After enjoying the excellent NZ lounge (much better imo than SQ, AMEX or Plaza Premium) while watching the Patriots beat the Texans, we boarded on time. PDB and PJs offered. Slippers already at seat along with cheap-looking new amenity kit.

The usual service flow. Nuts were ok (no pretzels!). Salad and shrimp app were nothing special but new brown roll and elevated butter were a nice improvement (but still only one pass of bread and sadly no garlic bread option).

Salmon main was excellent, as was the cake for dessert.

I intended to try all the midflight snacks (for research purposes) but slept through it. My pre-arrival breakfast was a colorful combo of fruit bowl (how you like them applies—and not much else?) and tapioca pudding with more fruit. The warm pain au chocolat was another new and delicious improvement.

At the end of the flight the excellent purser gifted me a spare bottle of LP with the United 100 logo. Nice touch!