Air New Zealand Air Points - Best seats for LAX-AKL on NZ 5? CHC-LAX on NZ 18?

Two of us are flying LAX-AKL at the end of October. Currently we have exit row seats (row 43, economy), but I've heard that the door is "bulky" and protrudes into the seating area.

Any advice on the best seats for this route?

We'll be flying back CHC-LAX mid-Nov on NZ 18, so I'm up for input on seats for that routing also.

Thanks!

See the (stickied) the new ultimate seating thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25056)

See the (stickied) the new ultimate seating thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25056)


Kiwi, Thanks for the quote. I'm a bit confused b/c the information in the thread you referenced doesn't match with the seating chart at the ANZ site.

The link on the seating thread didn't work, so I went here:
http://www.airnz.co.nz/travelinfo/ontheplane/seat_maps/boeing_747400_popup.htm

Looks like Row 45 is an exit row? Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place. I'm a newbie in this forum. :)

There are 2 different configurations as Air NZ has recently started refitting the 747s. The refitted a/c has exit row at 43, the non-refitted at row 45. By end October there'll be 2 (or 3?) a/c done out of a fleet of 8.

CHC-LAX almost certainly will be non-refitted. LAX-AKL NZ5 I'm not so sure about but if you have exit row 43 that suggest refitted a/c.

As well as better seats, the refit provides AVOD (audio-video on demand) for IFE (in flight entertainment). The non-refitted a/c only has a big screen in economy (several movies over the course of the long flight but no personal choice or stop/start when you want.