Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 superjumbo has landed at Auckland Airport twenty minutes ahead of schedule as it starts a five-month summer service.
The airline hopes the service will become year round, depending on demand.
The big plane is not only offering more seats but new levels of long-haul luxury as the big airlines are buzzed by a new threat identified by a travel expert; private jets.
Suites aboard Singapore's big plane are like private sleeper compartments with a fold- down double bed and top restaurant quality food pitting it against Emirates A380s which have flown here for the past five years, with first class suites that give access to showers and spa treatments on board and a lounge bar at the back of the upper deck.
The Singapore-Auckland route was previously served by a Boeing 777 and the superjumbo will add about 55,000 seats over summer. This marks the first sign of the deep alliance Singapore Airlines has forged with Air New Zealand which will resume flying to the island state in January after ending flights on the route eight years ago.
General manager of product at Flight Centre Simon McKearney said airlines were pulling out all stops with their luxury suites, including Etihad which is to fly its A380 to Sydney next year complete with "apartments" in which passengers will be looked after by Savoy-trained butlers.
At that end of the market they were up against private jets, a section of the market which had recovered strongly following the global financial crisis late last decade.
"In those first class suites they're really competing head to head with private jets. It is quite a tough sell for them."
Gulfstream jets cost about $11,800 an hour and could carry up to 14 passengers so that works out at $850 an hour per person.
The Singapore first class service starts at just over $7000 for a round trip and Emirates' Auckland-Dubai service (a longer flight) costs a little $12,000 for a return flight.
McKearney said there was limited demand among New Zealanders for first class on planes.
"Kiwis are traditionally price conscious and with that first class most Kiwi businesses would avoid it because of the perception in the eyes of their other employees. If you do fly in those business class and first class that would not be well received."
Inbound passengers who fly first class include high end leisure travellers and business people from Asian countries.
The Singapore A380 has be redeployed from Australian routes.
"Australia is flat for them. New Zealand is more buoyant which is good for us so it's going to be a test to see if it's going to go OK," said McKearney.
Emirates has flown A380s here since 2009. Qantas and China Southern Airlines superjumbos have also touched down in Auckland.
By Grant Bradley of the NZ Herald
