge, with luxury for the legs on our popular inflight service, Kiwi food and wine and seatback entertainment,” Air New Zealand Chief Customer Officer Leanne Geraghty said in a statement. .

For comparison, Air New Zealand’s “economy stretch” 35″ seat pitch is slightly larger than the 34″ seat pitch offered to passengers on United Airlines’ Economy Plus and Delta Comfort+.

This is not the first time Air New Zealand has shown that passenger space is a priority. Last summer, the airline announced the Economy Skynest, or sleeping pod where passengers in the back of the plane take turns resting on a flat bed.

Air New Zealand previously launched Economy Skys in the long-haul economy market, where passengers can purchase three economy seats and use them as a spare bed.

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Read the first article on Travel and Leisure.