Skip to content

Air New Zealand's Flying a 787 Between Honolulu and Auckland

May 12, 2016
2 min read
air new zealand 787
Air New Zealand's Flying a 787 Between Honolulu and Auckland
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – United MileagePlus Explorer Card

The Dreamliner is one of the comfiest ways to get from A to B. It's always a bonus when a carrier announces that it will begin flying a Dreamliner on a route that isn't typically serviced by a 787. And now, Air New Zealand is the latest to announce the addition of one of its Dreamliners to an existing route.

The carrier just announced that it will begin operating its popular Honolulu (HNL) to Auckland (AKL) route with a 787-9 Dreamliner. The route was previously operated by a 767-300 aircraft, however, as of this week, the airline is using its Dreamliner. Air New Zealand was the launch carrier of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in 2014, and it's now the first to operate a Dreamliner on regular service out of Honolulu. This is also Air New Zealand's first Dreamliner on one of its North American routes.

A business-class seat on board Air New Zealand's Dreamliner.
A business-class seat on board Air New Zealand's Dreamliner.

Recently, TPG Special Correspondent John Walton traveled on Air New Zealand's Dreamliner from Shanghai to Auckland in business class and was impressed with the product. The aircraft features ANZ's economy Skycouch, leather seats with leg rests in premium economy and lie-flat beds in Business Premier. In addition, the change will give the carrier a 20 percent capacity increase, meaning more travelers can travel on each flight between the two cities.

Round-trip economy fares start at around $1,000 on this route, while business class will run you $4,100 and up. Air New Zealand is a Star Alliance member, so if you're able to find award seats, you can book award flights using United MileagePlus miles earned with a card like the United MileagePlus Explorer Card, which currently offers a sign-up bonus of 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. You'll also get two United Club passes each year for your travel, and you won't pay foreign transaction fees.