LOS ANGELES to AUCKLAND (LAX-AKL) on Air NZ 747-400 in economy class

I arrived at check in early (so I could take a shower). The flight was totally full so no empty seat beside me. I enquired about the other flights and they were also totally full so switching flights would not help at all.

The nice agent was however able to check me in for my onward flights which saves me some time later. The queues for security (and pre-security boarding pass check) were the shortest I've ever seen them at LAX T2, and I was at the lounge within 10 minutes. Note for self - turn up before 6pm in future.

I grabbed a shower then some drink and food. The wine went down rather well, perhaps a bit too well. As with the lounge at AKL they had staff wandering around with tasty nibbles and drink, as well as the buffet and you can of course also help yourself.

An announcement was made for each of the 3 Air NZ flights when the cabin crew boarded the aircraft - advising that boarding was due in 15-20 minutes, slightly late on my flight. However, 5 minutes later boarding was called. So we boarded on time. We had 2 no shows and I was very fortunate that one of them was the middle seat beside me. I don't know if it is my imagination but row 37 seemed to have an extra 1" of pitch compared with other NZ 744 economy seats I've had recently (excluding bulkhead and exit row). I welcomed that extra inch, but it reminded me that other flights I will have much less legroom (and kneeroom).

After boarding we were held up for unspecified reasons and I drifted off to sleep, awaking when the dinner choices were announced over the PA. (When I checked later it seems the flight left almost an hour late.)

The passenger in front of me was reluctant to sit upright during meal service and reclined as soon as she had finished, which was when I was just getting started (she had a special meal thus served much earlier). Grrr. The meal was a choice of herb crusted chicken (again) and steak, both with the usual salad, roll, dessert and drinks.

Again I got a water bottle (500 ml this time), and also a business class noise reducing headset ^

I slept the next several hours waking a little before breakfast. I watched another (short) movie, timing it just right for the IFE being switched off on descent.

Breakfast was a choice of fruit plate or omelette with hash brown and mushrooms, fruit, yoghurt and roll, orange juice and the usual drinks.

We made up some time en route but arrived late. Immigration queues were not too bad and I was through customs and x-ray in a couple of minutes, just in time to catch the transfer bus to domestic (otherwise I would have walked across). It seems the earlier Qantas flight from Los Angeles was also quite late. But the effect of arriving at a busy period (and having bags to collect off the carousel) was apparent - for I made the same transfer bus despite my flight leaving Los Angeles more than an hour after the Qantas flight.