Thanks Blackcloud
Have been lurking for a little while and finally jumped in.
This is all really helpful, so thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail - and yes, shoulder room is a little higher in my priority list than pitch. Will do my seat requests now.
Will not let my low earning AP ruin my trip at all, after all I've not lost anything
but its good to know to avoid disappointment. Had hoped that given it was a peak fare (but yes, booked after the 1 June and still relatively cheap) I'd get a few more points from it, but never mind, I'm still going on an awesome trip.
I have a mate who is an AirNZ FA based in London, so we are hoping to co-ordinate once she gets her schedule and I'm sure a friend onboard will help one/both of the LHR-LAX legs pass quicker.
One question I had meant to ask but forgotten (as if I hadn't asked enough already), I get the impression that the headphone jacks on seat arms are double pronged and won't take standard 3.5mm single connectors - do AirNZ supply headphones these days? I did fly AirNZ in 2000/01 but can't remember much about the trip except the Y seats were good enough to sleep all the way home in! (not expecting them to be as good this time around)