On my way to the gate a call is made that "the flight is ready to depart, all passengers should now be onboard". That didn't seem right given the lounge staff lack nonchalance. Sure enough at the passport check at the top of the stairs and escalator down to the gate, I see that boarding for economy class has only just started. It's all very well having an automated system for announcements and the departures board, but if it doesn't get updated for live status it is basically useless.

I notice through the melee that there is a separate (and empty) boarding lane for business class and elites and make my over. The agent manning this line waves away my passport - don't worry I know who you are.

Onboard I settle in to my seat upstairs. The other exit row seat beside me is indeed taken but the passenger wants to swap for another seat and does so once boarding is completed. The upper deck is about 3/4 full.

Amenity kits and sweaters (yes in business class) are handed out. Nice to see a change of policy - originally the Auckland flights missed out with sweaters only on the prime long overnight flights.

We managed to lose time on the ground in Auckland. The captains announcement however included a ramble about how they were going to fly faster than normal to try to minimise the delay to our arrival time, and how that wasn't a green thing to do.