It's never fun to spend that long in an aluminum tube, even in first or business.

And the misery of jet lag can be awful to suffer

But I have to urge you to endure the jet lag and the confinement, even in coach. Otherwise you'd miss the chance to see some of the most beautiful scenery and meet some of the friendliest people on the planet.

(By the way, you don't have an e-mail address listed; if you'd be interested, contact me at mine and I'll pass along the name, phone number and e-mail of my travel agent -- she's an Australia/New Zealand specialist based in Bethesda, MD who does excellent work at both finding the places you'll want to visit and saving you $$$.)