Originally Posted by
oreocookies
-Do I need to bid on one or the other? Or can I bid on both a Skycouch and Premium Economy and see which I get?
You should be able to bid on both, personally I'd pick the Skycouch due to the increased space but the chance (if any) is higher with the PE seat
Originally Posted by
oreocookies
-If I win a bid for Premium Economy, do I still get to pick a seat? I'd rather have an aisle seat on Economy than a middle seat on Premium Economy.
Yes you'd get to pick a seat but only once the upgrade is approved a few days before the flight. This means you're likely to have the worst pick of seats and could be forced with a middle, there is no guarantee if they accept the bid that you'll even have any choice (all others could be taken).
Originally Posted by
oreocookies
-What is the range for winning a Skycouch seat? The bidding starts at $190 USD.
Skycouches to buy at time of booking at US$605 on that route. So obviously if bidding closer to the $605 you've got a greater chance. Bidding the minimum amount is unlikely to end with any wins.
Originally Posted by
oreocookies
-Is there a way to just buy an upgraded seat, like Skycouch, or do I have to go through this bidding system?
Yes, pending availability Sky couches can be purchased before, as above they're US$605 (per direction priced on 1 passenger) which in my opinion is great value. It's worth noting that the space is 1.55m long and 74cm wide meaning smaller than a single bed and if you're tall you'll need to watch out as you can't stretch out straight.
It's worth noting that Skycouches on the JFK-AKL route are in hot demand and so unless you pay before hand I wouldn't expect to win anything.
In July only flights on 1, 3,6, 8 and 31 July from JFK-AKL have any skycouches available so unless you're on one of those dates just listed then you're already out of luck.
Originally Posted by
oreocookies
-Any other advice for how I can secure an upgrade? I'm worried about blood clots, so I want to be on an aisle so I can get up and walk around, and the ability to lay flat would be incredible since I just cannot sleep sitting up.
I'd say your chances of getting an upgrade are close to zero.
Edit: You've now added your flight on the 15th, there are no skycouches (all fully booked) on the 15th so whilst you can submit a bid it's unlikely to get anywhere (even if one does come free I'd expect it to be snapped up quickly).
Right now there are also only 4 premium economy seats for sale. If you really want to fly in Premium Economy (or Business) your only real option would be to pay the fare difference between your fare and the current pricing. Air New Zealand Silver/Gold/Elite members receive 1-2 "recognition upgrades" each year, these are processed before any bid upgrades are considered meaning I'd expect at least 4 people to have some form of Air NZ status and use their upgrade on this flight meaning even yourself bidding the highest price is unlikely to get a look in.