LionRed

​​​​​​​A local bit of kiwi humour, referring to Australia as the West Island

Oxon Flyer

Given the OPs bolding of flat bed (a must), and assuming no absolute compulsion to fly OneWorld, I'd suggest Air New Zealand be considered too.

Their flat bed is, IME, seriously comfortable.

itsmeitisss

As a bed going to LAX, I found it comfortable but as a lounger to sit in I found it the most uncomfortable airline seat I have been in on a long haul flight over the last 12 years. Catering was superb and service was great too, but I will not take the route again because of the seating.

Richardc77

jackcarr

I'm looking at this for next December. Assuming no loyalty to OW, the best price I've found is with Singapore Airlines from OSL (i'm trying to get to CHC not AKL)

OSL to LHR
LHR to SIN
SIN to CHC

Last time I checked it was around Ł2200. Hoping they have a sale and it comes down a tad, I'll be an instant buyer at around Ł2000.

wrp96

Not that transiting the US is fun, but don't forget that AA flies LAX-AKL so a one stop route is available that way on oneworld.

libertyuk

It's not true that these flights are all narrow body planes without flat bed seating. Two QF flights SYD-AKL every day are with A330s which have the latest QF long haul business class product (fully lie flat), the majority of NZ SYD-AKL flights are flown by 777s or 787s, all of which have the NZ long haul business class product, which is a refinement of the VS Upper Class seat. Yes the remaining QF flights are with 737s, which have recliners in business with a seat pitch akin to premium economy, but it is a 3 hour flight. The other NZ flights have no business class

You might not want to go through the effort of clearing immigration and checking back in, and I would definitely allow for three hours minimum to do this, but with multiple daily flights SYD-AKL with both QF and NZ (and the daily LAN flight), it is not ridiculous to do this.

Jagboi

Agreed, I found the NZ bed much more comfortable than BA's. No problems at all as a seat either.

Last time I flew AKL-YVR I had lamb for dinner and it was the best lamb I have ever had either in the air or on the ground. It was very well prepared.

1010101

It's always that way. Assuming a HKG transit, you need to fly CX the whole way. The LHR-HKG leg is almost free.

If you really want to fly BA you will have to take them all the way to SYD.

Mwenenzi

Some QF & NZ flights are on wide body. QF use A330 & NZ B777 on some flights.
Anyway the BA flight lands very early am, so the flight to NZ is a day flight.

If AKL is not the final NZ destination, transferring at SYD before going direct to a better NZ city is viable option.

CX also flys into CHC seasonally.

FlyerTalker688786

Every year I took advantage of Air China's Black Friday or Easter sales to go to Auckland with them. The price is somewhere around €1500 from FRA or MUC to AKL via PEK.

If you took the route from FRA, you will experience B748, B77W and B789 with its flatbed. Not many airline fly B748 so that is a plus. Their business class is 2-2-2. So good for couple travelling.

The food is meh and the IFE is meh. But there are some interesting films you may like to try.

The transit in PEK is long on the outbound something like 12-13 hours, but they gives you a five star hotel (Crowne Plaza) if travelling in Business or above. Transit in Beijing is stressful but you arrive in AKL afresh due to the long lay out in Beijing. The arrival time is around 17:30 in AKL so off to dinner and sleep for a fresh morning.

pomkiwi

Emirates is an option to consider, either one stop to AKL or 2 stops to CHC via SYD. Possible to depart from a number of UK airports and have an A380 on all flights if you choose carefully. You won't have to see your luggage at any point between the UK and NZ. Sadly rarely the bargan it once was.

corporate-wage-slave

I make 2 visits a year to South Island and have done so since childhood. The problem with the Air New Zealand proposition is that it goes via LAX and it's the most tedious, zonk inducing flight to do, as anything going against the International Dateline tends to do. If in a flat bed I'm expecting to be on at least 90% liveliness on day 1 rather than a wreck for 3 days. You can partly improve that by taking a day or two off in LAX/California so I won't rule it out forever, but I'm not overly impressed with it as seat, it is difficult to get it in a good position for reading or the IFE.

By far the least painful way to do it is to go via HKG and take one night in HKG between sectors. Properly handled (ie. not alcohol sated) you can be up and running in NZ without much strain from day 1. So that's BA or Cathay to HKG, Cathay from there. HKG and direct entry to NZ is also much more congenial than SIN then SYD/MEL.

Jagboi

C-W-S: Have you gone via YVR and connecting to NZ in YVR? Granted I was starting in YYC so have a 7 hour time advantage over a UK traveller, but when I did YVR-AKL I found I had zero jetlag. We arrived into AKL in the morning and we dropped right into the local time zone and had a full productive day on our first day in AKL.

corporate-wage-slave

I don't think I have ever done Canada to New Zealand. I must try it. That seven hours may be quite critical since that is one night's sleeping quota.