Air New Zealand is increasing both frequency and capacity on flights between Auckland (AKL) to Honolulu (HNL) over the upcoming 2017/2018 Northern Hemisphere Winter.
The airline currently operates a 302 seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the year round route with flights between 3-4 times weekly. From late September 2017 until early March 2018 the route will be upgraded to a 312 seat Boeing 777-200ER for the majority of flights, with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner continuing to supplement it.
During the peak New Zealand holiday period from mid December until late January NZ10 from AKL to HNL will move to 5x weekly services departing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:55pm and arriving at 6:30am on the same day. The return NZ9 service from HNL to AKL departs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 9:30am arriving in AKL at 5:25pm the following day.
The move to a Boeing 777-200ER will be welcomed by frequent travelers who enjoy sitting at the pointy end due to the additional premium seating. Air New Zealand's current Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is configured with 18 Business Premier, 21 Premium Economy and 263 Economy seats. The Boeing 777-200ER offers 26 Business Premier, 40 Premium Economy and 246 Economy seats. Premium seating on the current Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights can be scarce, particularly for those people wanting to lodge upgrades, so the increased number of premium seats will be considered a bonus by many.
Hawaii has become an incredibly popular holiday destination for New Zealanders in recent years with significant growth on the route since Hawaiian Airlines entered the New Zealand market in 2013. Both Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines operate non stop services from Auckland to Honolulu.
