All Blacks launch Air New Zealand’s new ‘Round the World’ services
The All Blacks helped celebrate Air New Zealand’s maiden service to London via Hong Kong, travelling in Business Premier and becoming among the first passengers to experience the new route.
The inaugural second daily service to London will increase Air New Zealand’s current capacity between the United Kingdom and New Zealand by nearly 80 percent.
“Demand for travel between New Zealand and the United Kingdom has steadily increased since introducing our daily service in 1998,” said Air New Zealand Group General Manager International Airline Ed Sims.
“This signficant capacity increase allows us to meet the high market demand but also stimulate new travellers to the UK and Europe over Hong Kong. 
“The new service also means Air New Zealand will have the distinction of being the only airline to offer a round the world service into and out of New Zealand, flying via Hong Kong in the East or Los Angeles in the West.
“This gives travellers the option of flying around the world with stopovers at either Hollywood or Kowloon, for the price of a return New Zealand to London fare.” 
The airline will operate the new route utilising newly refurbished Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The 386-seat aircraft includes 46 fully lie-flat Business Premier seats, 31 Pacific Premium Economy seats and 309 seats in Pacific Economy, all with on demand audio-visual entertainment. 
Return Pacific Economy airfares from Auckland to London start from NZ$2754 inclusive of taxes. Air New Zealand is also currently offering an Early Bird return Pacific Economy airfare of NZ$2304 inclusive of taxes, for sale until 15 December 2006 for travel between 1 February and 31 October 2007.
Air New Zealand will introduce several changes to its Pacific network next year following a review of the airline’s non-profitable routes.
Effective 2 April 2007, Air New Zealand will suspend Rarotonga-Papeete-Los Angeles services currently operated by the airline three times per week.
Instead, Air New Zealand will code share with Air Tahiti Nui on four of its daily Papeete-Los Angeles services maintaining connections to/from London and a weekly non-stop service between Rarotonga and Los Angeles will be reinstated by Air New Zealand. This is to retain the link between the Cook Islands and North America.
This will be extended to a twice weekly service during the peak travel months of April and July 07 and potentially the December 07 to February 08 period.
Details of the Pacific schedule changes as from 2 April 2007 are as follows:
n Rarotonga-Papeete-Los Angeles: three times weekly return service suspended
n Auckland-Papeete: four return services per week - Air NZ (two) and Air Tahiti Nui (two) with reciprocal code-share on all services
n Papeete-Los Angeles: four times weekly return service - operated by Air Tahiti Nui with Air NZ code on these services
n Rarotonga-Los Angeles: weekly return service - Air NZ. Services operated twice weekly during peak travel months.
n Nadi-Los Angeles: new days of operation for Air New Zealand, Monday, Wednesday and Friday - with Air New Zealand code-share on Air Pacific operated flights on this route

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