Air New Zealand surprises hundreds of passengers missing Christmas Day with holiday magic at 30,000 feet
Passengers on NZ7 from San Francisco to Auckland took off on 24 December, ready to travel on a 12-hour flight that would see them cross the international date line and land on 26 December – missing out on even the tiniest twinkle of Christmas Day magic.
But Air New Zealand wasn't going to let that happen. The crew pulled out all the stops to transform the Dreamliner into a Christmas wonderland, surprising more than 200 travellers onboard by bringing a one-of-a-kind Christmas celebration to the skies.
Passengers were delighted by a dazzling onboard illumination and were surprised by moments of magic across the flight, adding festive magic to the cabin interior.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran says the airline wanted to create a special surprise to bring festive joy to its customers this year.
"Every detail was designed to bring the magic of Christmas to life, even at 30,000 feet. It's our way of spreading some Air New Zealand manaaki to one lucky flight full of festive travellers this year. What a terrific way to celebrate Christmas in the skies."
Air New Zealand's Grace Blewitt says the goal was to make spirits bright for passengers on this time-hopping journey, inspired by the airline's Christmas campaign.
"The holidays are a time to come together with loved ones, and we know missing Christmas Day can clip the wings of that festive feeling. So, we decided to sleigh expectations and create a sky-high celebration like no other, sprinkling some magic on this journey.
"Our incredible team lit up the cabin interiors with a festive light display, taking travellers on a journey from a snowy northern hemisphere Christmas to the sunny summer beach Christmas in Aotearoa.
"Passengers were treated to a Christmas feast, featuring a holiday menu that included a traditional Christmas roast with succulent turkey, sweet potato mash, and a decadent Christmas yule log for dessert.
"Our holidaymakers also received a set of thoughtful gifts to commemorate the unique journey. Among the surprises were a custom-designed Christmas tree decoration and a charming aircraft-shaped Christmas cookie as sweet souvenirs to remember the once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Click here for videos and photos from the festive flight
ENDS
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │ Phone: +64 21 747 320
About Air New Zealand:
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 8.7 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2023, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2024 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety and won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand in 2023 – the 9th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.
The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.
Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 16,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 186 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com