I thought I was flying Air NZ. Instead, I’m on an airline I’ve never heard of

I have been asked to go on a last-minute assignment: a multi-day hike in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park. My glutes may not be ready for the 40-kilometre hike, but my enthusiasm peaks higher than Aoraki/Mount Cook, the country’s tallest mountain. I’m in.

I could’ve added to my prized points collection by flying Qantas or Virgin Australia. Instead, I jumped at the chance to fly with Air New Zealand. I have long wanted to travel on the multi-award-winning airline, a trendsetter of the skies with onboard creature comforts and kooky, must-watch safety videos. Flights booked Friday, fly out Sunday.

Wamos leases aircraft, pilots and crew for charters. Air New Zealand is using the airline after grounding some aircraft due to supply-chain issues around engines.Credit: iStock

Fast-forward to departure day at Perth International Airport. I notice stewards in uniforms specked with little colourful W’s going through security. This is the first time I have seen this mile-high fashion, and it’s not like Perth attracts a long list of global airlines. I let the curiosity pass.

My flight starts boarding, and I am reunited with the mysterious stewards at my gate despite it being an Air New Zealand flight number. Ah, is the first leg of the journey with a budget carrier? My due diligence has clearly gone out the window.

Once onboard, I realise this is not the dreamy aircraft I thought I would be on. The seats are stiff; there’s no adjustable headrest. A lever under the seat has replaced a button to recline and requires a bit of feeling around to locate.

I become even more confused as Air New Zealand-branded headphones are handed out. There’s no matching branding on the entertainment system, and it seems stuck in the ’90s with its obsolete movie selection, like the dregs of Blockbuster’s final sale before closing for good. Remember that hit rom-com, The Bachelor, with Renee Zellweger and Chris O’Donnell? Me neither.

Wamos’ cabin offerings aren’t quite what you’d get on board an Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

I hear the stewards speak, and I am confused by their mix of accents. They don’t sound Kiwi-like. Which airline am I flying with? I get out my ticket and see I am flying “Wamos Air S.A.” My mind starts ticking … Is this a South African airline? Is this part of a “direct” flight from South Africa via Perth to Auckland? Am I on the right plane? I have never heard of this airline.

Six and a half hours later, I arrive in Auckland and do the most anticipated Google search of my life.

What is Wamos Air?

And what an unexpected twist! Wamos Air is neither Kiwi nor South African – it’s a Spanish charter airline. Explains the name. The Madrid-based airline usually operates leisure charter flights and “wet” leases aircraft, including crew and pilots, with operational control in Wamos Air’s hands (a “dry” lease is when just the aircraft is provided).

As with other airlines worldwide, Air New Zealand is currently facing engine maintenance and supply chain issues, resulting in a shortage of planes. To help fill the gap, it has called upon Wamos Air to assist temporarily, particularly on its daily Perth to Auckland service.

Air New Zealand General Manager Short Haul Airline Jeremy O’Brien explains: “Wamos Air has been helping to get our customers across the Tasman while we manage the well-known, ongoing, advanced maintenance schedule and lack of engine availability for both Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines. This proactive and temporary measure ensures extra flexibility in our operation and that we’re able to maintain this important route.”

If only its alternative matched expectations.

Instead of flying on Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787, I was on an Airbus 330-200. The old aircraft has two classes: business and economy. I was in the latter. The plane lacked the luxuries and services of the award-winning airline – seats, entertainment, overall feel. I was again stuck in the ’90s, too, with no Wi-Fi onboard. It wasn’t all doom and gloom en route to Auckland, with attentive crew being the saving grace.

Thankfully, the time warp in the skies is not permanent. Perth folk will yet again be able to experience what it is like to fly Air New Zealand, as the lease is due to end on April 30.

I must admit my previous life as a travel agent failed me. I am usually a gung-ho investigator, thoroughly researching flight options as if solving a crime. I didn’t this time around. Nor did I bother to read the fine print. It was right there all along on my itinerary.

Silly me, I’m embarrassed with a sore back. I’ll continue dreaming of flying Air New Zealand for the long haul. For now, I’m off to stretch my legs.

The writer was a guest of Ngāi Tahu Tourism.