Air New Zealand Air Points - Checking in from LHR - how early can you do it?

Hi all. Flying LHR-LAX-AKL on NZ1 (14.25) on the rather busy day of 23rd December with my girlfriend. Originally hoped to blag some of the banks of 2 seats on their own that you find at the back of the plane, but they're already taken. Best I've managed so far is window/middle on the way out, and aisle/middle on the way back.

Presuming the bulkheads and exits are assigned at the airport, how early will we need to check in to grab these? We're actually staying at LHR the night before so if check in is open we could even check in the night before.

Any advice on grabbing these better seats would be good :)

Check in probably opens 3-4 hours before departure. Have you rung Air NZ to find seats (some that are marked as unavailable on online seat maps may simply be reserved for elites)?

Check in probably opens 3-4 hours before departure. Have you rung Air NZ to find seats (some that are marked as unavailable on online seat maps may simply be reserved for elites)?

Yep, I called Air NZ, originally I was told that we couldn't even sit together, but after giving *Gold status, they managed to sort that. Bit of a hassle.

Do you reckon turning up four hours in advance would be enough to secure an exit or bulkhead? If the Air NZ check in desks are open all day, could we not check in for that flight at soon as they open?

I am sure the flight doesn't open for airport check in until about 3-4 hours before departure.

Pretty sure its 4 hours before so if you get there between 4.5 and 5 hours before you will be near the front of the quere. Don't fancy your chances of a bulkhead or exit though. That flight will be full of expats flying home and many will have NZ status and you can be sure since the upgrades are all gone that they will have already been earmarked those seats.....:rolleyes:

Pretty sure its 4 hours before so if you get there between 4.5 and 5 hours before you will be near the front of the quere. Don't fancy your chances of a bulkhead or exit though. That flight will be full of expats flying home and many will have NZ status and you can be sure since the upgrades are all gone that they will have already been earmarked those seats.....:rolleyes:

How will that be possible, can status NZ flyers pre-reserve these seats? If so I won't bother turning up early.

Or is there some under-the-table way that they'll be able to get them without winning the early check-in race?

:confused:

Anyone with *A status can (see post #2). All you need to do is ring up Air NZ.

Anyone with *A status can (see post #2). All you need to do is ring up Air NZ.

I've done that already, but even after giving my *A Gold status, I was told that exit rows weren't done until the day of departure?

Unless it has changed very recently that is not true. My last but one flight I had exit rows pre-selected and confirmed.

You can select exit rows, they should warn that you may be moved at check in if you are unsuitable (ie you risk ending up with a rubbish seat). Either the agent didn't want to give that speil or the exit rows are already taken, or they wanted to keep them for NZ gold and gold elite pax.