The snacksperts have spoken – Air New Zealand reveals its newest onboard snacks
- Earlier this year Air New Zealand launched the Great Kiwi Snack Off – a nationwide search for the tastiest onboard snacks.
- 400 snack suppliers expressed their interest in having their snacks onboard.
- Five foodies or "snacksperts" weighed in on their favorites.
- Now, Air New Zealand reveals exactly what 14 new and tasty snacks will feature onboard over the next year.
Chocolate dipped pretzels and almonds, tangy lemon meringue coated popcorn and crunchy dried cheese will be coming to a plane near you, as Air New Zealand reveals its newest snack selection!
The airline has been on the hunt for the most mouth-watering treats to satisfy customers' cravings at 33,000 feet, with 400 passionate suppliers from around the country bringing their creations to the table.
Last month it put out a call for a group of snacksperts to help it make the final decision and five out of a staggering 9000 applicants were chosen as taste testers, with their feedback helping narrow down the list.
The 14 chosen suppliers and their snacks hail from regions around the country, from Canterbury, Nelson, Hawke's Bay to the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
"Throughout this whole process, we've been amazed by the quality and calibre of suppliers, whether they're a social enterprise wanting to help a worthy cause, or a family run business trying to highlight the best local produce – we've been extremely impressed and making a decision hasn't been easy," says Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty.
"We want to give our customers a fantastic experience from the moment they are welcomed aboard our aircraft, and that includes having a variety of snacks to satisfy sweet tooths and savory lovers alike."
The new snacks will be rolled out on a variety of different domestic and international routes, across various cabins, with the first snack, Skinny Dipped Almonds and nut and chocolate blends, due to land on domestic flights in December.
These will be mixed in with some of the airline's existing snacks that customers have told us they enjoy.
"Customer feedback has also told us that there are some existing snack options that are really popular and loved, so we've also decided to keep them onboard for the next few years. The beloved cookie isn't going anywhere, though customers can expect to see them mix up their flavors from later next year, whether it's pavlova or "chocolate fish n chip", there will be plenty of choice for customers onboard."
Crisps are also staying on, so customers will have a huge range of tasty treats to choose over the coming months and years.
"We know just how passionate New Zealanders are about all things snacks, so we've really tried to mix it up with some unusual flavors and textures – from freeze dried cheese to lemon, white chocolate and popcorn flavor combinations, we wanted to be a bit playful with some of the snack options."
"We're really excited by the snacks we've selected, and we hope our customers love them as much as we do!
Apart from bursting with flavour, the snacks that have been chosen had to meet key requirements, for example, options that can be served without heating and are easy and light to transport.
"There's been a huge amount of work behind the scenes, and we want to thank all the suppliers from around the country who were part of our EOI process."
Air New Zealand's new onboard snacks:
- Dipped almonds and nut and chocolate blends.
- Pea puffs real cheese
- Choc wafers and trail Mix
- Salt & vinegar chips
- Lemon meringue pie and feijoa cider gourmet popcorn treats
- Milk chocolate coated pretzels
- Oat-baked squares in choc chip, chocolate brownie, raspberry white chocolate and salted caramel flavours
- Rich chocolate treat
- White choc coated ginger biscuit
- Cinnamon glazed macadamias
- Original butter cookie or choc chip
- Crunchy cheese
- Primal bar
- Corn puffs churro or bang bang chicken flavour
Air New Zealand's classics to stay onboard (but possibly with a twist!)
- CookieTime Cookie (in classic chocolate chip, but with pavlova, lollie cake, "chocolate fish n chip" flavours also in the pipeline)
- Fudge
- Crisps (Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt, Marlborough Sea Salt flavours)
- Bliss bites
Ends
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │Twitter: @AirNZMedia
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.