With the possibility of non-stop flights to New York from Auckland being just around the corner, Newshub Travel answers some of the most commonly asked questions about the possible new service.
How far away is New York?
Flying to New York won't be easy. The Big Apple is a massive 14,207 km away from Auckland.
How long will it take?
Heading up to New York, the flight will take around 17 hours 48 minutes; but coming back - due to prevailing winds - that flight time jumps out to 19 hours 37 minutes.
That's much shorter than how long it takes to get to New York on Air New Zealand now - 23 hours in the air and nearly six hours on the ground at LAX in Los Angeles. Coming back, the estimated flight time is 24 hours, 15 minutes with a four-hour stopover in Los Angeles.
What aircraft will be used?
Although Air New Zealand's current Boeing 787-9 could reach New York from Auckland, it would be at the edge of the aircraft's range. As with the 787-10 version, its range can be expanded by having fewer passengers onboard.
Air New Zealand has eight 787-10 aircraft on order from Boeing which are due to arrive from 2022. The airline already has 13 Boeing 787-9s in service.
How much will it cost?
It's hard to tell, as there are unique factors that could push the prices up, but also some that could bring the prices down. Currently, if you book return flights to New York through Air New Zealand using codeshare partner airlines, you pay around $4800 for premium economy and about $11,391 for a business class seat.
Air New Zealand could announce a New York service as soon as November.
Newshub.
