New Zealand airline pokes fun at Harry and Meghan with '#SussexClass' tweet amid 'Spare' memoir furor

Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Images via Getty Images

• Air New Zealand poked fun at an anecdote in Prince Harry's "Spare" in a tweet on Thursday.
• In his memoir, Harry recalled Meghan Markle booking a ticket for her father with the airline in 2018. 
• Twitter users had mixed reactions to the "#SussexClass" tweet.

Air New Zealand got a shout-out in Prince Harry's new memoir, and the company wasted no time capitalizing on the moment.

In "Spare," officially released worldwide Tuesday, the British royal recalls when his now-wife Meghan Markle, in an effort to protect her father, Thomas Markle, from relentless press coverage, booked a first-class seat for him with the airline in 2018. 

"We told him, leave Mexico right now: A whole new level of harassment is about to rain down on you, so come to Britain. Now," Harry wrote. "Air New Zealand, first class, booked and paid for Meg."

On Thursday, Air New Zealand took the opportunity to poke fun at the anecdote from the Duke of Sussex's controversial book with a tweet. 

—Air New Zealand ✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) January 12, 2023

Twitter users shared their opinion on the airline's social media move. Some laughed at the joke, while others called the tweet unprofessional.

"Wow, I had a really good impression of Air New Zealand until seeing this. Surprisingly petty. Gross," one user wrote.

"You have all missed Air NZs wicked sense of humour. Clearly you have not flown with them and watched their safety videos. Very funny," another tweet read.

The memoir has been the subject of much public speculation of Harry's claims, Insider reported. Since resigning from their Royal Family duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan moved to the US and began opening up about their experiences in interviews, a Netflix docuseries, and most recently, Harry's memoir. 

The "Spare" author shared many bombshells about his past – including details on his last night of freedom with Meghan, a psychedelic drug trip, and his late mother, Princess Diana.