Air New Zealand creates Christmas Day magic in the skies

Air New Zealand holds on board Christmas celebration

By Mark Reif Published December 27, 2024 12:00 PM

Air New Zealand widebody aircraft — Air New Zealand

On December 24, Air New Zealand flight N27 took off from San Francisco en route to Auckland, New Zealand. While that might seem like an ideal way to get home for the holidays, there was one problem: the 12-hour flight would cross the international date line, skipping December 25, and landing on the 26th. That meant passengers would miss Christmas Day.

But Air New Zealand had other plans, transforming the aircraft’s interior into a Christmas Day refuge, bringing over 200 travelers a festival of holiday magic. Here’s what happened aboard the 787 Dreamliner.

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A Christmas celebration aboard Flight N27

Air New Zealand Christmas flight — Air New Zealand

During the flight, customers enjoyed dazzling lights and magical touches, bringing Christmas Day to the skies. Air New Zealand executives described the experience.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran commented: “Every detail was designed to bring the magic of Christmas to life, even at 30,000 feet. It’s our way of spreading some Air New Zealand manaaki to one lucky flight full of festive travelers this year. What a terrific way to celebrate Christmas in the skies.”

Air New Zealand’s Grace Blewitt added: “The holidays are a time to come together with loved ones, and we know missing Christmas Day can clip the wings of that festive feeling. So, we decided to sleigh expectations and create a sky-high celebration like no other, sprinkling some magic on this journey. Our incredible team lit up the cabin interiors with a festive light display, taking travelers on a journey from a snowy northern hemisphere Christmas to the sunny summer beach Christmas in Aotearoa.”

“Passengers were treated to a Christmas feast, featuring a holiday menu that included a traditional Christmas roast with succulent turkey, sweet potato mash, and a decadent Christmas yule log for dessert. Our holidaymakers also received a set of thoughtful gifts to commemorate the unique journey. Among the surprises were a custom-designed Christmas tree decoration and a charming aircraft-shaped Christmas cookie as sweet souvenirs to remember the once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Mark Reif is a writer from Stowe, Vermont. During the winter, he works as a snowboard coach and rides more than 100 days. The…

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