TORONTO — Air New Zealand’s North America Roadshow 2024 brought the ANZ team and many of its supplier partners to Toronto yesterday, for a complete rundown of the airline’s products, including the aptly-named (and very innovative) Economy Skycouch and Skynest.

From Canada, Air New Zealand currently offers nonstop flights from Vancouver.

Katie Olsson, National Account Manager, Air New Zealand, added: “While we don’t have a gateway here in Toronto – although who knows what may happen in the future – we do have a variety of gateways in North America.”

Those gateways include New York, Chicago, L.A., San Francisco and Houston – plus, of course, Vancouver. “And we work with Air Canada, we work with WestJet, and there are also now connections with Porter, to get you to any of those other gateways,” said Olsson. Air New Zealand’s long-haul fleet is made up of B777-300s and B787-9s. Flights connect through Auckland to destinations in New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

At a lunch event at Toronto’s Hotel X, in the spectacular glass-enclosed New Fort Hall, Olsson walked attendees through Air New Zealand’s product.

The airline’s BusinessPremier class offers “the best sleep in the sky”, and the ultimate in inflight comfort, food and entertainment. “This is an amazing experience for those people who are really looking for something top-notch,” said Olsson.

Meanwhile Air New Zealand’s brand new Premium Economy cabin is on the way, promising a whole new level of experience. Says Olsson: “Our current Premium Economy is already award-winning, so I can just imagine that this new one that’s coming out is going to be spectacular. The shell that encases the seat, that means that when someone reclines in front of you, they’re not impacting your space. And the thing that really stands out to me with Air New Zealand’s Premium Economy cabin is that it’s a separate cabin. On other airlines you don’t see that distinction between Economy and Premium Economy. With Air New Zealand, you do.”

Options for Air New Zealand’s economy class passengers include Economy Stretch, offering extra legroom and available on select long-haul routes. There’s also Economy Skycouch, sold as an ancillary product. “We’ve had Economy Skycouch for the last eight years and it’s something very unique to Air New Zealand,” says Olsson. “It’s available in all of our long-haul aircraft in the first seven rows of the Economy cabin. They’re seats that convert into a flat bed. If you’re travelling with kids, this is 100% the only way to go. When I was flying with my daughter, when she was 18 months old, she slept for 10 of the 12 hours. And I was able to watch movies and have a glass of wine.”

And then there’s Economy Skynest. “Flat beds in Economy, which really no other airline offers,” says Olsson. Launching on select routes later this year, Skynest allows Economy passengers to book four-hour slots in a bunk-bed style bed pod, one of six onboard the aircraft. The slots are an extra cost in addition to the Economy seat.

Olsson notes that flying throughout New Zealand, to get around from destination to destination, “is a great option for your clients, to help them get the most out of their trip. The domestic airports are very small and very easy to access. A lot of international travellers are pleasantly surprised that they can bring their water bottles through security at our airports. So don’t think that flying around New Zealand is going to eat into your time in destination. Flying makes it very easy to get around.”

And there’s so much to see in New Zealand, as ANZ’s partners attested. Suppliers and attractions taking part in yesterday’s event included the Hobbiton Movie Set, Ngai Tahu Tourism, Marlborough Tour Company, Park Hyatt Auckland, RealNZ, Te Puia, Distinction Hotels and Totally Tourism / The Helicopter Line.

Agents looking to connect with Air New Zealand can get in touch with the airline’s dedicated North American sales support team, at the ready to assist agencies with inquiries for any ticket related matters. Phone and email operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Sales Support Canada can be reached at 1-833-611-4234 or SalesSupportNA@airnz.com. For group requests email NAGroups@airnz.com. And the Agent Trade Site is airnzagent.com.