Ansett NZ - Air NZ competition: Air NZ upgrades service.. Ansett struggles financially but shows interest in Trans Tasman services

 

This 1991 article reports on Air NZ offering new services to compete with Ansett New Zealand, four years after competition emerges. It applies to economy class passengers on major routes at peak times.  The key improvements are:

• Self-ticketing (paper based because this is well before the internet)
• Valet parking at Auckland Airport
• Issuing of both boarding passes for return trips for those without checked baggage
• Improved domestic meal service supplied by trolley

Ansett New Zealand reported that it would offer all passengers a hot meal service and free wine on evening flights. 

In 1993 it was reported that Ansett New Zealand was losing around $700,000-$1m a week ($1.4m-$2m in 2023 dollars), but there was no indication that the company was pessimistic about its future. The airline was at the time fully owned by TNT and NewsCorp. The airline at this time had transitioned to flying BAe 146 jetliners (known popularly as "whisper jets"). Air NZ reportedly had 60% of the main trunk domestic market (Ansett the remainder).  The article claims that growth in the market will be insufficient to make Ansett NZ profitable, primarily because the market wasn't big enough for two carriers.  The report noted the airline had not indicated it would fly Trans-Tasman noting a key barrier to it was its interest in flying between its own terminals on both sides of the Tasman (none of which have customs/immigration facilities).  Noting the airline had lost over $200m since it had been set up.

Finally it was reported that Ansett NZ wished to fly Trans Tasman in 1994, noting that even if it could not fly between its domestic terminals it would still set up operations. It was said that a key reason Ansett NZ remained operating domestic services was the interest Ansett had generally in operating Trans-Tasman flights and how they could all support and feed into each others' networks.

1991 review of Singapore Airlines First Class and Business Class and British Aerospace pitches the BaE ATP to Mount Cook Airline

 

It is an advertising supplement, but Nigel Coventry does give a written window into flying Singapore Airlines in first class in 1991 from Christchurch to Singapore via Auckland ( by 747). He talks about the entertainment system (quite an innovation at the time), the elaborate lunch and subsequent light meal service.  10 people were flying in the 16 seat cabin, business class and economy both almost full.  His review of business class was that seating was smaller, with less choice of meals.  The Singapore Airlines 747-400s were configured with 24 first class, 70 business class and 316 economy class seats, at a time when business class was like today's premium economy, and first class a very large recliner.  He ends the review noting the 1929 cognac served at S$145 a nip in first class.

Separately the image is the 64 seat BAe ATP aircraft on a sales tour which included New Zealand, as British Aerospace pitches for a replacement to the HS 748 for Mount Cook Airline.  The ATP was not a commercial success for BAe, with only 65 built, due to intense competition with Fokker, Bombardier and ATR (ultimately ATR 72s replaced the HS748s).