The scenery photos were taken with a point and shoot small camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS42, to be exact. NZ is way more beautiful in person, IMHO.

Our original seats were both aisles in the middle 3, like rows 2 and 3. We were preassigned row 5 before we got to LAX, however. I say this because when we got there, I asked if we could sit together, and the desk agent stated we had been moved to row 5. I assume someone at VA saw we were apart before the desk opened. We were checked in by the trainer of the desk agents and I'm sure he would have volunteered he had switched us if he did. I was told over the phone when calling VA about a month before the flight (which I gave flight numbers and name, date, along with DL PNR, not sure what they needed, but that got them to find us in their system), that row 2 and 5 are blocked and only assigned at the desk, but in both LAX and SYD, I was told by both desk agents they had never heard of that and all seats were already assigned. I actually called VA twice, because we switched flights, and both times was told 2 and 5 are blocked.

I had read row 5 is normally reserved for VA elite, and on the other side of 5, a guy had both seats to himself. The middle 3 were a family with a small baby, and they may have been assigned those seats in case the baby cried. That is speculation.