Air New Zealand adding 30,000 seats to Tokyo route from November-March

Air New Zealand has announced it will add capacity to the tune of 30,000 extra seats on its Auckland-Tokyo flights between November and March. It's part of a ramp up across key Asian routes over the southern summer period, the majority of which are in business or premium economy cabins. While the move is intended to cater more for inbound tourists than Kiwis heading away on holiday, the increased capacity could well mean more sales and cheaper options for New Zealanders looking to travel to Asia. The airline announced the news a day after its CEO Greg Foran and chairwoman Dame Therese Walsh served drinks on a flight to Tokyo that was diverted to pick up a trade delegation. The delegation, which included the airline's executives, encountered trouble after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's Defence Force (NZDF) plane broke down. The NZDF aircraft was able to fly at low altitude to Brisbane on Monday morning, where the delegation group of around 30 boarded a commercial Air New Zealand flight to Tokyo in the afternoon. It meant a delay of around two hours for what would normally be a non-stop Auckland-Tokyo flight. Foran and Walsh sat in economy class rather than a premium cabin and served drinks to customers after an apology was issued for the disruption. Some passengers on the flight Newshub spoke to were unhappy with the delay, primarily due to the impact on their travel plans after arriving in Tokyo. "It only gives us an hour to get through customs, pick our bags up and pay for a train ticket before the last train goes," one man told Newshub. "I'm quite fearful we're not going to get through to the last train, which means we'd have to catch a bus instead, which I've never done before and don't know how to do. And the bus takes twice as long to get into Tokyo." <br/>