This trip report documents my trip to New Zealand and Australia with my mother in late May/early June. It is not just about the flights, but about the trip as a whole, including the hotels and destinations. Feel free to skip the parts that don’t interest you since it is very long, but I figured this could be helpful in terms of accommodations and what to do as well, at least from my perspective. I hope you enjoy the commentary and pics (which there are plenty of!), and any feedback would be greatly appreciated! For anyone interested, here is a direct link to the photo album.

Planning:

I booked this trip in September of 2006. Since United was raising their award rates from 90K to 110K in Business, which was still a steal at the current rate, I figured it was time to cash in before the rate went up in October. Since I have done United Business and First dozens of times internationally, I definitely wanted to try something new. Fortunately, Air New Zealand is in the Star Alliance and they seem to have a fantastic business class product, or as they refer to it, Business Premier. I had absolutely no trouble finding availability for two people in Business Premier, and managed to get what I thought was a great routing. I got IAD-LAX-IAD in business on the 777 with United, which is a LOT better than domestic first, and managed to get LAX-AKL-LAX with NZ. Additionally, we got business seats AKL-SYD-AKL, but decided to only visit Australia for three days, and just focus on Sydney while there since we had a limited amount of time. We would be spending 10 days in New Zealand.

Between September and the day of the flight there were plenty of schedule changes. For example, LAX-AKL-LAX was originally 747's both ways, but the return was switched to a 777, which I actually liked, since it would give me a better chance to explore NZ’s fleet. Additionally, AKL-SYD-AKL was on 767's both ways, but the SYD-AKL turned into an A320, which, while not as spacious as the 767, gave me the opportunity to test out a new product.

Something interesting which happened by coincidence was that the return date, June 10, is my mother's birthday. We would be leaving SYD at 11:30AM for AKL, followed by our flight to LAX. We would still manage to get to LAX at 12:40PM, giving us a full day to explore the city, flying back the next morning.

Perhaps foolishly, I chose where we would go by the placement of Priority Club properties, since I have status with them. In New Zealand, that would be Queenstown, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. We decided to stick with Crowne Plaza's all the way, since that would hopefully give us upgrades to better rooms as well as some extra perks, minus Wellington, where I managed to get a stay at the Intercontinental for 5,000 points a night!^ For Sydney we decided to do one night at the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbor, and two nights at the Intercontinental Sydney. Since it would be a weekend, we were able to use a Buy One Get One Free certificate, or BOGO. We paid for a standard club room and immediately got upgraded to a Harbour View Executive Suite, which cost us a total of $300USD, with the second night free, or $150 a night with tax! Lastly, we booked the Sheraton Gateway in Los Angeles on points. In total, for 14 nights hotel accommodation we paid around $1500 USD.^

Also, since our time in New Zealand would be somewhat limited and we wanted to see as much as possible, we decided to book our flights within New Zealand, instead of driving. Since this is their winter and driving can take a bit longer, not to mention they drive on the “wrong” side of the road, this is something we passed on. We decided to go from South to North, so immediately upon arriving in AKL we would be continuing to ZQN, then fly ZQN-CHC three days later, then CHC-WLG another three days later, and then WLG-AKL another two days later, connecting to our other flights. We paid around $300 per person for those flights, which was worth it, since we would get lounge access, extra baggage as a Star Gold, etc. Since their normal baggage allowance is 20kg per person this was a real life saver.

Here is our itinerary in its entirety:

Saturday, May 26
UA1576 (Operated by Ted)
TPA-IAD
1:48PM-4:03PM

Saturday, May 26
UA947
IAD-LAX
5:50PM-8:05PM

Saturday, May 26
NZ 005
LAX-AKL
10:30PM-6:15AM (second day)

Monday, May 28
NZ639
AKL-ZQN
10:00AM-11:50AM

Thursday, May 31
NZ518
ZQN-CHC
10:20AM-11:05AM

Sunday, June 3
NZ456
CHC-WLG
2:50PM-3:35PM

Tuesday, June 5
NZ418
WLG-AKL
10:00AM-11:00AM

Thursday, June 7
NZ105
AKL-SYD
4:00PM-5:30PM

Sunday, June 10
NZ704
SYD-AKL
11:30AM-4:30PM

Sunday, June 10
NZ006
AKL-LAX
7:30PM-12:40PM

Monday, June 11
UA946
LAX-IAD
7:50AM-3:44PM

Monday, June 11
UA1577
IAD-TPA
4:50PM-7:14PM

Day of trip:

Since our flight only left at 1:48PM, I tried to sleep in as long as I could, since I knew it would be an incredibly long journey, not to mention that we would get to New Zealand once again in the morning with a full day ahead of us. I slept until around 9:30AM, and finished up my packing. I made sure that I had my passport, had packed all of my electronics and their cords, a power converter, chocolate for the crews, etc.

I usually cut it close when arriving at the airport, but since I was flying with my mother, we had a lot of luggage to check, and this was a trip I did not want to miss, we played it safe. At times traffic is unpredictable to the airport, so we left at around 11:30AM. Fortunately the traffic was not bad at all, so we made it to the airport by around 12:15PM. My brother had also come down for the weekend, and he was flying CO back to EWR, so my dad dropped us all off at once.

At TPA:

We all went together to the Ted Premier/First counter, and were second in line. We were helped within five minutes, although the lines were not too bad for everyone else either. We were checking two bags, one of which weighed in at 63lbs, and the other 66lbs, which was a relief, since we thought we had packed too much. He promptly checked us in, and denied my request to interline the bags to our flight to ZQN, which was on a separate reservation. That was fine with me since we had nearly four hours in AKL, and we promptly got our boarding passes all the way to AKL, although he told us to get our NZ boarding passes reprinted at LAX. Much to my surprise, our LAX-AKL leg was now in seats 6K and 7K, instead of row one, like I originally chose. I was fine with that, since it is still in the front section of the aircraft, and after much convincing myself decided I actually preferred it since I would have a view of the entire front cabin. My mother, who was nominated for Premier Associate did not have that reflected on her BP, I guess since I didn't call to have her Mileage Plus number updated in the system. Not a big loss, really.

By the time we finished check-in it was around 12:30PM, so we bid our farewells to my brother and headed over to the E concourse, where our flight was to depart from. We took the tram airside and were met by a relatively short TSA line. That being said, I am used to no waits, since I usually frequent TPA at around 5:30AM on Saturdays, not exactly peak travel time. We put everything on the belt, which turned out to be two bags, a garment bag, and four containers, since I had a laptop and jacket, and my mom had a lot of liquids.

We were through security by around 12:45PM and walked through the wonderful E concrouse towards thegate area, which was full. At around 1PM I decided it was time to grab a bite to eat for the flight, since our dinner IAD-LAX flight would not leave until 5:50PM, which means no dinner until around 7PM. I got a Chicken Frontega Panini at Da Vinci's Cafe, where there was a particularly unusual lady making the sandwiches. Not sure how to describe her, but she acted very, erm, different.

I checked the loads of the flight the night before and noticed that the flight was completely sold out. As is typical with TPA, which does not have too many elites, Economy Plus was showing completely empty, and the back was packed to the gills. As a result, they had to play the usual "Who would like to upgrade to Economy Plus for $22" game, followed by just upgrading people for free, since they needed seats. Boarding started at around 1:20PM and we were among the first handful to board. The agent jokingly denied my mom boarding because she was in seating area three (although she is Premier Associate, but that was not reflected on her BP), but said that she was of course kidding. We proceeded down the jetway and were promptly on our way to what would be a very long and enjoyable journey.

Saturday, May 26
UA1576 (Operated by Ted)
TPA-IAD
Aircraft: Airbus 320
Seat: 11D
Scheduled Departure Time: 1:48PM
Actual Departure Time: 1:45PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 4:03PM
Actual Arrival Time: 3:50PM
Load: 100%

We promptly headed to our seats and I took out the essentials for any frequent flyer: ipod, Bose headsets, information on our destination, all the flight info, etc. I had put my small carryon under the seat in front of me, and the guy in 11A told me that he would put it up now since the FA will not allow it. Now, I have never had an issue with this, but I did it anyway, since I didn’t want to end up with a carryon in the very back of the plane. Since 11B and 11C were empty for the time being, we got in a conversation. He was also a very frequent flyer and lived in Lisbon and worked for a company based in Tampa. He started a Ted rant, which I can understand all too well, and said he would avoid it in the future. He traveled in paid business and was annoyed that he had to pay a few dollars to upgrade on an $8,000 ticket, another example of United’s stupid policy! He said the BA flight was sold out in all classes, or else he would have taken it.

Eventually every last seat filled up on the flight, and we pushed back a few minutes early. The captain advised us that the flight time would be 1hr59min, and we should be arriving ontime. The FA's forgot to ask if everyone in the exit row was willing and able, to my surprise. We had a quick taxi to runway 18R, and a quick ride up to our cruising altitude, at which point the seatbelt sign was turned off. I snapped a quick picture of the cabin from my seat.

The FA's started Tedevision, which I had unfortunately already seen twice this month. It featured funny 911 calls on Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien with the female star from Heroes (), a Saturday Night Live New Age band skit, Everyone Hates Chris, King of the Hill, etc. Since I had already seen this I started the introduction to my trip report and organized all of my travel documents.

Drinks were promptly served, but unfortunately it took a while for the exit row to get served. Since two FA's start service from the front and two from row 12, which is one row behind the exit row, we were among the last to be served. I always thought that they should start service for the front of the plane from row 11, since that is often where the most elites sit. Either way, nothing to complain about, but it took a while. When taking drink orders they handed out Snyders pretzels, and I ordered a Diet Coke. In typical Ted fashion, it was half full, most of which was ice, with no can, of course.

I went to the front of the plane for a refill, where the FA accidentally spilled some Diet Coke on my hand. She was very nice and apologetic, and so was the rest of the crew. They seemed quite junior, which isn't surprising, since I doubt “riding” Ted is very lucrative!

On approach into IAD we hit quite a few bumps and there were some very thick clouds. We vectored around the weather several times, as could be heard on Channel 9. We landed and taxied to the C Concourse, and ultimately arrived around 15 minutes early. We quickly disembarked and headed into the wonderful C Concourse of IAD.

At IAD:

Since our departure gate to LAX was C4 and we were around C20, we decided to visit the C16 RCC first. There was a surprisingly friendly agent there, which is certainly atypical for IAD. The man in front of us was flying F to FRA, and was redirected to the IFL. Just as we were arriving they were bringing out the veggie "bucket," which consisted of celery, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. This was in addition to the wide array of other snacks, namely cheese and crackers. I grabbed a Sierra Mist from the fridge and we tried to find an open area in this crowded lounge. I tried to recharge my laptop, although I finally realized it was not charging, and tried at least a handful of plugs, all of which were not working.

After 40 minutes we left the lounge and headed to the next one on the way to our gate, which was the C7 RCC. At this lounge there was a bit of a line to get in, but the agents who were supposed to do CS were not busy, so directed people over there to get in. There was one rude man that cut everyone in line, going up to the desk and just holding up his RCC card, as if the rest of us did not have a valid reason for getting in. The lady said he would have to wait in line just like everyone else, but he just stepped back a few feet, still cutting everyone else. Jeez, people these days...

I headed to a plug where my laptop actually charged for a bit and watched the Cornell vs. Duke lacrosse game. At around 4:55PM we headed to the gate and I inquired about a possible buy-up to first. The man, who was friendly, said that it would not be possible because I was on an award ticket. This surprised me, since it's not a double upgrade, so I thought anyone who was originally ticketed in C could really buy up, especially since F was wide open. The Red Carpet “circus” was already in full action, with the self important fools standing inside the red carpet "cage" waiting for boarding to be announced, as if there would be some incredible rush to get aboard. Boarding did start promptly, and we proceeded up the jetway. Always love taking flights where the jetway is at an upwards angle instead of a downwards angle. With this, the real journey began...

Saturday, May 26
UA947
IAD-LAX
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Seat: 8J
Scheduled Departure Time: 5:50PM
Actual Departure Time: 6:05PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 8:05PM
Actual Arrival Time: 8:15PM
Load: 60%F/90%C/90%Y

Immediately upon boarding we were met by two FA's, both of which were smiling and friendly, which is always a great start to a flight. We walked through the galley and took a left turn to seats 8H and 8J. There were blankets and pillows on each seat, and I quickly stowed our bags in the overhead, once again taking out the essentials. For those not familiar with row eight, it is a bulkhead row, and IMO has plenty of legroom. I am just under six feet and can’t reach the bulkhead when my legs are totally stretched out. On the other side of the bulkhead is First Class.
It was particularly hot on the plane and very little air was coming out of the air nozzles, certainly not cold air at that. I closed the window shades by the FA's recommendation, trying to cool off a bit. My coat was taken within minutes, and pre-departure OJ and water were offered a few minutes after that, and the very friendly FA remembered the older couple behind me from a previous flight. I took water and my mom took OJ. I am so happy that UA finally made the switch to Coke since that means no more Aquafina. Now it is spring water, which is MUCH better! Lastly, FA's came around with four newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Washington Post.

At around 5:48PM the door closed, following the "departure check" by the GA. The safety demonstration commenced immediately, yet we were still not moving. During the demonstration the elderly lady in 3F was touching the right side of her suite, and the whole panel fell off, and you could tell she was very embarrassed. The FA came by and said that she saw it, assuring her it was not a problem, and offered to switch her to 3E.

The 777 next to us pushed back with no sign of movement on our part. The captain came on and said that the last bags were being loaded and it should take seven or eight more minutes, saying we should be pushing back on the hour. Furthermore, our flight time would be 4hr47min. Unfortunately, 6:00PM passed, and we still had no movement. I observed a United B747, a South African Airways A346, an SAS A330 in Star colors, a KLM 330, an Austrian B777, and two United B777's takeoff right in our view. It was interesting since they all rotated exactly next to us, and pretty much all at the same point, to my surprise. I would have thought it takes a fully loaded B747 a bit longer to rotate than a B777.

Finally at 6:05PM we pushed back, but instead of following the other heavies we headed over to runway 30. As we were taxiing the FA came around asking for meal orders, the choice being between Lasagna Bolognese and Beef with asparagus. My mom and I both went with the beef. As I listened to Channel 9 I heard one of the most pleasant Air Traffic Controllers I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. He was wishing everyone a "Great Holiday Weekend," incredibly friendly and helpful, and all around in an awesome mood. People like that can't help but put the pilots as well as those listening to Channel 9 in a great mood. We were following a United 757, taxied into position, and were cleared for takeoff within a minute.

You can't beat the powerful takeoff of a 777, and we immediately made a left turn to 250. We continued our climb, at which point I took my shoes off, raised my headrest, brought out my PTV to watch Airshow, reclined my seat, and raised my footrest. Around 15 minutes after takeoff the purser activated the personal entertainment programming, which consisted of four movie choices and five short subject programs. The movie choices were The Painted Veil, The Bridge to Terabithia, Miss Potter, and The Holiday. I had already seen the Bridge to Terabithia earlier in the month, so went with The Holiday since the other options just didn’t interest me. For anyone not familiar with UA seat controls, here they are.

At around 6:40PM I could hear silverware rattling in the galley, and the salty smell of heated nuts quickly filled the cabin. Hot nuts and drinks were brought around promptly at 7PM. I took a Diet Coke and introduced my mother to the wonderful sensation which are United's hot nuts! Within a few more minutes refills were offered, and my mother actually commented that she liked the red wine, possibly a first on United!

Shortly thereafter warm towels were handed out, which had just the right moisture and temperature, and were hastily collected. Within another ten minutes tablecloths were laid out, and literally within a minute my meal arrived. For obvious reasons UA can't serve people in row 15 as fast as those in row eight, which is a huge advantage of sitting in the front of the cabin. The dinner consisted of a salad with two cherry tomatoes, a cucumber, and lots of iceberg lettuce. It was served with buttermilk ranch dressing and was decent. The entree consisted of beef tenderloin with a dark sauce, some asparagus, and potato wedges. I have to say it really was quite delicious. It was cooked just right and the asparagus tasted fresh. In the meantime the FA's came around with some bread, which was the choice between wheat rolls and foccacio bread. Lastly, for dessert, there was a piece of chocolate cheesecake. I have to say, it was really good. Overall, it was a surprisingly good meal.

As the food was finishing up we were almost 90 minutes into The Holiday. It was definitely not a great movie, but it passed the time. I then headed to the galley for a bit and asked the FA if she was in the United Airbus safety video by chance, since she looked just like the one lady. She said she was not, but she was friends with Ann (who xj47 loves beyond compare), who is. After I mentioned that I was heading down under she said how she went to Australia for her honeymoon, saying it was the best trip she had ever taken. There were constant water refills, which was greatly appreciated, and always done with a smile.

There was light chop for about an hour, and the FA's were asked to take their seats twice as we were flying over Texas. We were at this point going from FL360 to FL380 and the captain told center on Channel 9, "Center, we have light chop, make that light turbulence, when can we expect it to get better?" He said in about 30 miles, which turned out to be just about right.

For the rest of the flight I started doing some reading on United's Three Perfect Days article on Auckland, although we would not really be visiting it for a couple of weeks, as well as some other info on New Zealand. We were well into our descent over Palm Springs and the views were breathtaking with the setting sun over the mountains. After an incredibly smooth touchdown on Runway 25L, we arrived at our gate within minutes. We had left our garment bag in the closet, and when trying to retrieve it on the way out noticed it was no longer there. It turned out the FA had put it in the galley and it was "waiting" for us, which was not a great idea, IMO, especially since we had gone through the opposite aisle.

At LAX:

We tried to make our way through the wonderful maze which at times is LAX, and outside of the terminal. We walked across the street towards the other side of the airport, passing right by Encounters and near the tower. It was pleasant outside, maybe 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and the walking was much welcomed exercise both after the flights we had completed and before our longer journey. We could see the AF, VS, and NZ tails from below, which looked stunning, lit up.

We entered Terminal 2 under the "Air New Zealand" sign, where we were met by an almost deserted counter. In front of us was Economy check-in, and to the left was Business Premier and Star Alliance Gold check-in. Since we already had our boarding passes and there seemed to be no way to get to security, I asked one of the agents for directions. She said I would have to wait in line to print my boarding pass, and I asked if I could not do that at the Lounge, to which she responded "Of course." She told us security was out the door, a turn to the right, and the next door. At this time it was around 8:45PM.

Once inside they had one side of security for Business and one side for Coach, but unfortunately this was only for the boarding pass check. The security check was all one, and was about a 15 minute line. There were a bunch of French Polonaise girls in red uniforms, I guess from some kind of competition. The security was somewhat efficient, and we were in the terminal by 9PM. Unlike some other terminals at LAX (cough, TBIT, cough), Terminal 2 was not that bad at all. It had nice shops and looked decent, which was a nice change. We took the elevator up to the second level, where the Air New Zealand lounge is located.

Past the doors there was a very friendly lady who asked for our boarding passes, and since they were still on UA card stock, asked for an e-ticket as well as passport. We handed her both, and within about three minutes we were given new BP’s and invited in. My first impression of the lounge was that it was by far the best lounge at LAX.^ The entrance looked incredibly nice, with plasmas showing the attractions in New Zealand. Opposite the reception were world clocks and a map of New Zealand.

Once inside I couldn't help but notice how crowded the lounge was! It was packed, and there was essentially no place to sit without having someone else right next to you. Since NZ001, the other flight to AKL leaves at 9:30PM, I had a hard time believing this was all just our flight. It turns out that NZ001 was delayed, and only left a few minutes before us. There were several NZ agents dealing with the passengers from the first flight, apparently rebooking those that would misconnect, and overall seemed to have done an absolutely fantastic job based on the passenger reaction!

Nonetheless, the lounge was very impressive. It was modern and chic, and had awesome showers, food, and drinks. There were two freezers filled with all kinds of drinks, and they had an impressive wine section as well. The food choices were quite good: cheese pizza, ham panini, green salad, international cheeses, fresh fruit, all kinds of candies and packaged snacks, etc. Furthermore, they had a ton of computers that were modern, as well as plenty of laptop ports. Simply put, it was a fantastic lounge!

An announcement was made at 9:30PM that the crew had just boarded and were doing their safety checks, so boarding would start in 10-15 minutes. Since I always love taking cabin pictures and had never tried Air New Zealand, we left the lounge at around 9:40PM. We took the short walk to gate 28, where boarding was not underway. As I stood there I reflected on all the painful redeyes to IAD I have taken on mileage runs to earn the miles, and how I always sat there musing at the planes headed to Australia and New Zealand, wishing I was in one of their premium seats. Finally, this time I was! After boarding some disabled people, boarding began for Business Premier passengers. I boarded immediately, and was VERY excited.

Saturday, May 26
NZ 005
LAX-AKL
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Seat: 7K
Scheduled Departure Time: 10:30PM
Actual Departure Time: 10:32PM
Scheduled Arrival Time: 6:15AM (second day)
Actual Arrival Time: 6:19AM (second day)
Load: 100%C

My first reaction: WOW! To say that I was a five-year-old in a candy store would be a total understatement! The cabin was absolutely immaculate and simply stunning! We entered through door 2L and were immediately asked for our boarding passes by the two FA's at the door. They directed us towards the front of the plane and I managed to snap a quick picture of the rear business class, which is between doors 2L and 1L. It is in a 1-2-1 layout, and I must say that the aisles were incredibly tight there, not even wide enough for me to roll my carryon through. I then proceeded into the nose of the jumbo, and was in awe! The lighting was incredible and it just looked amazing, along with the great music.

No picture can do Air New Zealand's Business Premier even the slightest bit of justice, and that's coming from someone who has had the NZ forward Business Premier section as my wallpaper on my laptop for six months. Simply incredible! Seriously, all I can do is post pictures, but it is simply fascinating! It has seven rows, with one seat on each side, and an island in the middle, which is used for newspapers, snacks, etc. As the boarding process continued it was used as a chatting place for two of the passengers seated across from me as they sipped champagne. The actual material in the cabin reminded me of the interior of a Searay boat, sort of.

Before I could reach my seat a very friendly middle aged male FA hanged my coat and garment bag. Also, beverages were immediately offered, the choice being water, OJ, or champagne, all in proper glassware. I went with OJ, and it had a kick to it. For the next several minutes I was snapping pictures of the cabin since the forward section was still almost empty. The seat design is simply amazing! I know I sound like a rambling idiot, but I don't know what words to use to describe it. This is the first time that I have done staggered business class, and I truly love it! This is without question the best Business product I have experienced, although I should save that judgment until I do the new Singapore Business in mid-June. Within a few more minutes two FA's came around with the newspaper selection, which I declined.

The seat is at approximately a 60-degree angle forward, facing the interior of the cabin. Each seat has a PTV (which during boarding had amazing pictures of New Zealand), LCD light, fold out table, armrest which can go down, etc., on the right hand side. Also, there was a green pillow on each seat. Furthermore, the right side of the seat had the in-flight magazine, safety card, amenity ziplock type bag, some good noise canceling headsets, and next to it was the menu, wine list, and a bottle of Crystal Geyser water. Behind the seat was a mattress pad, a very large pillow, and a wonderful duvet. Each seat also had an ottoman across from it, which had an individual seatbelt in case people wanted to dine together. The seatbelt of the seat itself was quite impressive. It was heavily padded, which was very very comfortable.

The seat controls were to the left of the seat, which included recline, bringing the seat back up, and putting the table out. When you push the "table" button, which is lit in a blue neon light, the table pops upwards out of the right side of the seat, and you have to manually pull it up. You can adjust it however you want, be it pulling it forward or away from you. I would say it is about twice the size of a standard business class tray. Simply an incredibly impressive product! I then headed to the lavatory to change into my Lufthansa pajamas, and was quite impressed by the bathroom. It had all kinds of creams, and the floor was a bunch of little tiles, which looked awesome. Without question it was the nicest airplane bathroom I have seen, although certainly not the most spacious.

About 25 minutes after boarding the cabin was totally full, and pre-departure services seemed to be in full swing. The FA's were collecting all of the items for takeoff, since there is no storage in the seats and everything must be stored for takeoff.

A few minutes later the captain came on announcing our flight time of 12hr40min, with that wonderful New Zealand accent, wishing us a very pleasant journey. The in-flight supervisor came on the PA and asked us to watch the safety video, which was playing on our personal monitors, located to our right. The safety video was good, IMO, especially coming from someone who is used to the Ted safety video (I know, no real competition there). Unlike the US airlines, the FA was standing in the front of the cabin, because there is a point in the safety video that says "Flight Attendants will now demonstrate where the nearest exits are located." I found the difference in the word choice compared to the American safety videos quite interesting. For example, they don’t refer to them as overhead bins, but rather as overhead lockers. Also, instead of fastening the seatbelt we are to “do up the seatbelt.” Also, the seatbelt buckle was referred to as a “lever.” Nothing major, but it was interesting.

After the safety video finished we promptly pushed back for an almost ontime departure. I could feel the stress on the wheels and how heavy the aircraft was as we taxied to runway 24L. That is likely because we were sitting right over the wheel, but it just felt awfully heavy! At around 10:40PM we were taxiing into position on the runway and stopped for a short time. Seconds later the powerful engines spooled up and we were rolling down the runway, lifting off right at the end of 24R. This was definitely a very long roll, which I love. One of the interesting things about sitting in the staggered seats is that you are not facing forward, so it was a very different kind of sensation during takeoff and climb. All along NZ's Airshow, which I quickly learned was the best out there, was telling us the exact details of our journey. It was completely 3D, even showed our position within the airport, and provided all kinds of awesome info. Later in the flight it even showed us where in the world it was dark and where it was light!^

As we passed 9,000 feet the seatbelt sign was turned off and I immediately retrieved my belongings from the overhead that I wanted to use during the flight. I always love how foreign airlines turn the seatbelt sign off so fast, which leaves a few minutes to do stuff before the service begins in the aisles, as opposed to the American carriers which usually turn it off upon reaching cruising altitude. I played around with the different seat positions for a while, and sat on my mom's ottoman to see how she was enjoying the flight. While I was initially planning on dining with her, the knee space was a little tight with “dining for two,” so we decided to dine separately.

As we continued our smooth climb over the Pacific I chose to familiarize myself with the entertainment system of NZ. Based on the entertainment magazine there are plenty of movies, sitcoms, and games to choose from. I should probably be ashamed of myself for never having seen Borat in its entirety, so went with that. I don't think I have ever laughed as hard in my life!

As we leveled off at FL360 the service began. NZ seems to do their service differently than the other carriers, which I must honestly say I like, although I know that many will disagree with me. Instead of starting with drinks, tablecloths were first distributed. The table really is big, so there is room for the meal tray as well as separate drinks. Once the tablecloths were distributed beverages were immediately offered. I went with a Diet Coke. Here is how the dinner menu read:

"Soon after take-off you may wish to take advantage of the superior comfort of our lie-flat beds. Our Fast Dine Supper enables an earlier sleep by providing you with a quick meal prior to the general meal service. Alternatively, you can enjoy our full dining experience and receive personalized service throughout your meal.

Fast Dine Supper
Sunchoke and pear soup with spiced pear and blue cheese crouton
Hot sour dough bread
Chocolates

Supper

Starter
Olive oil poached New Zealand salmon with haricot vert, frisee, mache, balsamic red onions and hazelnut aioli

Main Course
New Zealand lamb two ways with fennel puree, caponata (courgette, tomato, aubergine, basil, oregano, pinenuts), roasted grapes and rich wine jus
Pan roasted New Zealand snapper with truffled corn coulis, rock shrimp spatzle, sweet peas, summer corn and sauteed pea greens
Wood roasted organic chicken breast on short rib hash, roasted cipolline onions and wilted spinach

Dessert
Gourmet ice cream dessert of caramel cone and double chip ice cream with vanilla almond wafer

Cheese
A selection of fine New Zealand cheese

Beverages
Freshly brewed or decaffeinated coffee, tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate

Snacks
Help yourself from our range of snacks available for you to enjoy during your flight

Beverages

Spirits
Glenfiddich Malt Whisky
Chivas Regal Blended Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Black Label
Gordons Gin
42 Below Vodka
Courvoisier VSOP
Captain Morgan Rum
Ron Bacardi Superior

Port and Liqueurs
Portuguese Port
Grand Mariner
Bailey Irish Cream

Beer
A selection of beer featuring Steinlager, Export Gold, Heineken and low alcohol lager

Soft Drinks
Mineral water, orange juice, apple juice, tomato juice, cola, lemonade, tonic water, ginger ale and a choice of diabetic drinks are available

42 Below Cocktails
Refer to the cocktail selection at the back of your Air New Zealand Wine Guide for the 42 Below cocktails currently being showcased onboard.”

Sauvignon Blanc

Kaituna Valley
Malborough Sauvignon
Blanc - 2006

Saint Clair
Malborough Sauvignon
Blanc - 2006

Waipara Hills
Malborough Sauvignon
Blanc - 2006

Wither Hills
Malborough Sauvignon
Blanc - 2006

Chardonnay

Fiddler’s Green Waipara
Chardonnay - 2004

Staete Landt Vineyard
Chardonnay - 2004

Ngatarawa Silks
Chardonnay - 2005

Wither Hills
Chardonnay – 2004

Premium White Wines

Allan Scott Marlborough
Riesling - 2005

Trinity Hills
Hawke’s Bay Viognier - 2005

Waipara Hills
Pinot Gris – 2006

Pinot Noir

Highfield Estate
Pinot Noir - 2005

Nautilus Marlborough
Pinot Noir - 2005

Palliser Estate
Pinot Noir - 2004

West Brook Winery
Pinot Noir - 2005

Premium Red Wines

Craggy Range
Sophia Merlot/Cabernet Franc - 2004

Pegasus Bay
Merlot Cabarnet - 2003

Trinity Hills Hawke’s Bay
Tempranillo - 2005

Montana Reserve
Marlborough Merlot – 2004

Te Awa Winery
Hawke’s Bay Merlot - 2004

Vidal Estate
Syrah – 2004

Dessert Wines

Forrest Estate
Botrytised Riesling - 2005

Jackson Estate
Botrytis Riesling - 2006

Within another five minutes the first course was distributed on a tray. It came with olive oil, modern salt and pepper shakers, butter, and a glass of spring water. While I am not a fan of anything from the sea for the most part, the salmon was delicious. Within another two minutes the same male FA came around with a choice of breads, which consisted of whole grain rolls, garlic bread, and some white bread. I went with the garlic bread, and he left me two pieces. I have always been a fan of the Singapore Airlines garlic bread, but this one outdid it by a mile! It was fresh, crisp, and not soggy!

Just as I finished up the starter my drink was refilled and the same wonderful FA came around offering a choice of all three entrees, which were all on the tray. I went with the chicken, and was also offered more garlic bread, which I accepted. While the chicken was not bad, it was far from great. The spinach was a little dry, and I didn't really like the onions. I also didn't like the fact that it was served in such a small dish, which made some of the food spill over. I have to admit that a lot of my food and water ended up outside of the dish and glass, but that was due to Borat. Wow, just too damn funny!

As I took the last bite of my main course the tray was literally collected within seconds, and I was immediately offered ice cream. This was without question the best dessert I have ever had, let alone on a plane! It had chocolate chunks and was not rock hard like ice cream on airplanes usually is. Within a minute of finishing I was offered the cheese plate, which I declined, although it looked excellent. Then coffee or tea was offered, and I accepted a coffee, which was very good. Lastly, hot towels were brought around, which were great!

From the tablecloth being put on the table to me being totally done was less than an hour. The service was incredibly personalized, and for all I knew, there was no one else in the cabin, although everyone chose the full dinner service in the forward cabin. Now, I know many people will say that the dinner seems very rushed, and they like the “long meal presentation.” I would have to disagree, personally. I did Lufthansa First last summer and the meal service took three hours on a seven hour flight! While I am all for great service and an excellent meal presentation, I also like to get up, recline my seat, and just relax, and NZ definitely did an exceptional job with that.^ I was able to immediately recline my seat and finish up Borat. To be fair the meal service was somewhat sub-standard. There was no salad, and like I said earlier the entree was not particularly good and was served in a very small dish. That being said, I found it more than adequate, especially on a flight that leaves at this time of the night!

At that point immigration cards for New Zealand were handed out, which I filled out immediately, since I always hate dealing with them after waking up in the morning. Once that was finished, which was only around 100 minutes into the flight, I put my seat into the bed position. In order to turn the seat into a bed you have to get out of the seat and push the button on the right side of the seat, which has a neon blue picture of a bed. The seat folds over, making the backside the bed, and it meets the ottoman. It is very quick and easy.

I then made my bed and snug up under the duvet. While the seat itself is not incredibly wide and may seem somewhat claustrophobic for a larger person, the area where you put your head is wider, going into the space in front of you. This leaves plenty of room and does not feel claustrophobic at all. Furthermore, you can stow your armrest to turn it into a large open space. I would say that the seat is as good as the United First Suite for sleeping, and I think the UA F Suite is one of the best products in the sky for sleeping. I managed to get six hours of "real" sleep, and woke up about five hours out of New Zealand. I went to use the restroom and gave the crew some chocolate I had brought aboard for them for their great service. Overall, the seat is absolutely AWESOME for sleeping, especially with the excellent duvet and pillow! I also checked out the counter in the middle of the galley, which had the snacks out at this point. The snacks were Three Musketeers candy bars, grapes, boxes of See’s chocolate, Walkers Shortbread, this packaged coconut chocolate thing, which was so good, and some more bottles of water. I grabbed a bottle of water and some snacks for later in the trip.

At that point I decided to try and get a little more sleep, since it would be a long day in New Zealand. I managed to get another 2.5 hours of sleep, and woke up with 2.5 hours left in flight. At this point I decided to watch some TV shows, and settled for a hilarious episode of Two and a Half Men, followed by Everyone Hates Chris, The Simpsons, and Malcolm in the Middle. As Two and a Half Men was finishing up breakfast service began. First some large, warm towels were brought around. The breakfast menu read as follows:

Breakfast

Beverages
Start your day with a fruit smoothie, your choice of juice, freshly brewed or decaffeinated coffee, tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate

Fruit and Cereal
Fruit selection with assorted cereals and yoghurts

Bakery
Croissants, wholemeal and fruit toast with conserve

Hot Breakfast
Creamy scrambled eggs with chives, chicken and sun dried tomato sausages, grilled bacon and mushrooms
Orange broiche French toast with passionfruit cream and manuka honey and apple syrup

The service started with a tray of orange juice and smoothies. I went with a strawberry smoothie, which was fantastic! It was refreshing, light, and just right after a great sleep and to start the morning! I wish more airlines would have smoothies! Shortly thereafter the tray was brought out, which consisted of a fruit appetizer, including oranges, grapes, and melon. It too was refreshing and just right. At the same time the male FA came around with the breadbasket, which had croissants, wheat toast, and white toast. I went with a croissant and wheat toast, which were crispy, warm, and fresh! As I finished up my smoothie I went for a fresh glass of OJ, which had the same kick to it as the pre-departure one the night before.

Lastly, the main courses were brought around and I went with the french toast. It consisted of two pieces of french toast as well as some side I couldn't really identify. The french toast was excellent as well, wrapping up what was the best breakfast meal service I have ever experienced on a flight!^

At this point we had about 50 minutes left in-flight. We had some light chop, and the seatbelt sign went on for a bit. I changed back into my arrival clothes, brushed my teeth, and freshened up. One of the great things about a flight to New Zealand from LAX is that you have plenty of time to enjoy the onboard services and get some sleep, unlike the east coast to Europe flights which I am used to, which last seven hours at most. When the first meal service is finished two hours after takeoff and breakfast starts 90 minutes before arrival, very little time is left for sleep.

With about 40 minutes left I started packing up my belongings, including the amenity kits, menus, in-flight magazine, entertainment guide, etc. At this point the wonderful male FA brought the same Lindt chocolates around to the passengers that I had gifted to the crew. I took one, and within a few more minutes he came to my seat saying he did not realize that I had gifted them to the crew, apologizing profusely. A few minutes later the lead FA came by thanking us for the chocolate, saying it was not often that they received gifts from passengers. As we began our initial descent some of the late risers were waking up, and were still offered breakfast service. Shortly thereafter some candies were passed out with “Air New Zealand” wrappers.

With about 15 minutes left in-flight we could see some lights outside, despite it being pitch dark. The captain also came on the PA thanking us for choosing Air New Zealand and saying that we would land shortly, at which point the seatbelt sign was turned on. We made a very smooth landing into AKL, touching down at 6:19AM. After a short taxi we arrived at the gate right next to the 777 that left LAX just around 30 minutes before us.

Now, I think it's fair to say that my report has been incredibly favorable towards NZ in all regards, minus the dinner service. Just to be fair I wanted to provide some of the negatives: The controls, which were on the left side of the seat, were incredibly easy to touch by mistake. Throughout the flight I must have pushed the table button at least five times, prompting it to come out. Just sitting against the left side of the seat caused the controls to switch. Furthermore, while I found the seat to be incredibly comfortable, I can imagine that the seat would be EXTREMELY claustrophobic or uncomfortable for a person of size. Another major issue which I noticed among all my NZ flights, or many foreign carriers, for that matter, is that individual air nozzles just don’t exist, which can make a flight extremely uncomfortable. Lastly, the PTV controls were somewhat cumbersome. Nonetheless, I have to say that I was incredibly impressed, and would select it any day over UA international F or any C product I have tried to date. I definitely enjoyed my flight immensely!