Airline Ratings gave Qatar Airways the top spot for 2024, and Air New Zealand dropped from first in 2023, to fourth.
Chief Executive, Greg Foran, says Air New Zealand's service is world-class, but concedes their 20 year old seats are dated compared to competitors.
He says plans to re-furnish are in train, with one Dreamliner to be done in coming months, before a fleet-wide rollout over three years.