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Air New Zealand just revealed a major upgrade to its Boeing 777-300ER fleet, and the headline is a completely new Business Premier suite. If you fly long-haul to New Zealand, this is worth knowing before you book your next trip.
The airline will retrofit the first aircraft in March 2027 and have it flying by May 2027. This is the fleet that carries most international travelers into Auckland, so the timing matters if you’re planning a 2027 trip or later.
Photo Credits: Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand is replacing its current Business Premier seats with 44 new Collins Elevation suites. Here’s what you’ll get:
This brings the 777 in line with the airline’s retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, so you’ll get the same refined experience across Air New Zealand’s international fleet no matter which aircraft you fly.
If you fly Premium Economy, you won’t see changes to your seat. Air New Zealand refreshed this cabin recently and is keeping that design in place. The airline is removing two Premium Economy seats to make room for the new Business Premier suites, bringing that cabin to 52 seats total, but the seat itself stays as is.
Economy also gets an upgrade. Air New Zealand is adding new ergonomic seats from ZIM, along with Economy Stretch seats set at 35-inch pitch for extra legroom. Every seat gets a new 13-inch entertainment screen with Bluetooth pairing and USB-C charging. The cabin grows from 244 to 246 seats.
Across the whole aircraft, total capacity holds steady at 342 seats. Air New Zealand is simply reshuffling the cabin to make room for the new Business Premier suites.
Only the first retrofitted aircraft enters service in May 2027, and Air New Zealand has 10 aircraft in this fleet to convert. If you’re booking a 777 flight before then, you’ll fly the current cabin, not the new one.
If you want the new Business Premier suite, or you’d rather book before the changeover, let us know when you’re planning your trip and we’ll help you time it right.
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