Air New Zealand Air Points - Gold card holder travelling with guest?

Hello,

I'm travelling from NAN to LAX this evening and will have a poor little statusless pauper of a colleague in tow (he flies more than me but just "doesn't get" all this miles and status stuff, bless him). So, in addition to lounge access, can I extend to him:

i) Business class check in if he turns up with me?
ii) Priority boarding (that sounds less likely to me)?

Checking in at the Business counter shouldn't be a problem at all -- while the staff at NAN can be a bit variable depending on mood/time-of-day/current-strike-plans they'll be cool... I've done it there with status-less companion couple of times with little more than a sleepy nod.

May be worth calling the reservations number down in Auckland to request seats together if you haven't because they have sometimes been a bit, well, odd about seating at NAN: Nothing horrible, but just an odd vibe & they look at you like you're an american asking for an upgrade on BA if you ask for seats together, blocked middle seat or anything like that. Perhaps its something to do with the culture of the local handling company as its a similar sense each time I've been there -- "computer says no" approach rather than the proactive "let me see what we can do for you" approach that you get (without asking for anything) at AKL premium check-in or at LHR.

On the priority boarding question - I don't recall ever hearing an announcement at NAN: mostly its a case of a zip up the escalator from the lounge to the gate at the last minute after a call. Seems to be a permanent slow-moving scrum at the gate (much as for USA flights from Auckland) no matter how early, middle or late you leave it.

Yes, the handling staff at NAN are somewhat lacking in a very Fijian sort of way. They managed to screw up my seat assignment and then give my colleague a middle seat. When we complained, they denied it and insisted my colleague was indeed in a aisle seat though we both know the layout of this aircraft.

The flight itself was ok for one of NZ's 767s (any plans to introduce the new in flight product to these aircraft) helped along by the fact I've not seen King Kong or The Matador.