September - the California Tourism Industry Website

Airline Updates
NZ North America Boost
AIR New Zealand has today announced a capacity increase for services from
Auckland to San Francisco, Los Angeles & Vancouver. Effective Apr, Air NZ will boost
SFO services from the current five weekly to a daily operation, and LAX flights from 12
weekly to double daily - an extra third daily LA service will also operate one day a
week in peak periods. Off-peak flight frequencies to Vancouver will jump from two
to three weekly, & five times weekly from mid-Dec to the end of Feb. The NZ carrier
said the capacity will replace more than 75% of the seats lost from the Californian
market after Qantas’s withdrawal from the AKL-LAX route.
Loads still high on flights to US
Flights to the US are operating at near full capacity as the strong dollar continues to
sway consumer choice. Qantas operated with 96% loads in June with Delta and
Virgin Australia close behind with 95.6% and 95.1% respectively. United’s services to
the US were 87% full. On inbound flights Qantas reported a load factor of 91%, Delta
75.3%, Virgin Australia 80.7% and United 76%. The data, collated by the department
of infrastructure and transport, revealed mixed loads to New Zealand with Qantas
lagging behind the three other major carriers on the route. Air NZ reported in-bound
loads of 82% and outbound of almost 81% with Jetstar’s ex-Australia flights 80% full
and inbound 74.5%. Virgin Australia operated both inbound and outbound flights at
74% capacity. Qantas, meanwhile, reported inbound loads of 70% while selling
63.4% of outbound seats.
Air NZ invests in 777-200ER upgrade
Air New Zealand has committed more than $100 million to upgrade its fleet of
Boeing 777-200ER, as the airline aligns product across its three long-haul fleet types.
The upgrade will bring the eight 777-200ERs, which first entered service in 2005, in line
with Air NZ’s recently arrived 777-300ERs and its order of 787-9s, due for delivery in
mid-2014. It will also see the aircraft installed with the Panasonic eXlite inflight
entertainment system, making the airline the launch customer for the new
technology. Work will start in the second quarter of 2014 and is expected to take 12
months.