Air New Zealand’s 787 business class revamp adds ‘luxe’ suites

Air New Zealand’s long-awaited new business class will take wing in October this year as the Kiwi carrier begins upgrading its existing Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. The Star Alliance member’s modern take on what it calls Business Premier will swap the current 20-year old ‘sleeper shells’, with narrow confines and a steep rake that sees many passengers facing one another like commuters on a bus. To the relief and delight of all business class travellers, the new Business Premier seats adopt a more conventional layout which shifts the cabin from open space to your own space. Business class seats located on either side of the 787 will be angled slightly inwards, but still close enough to the window to enjoy the view. There’s also greater privacy from sliding privacy panels – although these are not full doors – along with creature comforts such as a storage cabinet and vanity mirror, a spacious side shelf, wireless device charging and a massive 24” video screen with Bluetooth audio streaming to your own cordless headphones or earbuds.<br/>