Air New Zealand reveals new Boeing 787-9 business-class seat
A new business-class product is headed to Air New Zealand's fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
The airline revealed in a regulatory filing this week with the U.S. Department of Transportation that it's planning to install 42 business-class seats in its 787-9s in a 1-2-1 configuration, featuring two subproducts: Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe.
The new configuration represents a significant increase in premium capacity for the airline. In its current configuration, the airline's 787-9 holds just 27 business-class seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. While those seats do feature direct aisle access, they are angled away from the windows in a slightly dated herringbone configuration.
The new product's Business Premier Luxe seat occupies the front of the cabin, according to the filing, which was first reported by Seth Miller at PaxEx.aero. The filing pertained to the accessibility requirements of the new seats and is intended to demonstrate how someone with limited mobility can move between an aisle wheelchair and the new seat.
The Business Premier Luxe seat is a larger version of the Business Premier seat and appears to feature a sliding door. With this new subproduct, Air New Zealand appears to be going for a cabin-within-a-cabin model that JetBlue currently uses with its larger Mint Studio that occupies the front of its transatlantic Airbus A321LR fleet. It's all but certain that Air New Zealand will charge extra for these Luxe seats.
Photos of the standard Business Premier seat were more limited in the filing. The seat appears similar to the B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seat used by airlines such as Air Canada. While not revolutionary, this seat offers a comfortable experience and is a significant upgrade from Air New Zealand's current Business Premier product.
As with any prototypical product, the final configuration of these seats may vary from the mock-ups that Air New Zealand provided to the DOT.
More: Ultra-long-haul is back: Nonstop flights between New York and New Zealand launching this fall
In a statement, Air New Zealand's Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty explained the DOT submission, and promised more to come.
"Accessibility for customers with disabilities is a big part of our enhanced aircraft offering, and as part of this, we are in the early stages of designing our new cabin layout. What we're proposing in this submission is a concept to ensure safe access for all customers into and out of the premium seats.
This is a very early submission and as part of the process, we are required to get approval from authorities such as the US Department of Transport to ensure the seats meet the latest design and safety requirements specified. It is also the same process we went through to seek approval for the Business Premier lie-flat bed in 2013.
To date more than 80,000 design and engineering hours have gone into the new Business Premier seats, along with 18 months of customer research and testing, so by no means is this the extent of what we're doing. When we do have confirmed details to share, we look forward to doing so. There's more in store so stay tuned!"
This new product represents the future of long-haul for Air New Zealand, as the Star Alliance member will be retiring its entire fleet of Boeing 777s in favor of an all-787 long-haul fleet. Last week, the airline announced that it will begin 787-9 service to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from its hub at Auckland Airport (AKL) in September, which will become one of the world's longest flights.
The exact timing of this product is unclear, though the airline asked the DOT to respond to its filling by April 29 "so that it may finalize arrangements for the installation of these seats on its B787-9 aircraft."
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees