jacob_m

Haha! lol
But sorry, I'm not going to make that photo publicly available on the internet, you'll have to use your imagination.
It was 4 am Japan time when the photo was taken and I was by no means fully awake yet. You get the rest...
The FA was kind of pretty though, blond, blue eyes, in her thirties maybe. But I would have prefered the inflight director instead, she was gorgeous!! (you can actually see her on one of the cabin photos in the background)

Oh yes, if they would only offer this "service" on Singapore Airlines as well, that would be awesome!!
OK, enough...

Thanks! I fully agree with you, it was an absolutely amazing trip!! But there is also a significant amount of planning behind it.
And there are still a few real highlights left, three more airlines in first class for example and a few more exotic destinations as well.

jacob_m

After three days in Auckland with a visit to Waiheke Island one of the days it was time to continue.
Next stop: The land down under and Sydney!

Air New Zealand premium check-in room and lounge, Auckland

Upon entering the international terminal at Auckland airport I immediately noticed the signs for the premium check-in area.
Air New Zealand actually has a separate check-in room for premium passengers, yes it’s actually a room and not a part of the main departure hall.
Right after check-in there is a dedicated passport control, followed by an escalator straight to the security check. Great service!!
New Zealand is also one of the remaining countries where you have to pay the airport tax at the airport (never included in the ticket), but as a premium passenger you can pay the tax in the premium check-in room (other passengers have to go to one of the banks at the airport to pay it).

Check-in was swift in the premium room and I paid the departure tax there as well, however nobody told me I had to complete a departure card, so I was stopped at passport control and had to go back to do that before I was allowed to proceed to security.

I made my way to the Air New Zealand lounge on the first floor above the transit hall, a bit tricky to find actually, but I was told at check-in to turn right immediately after Tie Rack, and that certainly helped.
The lounge was very nice, but very crowded this Friday afternoon.
Lots to eat and drink as well, this afternoon they had roast beef, pasta salad, scones and berry muffins for example. Plenty to drink as well including a very good selection of soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits.
I know the Kiwis here at FT tend to count the number of wines and beers available when passing Air NZ lounges, I actually did the same but forgot to write it down afterwards. The numbers were impressive though!
They also had several internet computers in the lounge with free internet, always appreciated!

Pics
The International departure hall at Auckland airport
The entrance to the Air New Zealand premium check-in room
The entrance to the Air New Zealand lounge
Inside the lounge
View from the lounge

Auckland-Sydney, flight NZ 105 operated by Air New Zealand
Departure: 16:30
Arrival: 17:00
Aircraft: Boeing 747 (aircraft change from Boeing 767)
Class: Business Premier (cabin change from the old business class )
Seat: 02A

I left the lounge 45 minutes before departure and headed to the gate.
At the gate I was a little surprised to see a Boeing 747 parked outside the window, my booking confirmation said the flight would be operated by a Boeing 767 and that’s what Expertflyer indicated the evening before as well.
For a moment I thought they might take us to the aircraft by bus (i.e. to a remote stand), but as I was curious I went to one of the gate agents to ask.
The guy confirmed the aircraft at the gate was indeed ours, there had been a last minute aircraft change.
I told him I was in business class and asked if that meant Business Premier onboard, and he answered “yes, it’s lie-flat for you this afternoon!”.
Awesome!! Another flight in Business Premier, and on a Boeing 747 this time!
When I thought about it I realised I would actually cover the entire fleet of Air NZ on this trip (propeller planes excluded though). Gives a hint of what to come…

Boarding started 20 minutes before departure with priority boarding for business class passengers and Star Alliance gold.
Once onboard I turned left and found my seat at the very front of the cabin. I got to keep the same seat number (several people got new boarding passes at the gate), but on the Boeing 747 seat 02A meant at the nose of the plane, I had never actually tried that before.
After having found my seat I was greeted by a male flight attendant and was offered newspapers and a pre-departure drink.

Business Premier was not full onboard, not very surprising considering they had expected a Boeing 767 to fly us to Sydney, a significantly smaller plane. But few people onboard usually means better service!
Several people onboard were very surprised ending up in Business Premier and were absolutely delighted about the aircraft change. There was a Swiss couple onboard I talked to and they said it was the most comfortable flight on their entire trip (they seemed to have flown business class from Europe to NZ, not sure which airline though). They even asked a flight attendant to take photos of them in the seat.

Due to the aircraft change (the original aircraft had mechanical problems) and the extra work needed at the gate to issue several new boarding passes, we pushed back 20 minutes late but were told we would still make it to Sydney on time due to favourable weather conditions.

Pics
Our Boeing 747 at the gate in Auckland, very nice aircraft change!!
The International terminal seen from the plane as we taxi to the runway
The Business Premier cabin onboard the Boeing 747
No lack of leg room in Business Premier

Meal service

Onboard the plane they served a three courses meal with appetizer, main course, cheese and dessert. A full bar service was also available with two reds, two whites, spirits and soft drinks.
I have to say I am very impressed by the Air New Zealand inflight service on shorthaul flights.
New Zealand-Australia is roughly three hours, and on these flights they offer a three courses meal with a choice of three main courses, and all dishes are served separately.
Comparing that to some flights I have taken in Europe in business class with a similar or slightly shorter flight time you usually get the whole meal served on a small tray, and you’ll be happy to even get a choice of main course.
So this was a very positive surprise!!

Here is the menu to Sydney:

The meal service was very nice with friendly and attentive service, I had the chicken to eat which was quite OK.
After the meal I ordered a cup of coffee and a glass of Chivas Regal.

Pics
Appetizer
Main course
Dessert
Coffee and Chivas Regal

When the meal service was over I watched the movie Poseidon through the AVOD inflight entertainment system and I also listened to some music (they had ABBA Gold available for example), but all too soon we started our descent to Sydney.

We landed in Sydney right on time at 5 pm, despite the delay in Auckland.
I enjoyed a great view of the beaches around Sydney during the approach, but the weather was not really appropriate to go to the beach.
It was 17 degrees in the air, and grey and rainy, not the weather you’d expect in Australia in the middle of October.
It was actually raining during most of our descent, and it was quite interesting that I could hear the rain hitting the nose of the plane (as I said I was sitting at the very front).

At the terminal business class passengers were allowed to get off first and I was one of the first to reach immigration which was completely empty.
Baggage delivery started fairly quickly with the priority-tagged luggage first on the belt, these things seem to work well in the Pacific region as well!
Just like in New Zealand I had my luggage x-rayed before I was allowed to enter the arrivals hall, this in order to prevent prohibited items (food, plants etc) brought into Australia.

Pics
We are approaching Sydney as you can see on the flight map
Nice view of the beaches around Sydney during the approach

jacob_m

Just a short summary of what I have done so far.

Map of my travels so far

Number of flights: 16 (out of 34, so halfway through)

Airlines: 6 (SK, LH, AC, UA, NH, NZ)

Aircrafts: A300, A319, A320, A330, B737, B747, B757, B777, MD80, DASH8

Countries: 6 (7 with Denmark)

jacob_m

Booking an award ticket to the South Pacific

For the second time during this trip it’s time to put the round the world ticket on the shelf.
One of the things I really wanted to do during this trip was to visit at least one South Pacific island. I played around a bit with the *A round the world mileage calculator, but I could not manage to get a decent routing unless giving up other things I really didn’t want to give up.
There was of course the option to upgrade to a FRWSTAR3 (39K miles), but that would have cost significantly more and I already had 22 segments (out of 24). So obviously a bad option and a real waste of money.

But one day I got the idea to check how much an award ticket in the region would cost, I had quite a few points in my Eurobonus account to spend, and it turned out a *A award ticket in the Pacific region would only cost 40,000 points, in business class! A very good deal!
The Pacific region includes the entire South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
I had initially planned to go from Auckland to one of the islands, certainly the most logical routing, but when I read through the rules a second time I noticed Australia was also part of the *A Pacific region, and I could just not resist the temptation.
The rule thus meant it would cost the same amount of points to go from Australia to the South Pacific as from New Zealand to the South Pacific, but going from Australia would give me the chance to cross the Tasman another two times with the very nice Air New Zealand. Another six hours with nice food and drinks, for the same amount of points!

I spent a lot of time with the ANA award planner, we know on the SAS board for sure that the award inventory is exactly the same for SAS as for ANA, so if a seat would be available on the ANA webpage I should be able to book it.
Flying directly Sydney-Auckland ended up being tricky, very few award seats were available, but of course I am always open for creative routings, and that’s the direction I took.
Several sleepless nights later I had the perfect itinerary, with all flights in business class where possible.
A little nervous I called the Eurobonus member service to make the booking, the reservation agent thought the itinerary sounded crazy and said it would probably not be possible to book it.
I told her the itinerary followed the rules in every single aspect, and she finally agreed to check with a supervisor. 15 minutes later she called me back, absolutely amazed, and told me I had really found the loophole in Eurobonus. She was obviously very impressed!
The booking was made, and the paper ticket arrived in the mail a few days later.

So next I’m off to the wonderful South Pacific, but with a rather unusual routing to get there, well you’ll see!!

Problems getting to the airport

I had planned to take the airport train from Sydney central station to the airport. It’s very cheap and the train takes only 12 minutes. On top of that I stayed very close to the railway station anyway, so a very convenient option!
I bought a ticket at the ticket counter on the ground floor and made my way to the platform with all my luggage.
There were quite a few people there, so I went to one of the monitors to see when the next train would arrive. On the monitor it said, “next train due in 27 minutes”. 27 minutes!!! The train is supposed to leave at least every 10 minutes.
I did have some marginal at the airport, but waiting 27 minutes would be cutting it close, and I didn’t even know if the train would actually arrive at that time, maybe there could be further delays.
As I was checking the monitor I noticed I was standing next to a girl (well a young woman, to be more correct). She looked like she was going to freak out any moment.
I thought she might be a local, so I asked her if the screen was actually correct as I was concerned about making my flight.
She told me she also had a flight to catch, but a domestic flight, which would leave in just an hour, so she definitely did not have time to wait 27 minutes.
Being just as stressed and nervous as me we decided to share a cab, so we rushed back through the ticket gates to the main street to try to hail a taxi, and finally one stopped.
We just told the driver to go as fast as he possibly could to the airport and he told us he would do his best but it would all depend on the traffic.

Once inside the taxi we decided to introduce ourselves, I had absolutely no idea with whom I was sharing a taxi, with whom I was rushing to the airport. It was actually quite hilarious!
She turned out to be Australian, living in Brisbane and working as an English teacher for foreigners coming to Australia to learn English, mostly Asians and Brazilians, but also some Europeans actually.
She has also lived in three or four different countries (among those China) and she shared the same interest for travels and languages as me.
We had a really fun chat on the way to the airport before she had to rush to her plane (I think she made it).
It was actually quite enjoyable, just another fun story from this trip!!

Check-in

The taxi driver dropped me off at the International terminal after having passed the domestic terminal first. I had a good amount of time now before departure, but waiting for that train would have cut it way too close.
Very few people in the premium check-in line and I was checked in almost immediately.
While checking in I noticed the agent had forgotten to attach a priority tag to my baggage tag, I think it’s the fourth time this happens during this trip, so I pointed this out to her (especially since the priority tag seems to work in this region).
Very irritated she replied “I have not finished doing my job” and seconds later she attached the priority tag as a separate tag. Oops, sorry!! I didn’t know they had them as proper baggage tags in Sydney.
I obviously apologised to her, but it was quickly forgotten.

All passengers have to complete a departure card before leaving Australia, but it was quick to do and fortunately there was no line at all at passport control.
I made my way to the Air NZ lounge which was a bit tricky to find. The signs were confusing and I ended up in the basement before finding out the lounge was actually located on the first floor. At least I used the right stairs. Oh well...

Air New Zealand lounge, Sydney

Friendly staff at the reception who warmly welcomed me to the lounge.
The Air NZ lounge in Sydney is really nice, one of the nicest I have ever visited. ^
It’s very bright, modern and spacious, has a great view of the apron, free internet, and there is plenty to eat and drink.
The self-service buffet was most impressive, there was really plenty plenty to eat and drink. Nice cold cuts to eat and lots of beer, wine and spirits to drink. A very nice place to kill some time!
The lounge was fairly crowded this afternoon with passengers waiting for the evening departures to New Zealand, but I found an empty seat by the window and enjoyed a great view of the apron and the two main runways.
An Austrian Airlines B777 was parked next to the lounge, quite a strange sight in Sydney, a long long way from Austria.

Pics
Inside the nice Air NZ lounge in Sydney
The self-service buffet area, plenty plenty to eat and drink
Great view from the lounge, a TG B747 taxiing for take-off
An Austrian Airlines B777, in Australia! Quite a strange sight!

Sydney-Wellington, flight NZ 744 operated by Air New Zealand
Departure: 17:15
Arrival: 23:25
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Class: Business Class
Seat: 01F

They were supposed to make boarding announcements in the lounge, but 30 mins before departure no announcements had still been made and the monitors showed my flight was boarding, so I left.

At the gate the boarding had already started, and I was quickly seated in my seat 01F on the plane.
My jacket was taken and I was offered a pre-departure drink (bubbles of course) and newspapers, business class ended up being completely full.
We pushed back on time but had to make the long long taxi all the way to the end of runway 34R before taking off.

This was my first experience with an Air NZ Airbus A320.
Business class has two rows with a 2-2 configuration, in contrast to economy which has a 3-3 configuration, so quite a bit more legroom.
They have no proper inflight entertainment system onboard the A320s except for a movie on the main screen, but in business class they offer personal DVD-players and there is an impressive selection of 20 movies available.
Very nice! A personal player and 20 movies well make up for the lack of AVOD onboard, you can’t watch more than one movie at a time anyway and with a personal DVD-player you can also fast-forward and rewind as much as you want.
I watched Agatha Christie’s Poirot on this flight, the one “after the funeral”. Well I never manage to figure out who the murderer is anyway...

After take-off they offered more drinks and veggie crisps followed by today’s menu:

I had the Thai beef salad as main course, very good, even though it was obviously cold.
I had plenty of wine to drink as well, and both the food and the wine were very good onboard the flight, as was the service, very nice and attentive flight attendants!!
Ice cream was served as dessert as usual onboard Air NZ but it’s normally very tasty anyway so I really don’t mind.
I think the food may have tasted even better onboard this flight when I knew it was actually completely free!

Pics
A glass of red wine, and Agatha Christie’s Poirot on my personal DVD-player
Appetizer
Main course
Dessert and cheese

Arrival in Wellington, not completely problem-free...

Landing roughly on time in a rainy Wellington, and as a business class passenger I was one of the first passengers off the plane and the first to reach immigration.
I was actually a bit nervous about entering New Zealand a second time. Considering how many questions I was asked on my first entry in Auckland with a fairly normal round the world ticket, then how many questions are they not going to ask me this time trying to enter New Zealand a second time in just a week with an ever crazier routing?
I was very surprised how smooth the passport control was, she asked me two or three questions, checked my return ticket, and then let me pass. Piece of cake!

They were doing some construction work in the baggage hall so only one luggage carousel was in use, they also had a customs officer there with a dog who searched all passengers for food (the dog did).
The priority tag worked once again very well with my bags among the first on the belt.

But when I handed over my customs declaration form just before customs I was stopped. They called for a customs officer who told me they wanted to ask me some questions, so I followed him to what I guess was red line at customs (I didn’t read the signs).
He asked me if I had anything to declare and I said I had nothing, he then asked me to write it down on a customs form: “I have nothing to declare” and my signature.
Next he asked me to open my suitcases and he unpacked every single thing I had inside and went through all of it while asking me questions about what I did, the trip, my itinerary, why I was travelling in business class and so on.
I obviously had nothing to declare, nothing at all he could comment on really.
The guy was very friendly though, very talkative, and I did my best to tell him about this whole frequent flyer thing and how I just wanted to make good use of my points.
He seemed to understand that surprisingly well, and he even told me he had a good amount of points himself after having lived abroad for several years. Nice!

I spent a good 20 mins at customs before I was finally allowed to leave, but honestly I’m just happy I encountered such a friendly officer who made the experience bearable, it could have been a lot worse.
Before leaving he told me he would make a note in the computer system that I had been checked and that there was nothing to comment about.
As I had to enter New Zealand yet another time on this trip I told him I very much appreciated it as it would perhaps avoid me having to go through all of it again.

At that point I was feeling very tired, it was well after midnight and spending time at customs with all those questions had made me even more tired (you really don't want to give the wrong answers when sitting there).
I was very happy to get inside a cab and head for central Wellington and a good night's sleep.

mad_atta

Great report so far, and sounds like a fantastic trip. ANA in F sounds spectacular, reminding me yet again why I have to find a way to try that out. Japan and the ryokan sounded fun too - my best ever experience in Japan was staying at a ryokan in Tokyo, so cool.

Glad to hear AirNZ have been treating you well too - a good crew on AirNZ is about the best service in the sky, I think - professional but genuine and friendly too.

Now I'm just curious to figure out what Pacific island destination you're off to... for what it's worth, my money is on the Cook Islands...

SmilingBoy

Great report - you must have been in SYD around the same time as me - I was there from 15 October (arriving with an Austrian 777 btw) to 22 October. The weather was bad indeed! And I had to wait for the train for 25 minutes as well... (it was Sunday morning though)

SmilingBoy.

mag

what a phantastic trip report, what a great treat!
but you don't get away so quickly re. the lap-pic...
what about some photoshop art on your face??? (i guess your face will not be in the focus of ours, erm!)

Moomba

Not only do we share a penchant for Champagne we also have the same observational skills.

From my RTW TR.


You are really making me drool for a *A trip in F. I think a couple of sectors in J on NZ might need to enter my mix of flights as well.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences with SQ in F.

jacob_m

The next day the weather was absolutely awful in Wellington. I had planned to do a little bit of sightseeing in this very charming capital, but it was raining so heavily and the winds were so strong that it was actually hard to walk outdoors, and definitely not enjoyable.
In the afternoon I checked my e-mail and of course also Flyertalk, and in the Air NZ forum there was actually a post about the strong winds in Wellington, apparently there had been lots of flight cancellations in the morning.
I had not really thought of the winds as an issue, sure the weather was not the best possible for sightseeing, but I had not expected it to affect the air traffic as much as it did.

Pics
The view from my hotel room in Wellington, very windy and rainy weather

Back at the hotel I spoke to some guys who were supposed to take the ferry to the South Island in the morning, but all ferries had been cancelled due to the weather so they were back at the hotel trying to get a room for the next night as well.
With all this information in mind I thought it would be best to go to the airport early to increase my chances to get on an earlier plane in case there were any delays or cancellations, if not I could always spend some extra time in the lounge.
I collected my luggage and took a taxi to the airport. I asked the driver if he had heard anything about cancellations, any calls from the airport of people who had been stranded, but he was not aware of any problems and said the aircrafts should be able to take off even in this bad weather.
The airport in Wellington is very close to the city centre, so I arrived there within only a few minutes.

Problems and more problems at Wellington airport

A quick look inside the terminal and at the flight monitors and my first reaction was that it did not look very bad, my flight was neither cancelled nor expected to be delayed, at least according to the screen.
I went to one of the check-in desks to check-in, but I was told check-in was only open for one or two flights at a time due to the weather. My flight was not for another 1h 45 min at 6 pm.
I went to have something to eat and then took a seat in front of the flight monitors as most other people did, still no remarks about my flight.

About 20 minutes later they made a public announcement that check-in was suspended for all Air NZ departures that day except the next two departures to Auckland at 5 pm and 5.30 pm.
I went back to one of the check-in desks to enquire about my 6 pm flight, but the agent said she did not know anything. I then asked her if it would be possible to be put on standby for an earlier flight to Auckland, after all there were two flights departing. I very nicely tried to explain to her that I had a connection in Auckland and there were not a lot of alternative flights.
The agent was not helpful at all, she just said no and asked me to leave the airport and call the reservation line for rebooking to another day, I got a piece of paper with phone number on it. Well not too easy for me with no place to stay in Wellington and certainly no alternative flight to rebook to.

At this point I was starting to feel quite upset, I could well understand there was nothing they could do about the weather, but my flight had not even been cancelled yet, and still they tried to send me away from the airport. And so much for having a gold card and a business class ticket as well, but I just hate making this “don’t you know who I am”-speech.
I spoke to a nice woman who was also watching the monitors, she had also been asked to leave the airport by the staff, and just like me she was very upset and said there was no way she was leaving until they had at least cancelled her flight.

After 10-15 minutes I went back to check-in and spoke to a new agent at the baggage drop counter, a young girl who seemed quite friendly.
I asked her if she had any news about my 6 pm flight and if it was still absolutely impossible to be put on standby for an earlier flight to Auckland, two flights were confirmed to leave at this point.
“Of course you can go earlier” was her answer when she heard I had an international connection, and a minute later I was rebooked onto the 5.30 departure that was confirmed to leave. What a relief!
So apparently it was possible to be put on standby after all, and even get a confirmed seat, that’s not really what I was told earlier.
As she was working at the baggage drop counter she could not check me in so I had to go to another counter, and guess who was working there? Yes, the agent who had just sent me away.
She did not seem too happy to have me back, even less with a confirmed ticket on one of the two confirmed flights to Auckland.
Well as I had a confirmed ticket she had to check me in, and I was checked in all the way to Rarotonga (that’s where I’m off next), but no priority tags were put on my luggage and my onward boarding pass to Rarotonga said economy class (even though I was in C). I told her about that but everything I said just seemed to annoy her. Eventually she loosely attached two priority tags that probably fell off a minute later.
I got 08B on the plane, first time in years I was seated in a middle seat, but honestly I was just happy to be on the plane and leave Wellington, it’s only a short flight anyway.
I left the check-in area quite happy with my new boarding pass and happy never having to see that check-in agent again.

Pics
The nice departure hall at Wellington airport
Lots and lots of cancelled flights as you can see on the monitors
View of the apron

Air New Zealand domestic Koru Club, Wellington

I went to the domestic lounge on the first floor of the domestic pier, the reception was unattended and after half a minute wait with no sign of any staff I just walked in as everybody else did.
The lounge was packed, and the lounge staff were very busy at the service centre taking care of rebookings for passengers.
I had a seat and went to get something to eat and drink. The lounge was at least very nice with plenty and plenty to eat and drink, both the buffet and the drinks selection were most impressive.
They had free internet in the lounge as well which is always nice.
The monitors now displayed my flight was delayed, but at least there was a gate assigned to it, so it still looked like it would depart.

Pics
Inside the Air NZ domestic Koru Club in Wellington
The buffet area, lots to eat!
A very good selection of beer and wine!

Wellington-Auckland, flight NZ 464 operated by Air New Zealand
Departure: 17:30 (rebooked from NZ 460 18:00-19:00)
Arrival: 18:30
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Class: Economy Class (one-class only)
Seat: 08B

At 5.30 pm the monitor finally showed “go to gate” and I made my way to the gate which was in the international pier of the terminal.
They actually used an international gate for this domestic departure, so according to the signs we were supposed to proceed to passport control and so on, which obviously did not make sense.
Many people got very confused by this and for a while there was some minor chaos before an airport employee showed us the right way.

The gate area was packed and many people were still worried the flight would get cancelled, but as the gate agent said very promising: “at least we have the plane here, that’s always a good start”.
Boarding eventually started around 6 pm, 30 mins late, and we finally took off 40 mins later at 6.40 pm, more than one hour delayed. The take-off was surprisingly smooth, not bumpier than it usually is.
Before boarding I checked the monitors, and my original flight was actually operating, but severely delayed, so I may have missed my connection anyway with that flight.

On the plane the captain actually told us a bit about the weather and how it affected the air traffic. The main problem in Wellington was not that the aircrafts could not take-off and land, the problem was the lack of safe parking positions.
At the terminal the winds were so strong that the passenger bridges kept moving and hit the aircrafts, which could obviously be very dangerous.
Hence the major reason for all cancellations was the lack of parking positions.

I don’t remember much of the flight as I mostly wanted to get to Auckland as quickly as possible, but they probably served coffee, tea and water as they usually do on Air NZ domestic flights.
Many people onboard had domestic connections in Auckland and were worried about missing those, after all we departed over an hour late.
The crew promised to give more information later during the flight about connections, but the only information ever given was just after landing “please check the departure monitors in the terminal”. Very useful!
They really did not impress this time...

Pics
Onboard the packed B737 to Auckland

Auckland airport and a quick visit to the Air NZ lounge

We landed around 7.40 pm, and at this point I knew I would at least make my connection.
I exited the domestic terminal and walked to the international terminal instead of waiting for the transfer bus. I needed the fresh air anyway, and as I had been to Auckland before I knew where to go.
I went to the premium check-in room where I asked the agent to print me a new boarding card as the old one did not even indicate the right class of travel.
Since I had also spent less than 24 hours in New Zealand I did not have to pay the departure tax and after showing my boarding pass from Sydney I was given an exception sticker to put on the boarding pass.
Both passport control and security were very quick and I made my way to the lounge.
I actually managed to get off the plane, walk to the international terminal, pick up the exception sticker and make it through passport control and security to the lounge in only 15 minutes.

The woman at the lounge reception desk was very friendly and understanding but had not at all been told about the problems in Wellington, a bit surprising since there could well be many missed connections that evening.
The lounge was very empty this evening and I went straight away for something stronger to stress down after the very chaotic afternoon, now that I knew I would make the connection. I was very relieved!

Pics
Inside the international Air NZ lounge in Auckland

Auckland-Rarotonga, flight NZ 848 operated by Air New Zealand
Departure: 21:00
Arrival: 02:00
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Class: Business Class
Seat: 01F

I left the lounge half an hour before scheduled departure, but once at the gate it took a long time before boarding started.
The bad weather apparently also affected this flight in some way, so they had to load more fuel which took a lot of time and they even talked about offloading luggage (and possibly even passengers) as the aircraft might get too heavy to take-off because of the extra fuel.
Well they offered priority boarding as usual, so I was the first passenger onboard and don’t really know what happened later at the gate, but we departed almost 45 minutes late from Auckland.
Fortunately the flight time to Rarotonga was estimated to be just a little over three hours, so we would arrive there almost on time despite the delay.

The flight to Rarotonga was very nice, very friendly staff onboard (as always), but the service was a bit slow and the meal service took almost two hours, a bit too long for a three courses meal in business class.

This is the menu for the evening flight to Rarotonga:

Both the starter and the main course (I had the chicken) were very good, as was the ice cream (unfortunately no rhubarb tart left when it was my turn to order).
As I said the service onboard was very nice, but just a bit slow. I actually think the female flight attendant wanted to do everything very properly in business class, it was just done a bit too properly which is why it took so much time.
I also borrowed a DVD-player and watched two movies during the flight: Shadows of the sun and Lost in translation. The latter I had already seen, but it was interesting to see if I would recognise anything from Tokyo.
The flight to Rarotonga was very enjoyable, as most people onboard were holidaymakers (or Cook Islanders returning home) the atmosphere was very relaxed.

Pics
The Airbus A320 at the gate in Auckland
The business class cabin onboard the Airbus A320
Red wine and the personal DVD-player
Appetizer
Main course
Ice cream and cheese

Arrival in the wonderful Cook Islands!!

We actually managed to make it to Rarotonga very quickly and landed just 10 minutes late at 2.10 am (one hour time difference).
It was quite an experience to land in Rarotonga because it was completely dark outside. Usually you see at least some lights outside during the approach; some roads or cities or ferries or whatever, but here there was not a thing to be seen, it was pitch-dark! For a while it felt like we were almost going to make a water landing.
Rarotonga (the main island in the Cook Islands) is quite small so the first light I saw was just seconds before landing, there was a runway in front of us after all...
The landing was hard and bumpy and not at all smooth, there is actually a standard joke on the island that most flights depart and arrive during the night so the passengers won’t see how short the runway really is.

The aircraft taxied to the small terminal building, but it took a little while before the doors were opened so I ended up waiting in the galley.
There was a beautiful wedding cake there which had been stored in one of the closets during the flight, apparently someone onboard was going to the Cooks to get married.
The doors finally opened and I could feel the fresh tropical air entering the cabin.
Above the entrance to the terminal was a large sign saying “Welcome to the Cook Islands”, and inside the terminal building there was a man playing and singing Pacific songs in a corner, at 2 am! You certainly felt very welcome!
Apparently he is there for every single international arrival and departure, no matter at what time. Well there aren’t all that many departures out of Rarotonga, but it’s still a great initiative and it certainly creates a very nice and relaxing atmosphere at the airport. ^
I read somewhere he had been doing that for ten years or so, for every single international arrival or departure.

Everybody in the Cooks seemed really friendly, and the immigration officer was no exception.
Baggage delivery started quickly, and my first suitcase was among the first, but I still had to wait for my second suitcase, and I waited, and waited, and eventually the belt stopped, and still no suitcase.
This was actually the first time in my life I have had missing luggage, which after all isn’t too bad considering all flights I have taken.
I went to the man next to the baggage belt to file a report, he already had a message about another delayed bag they had found in Auckland, but nothing about mine.
He took my name, address, flight details, details about the bag etc (the usual stuff) and wrote everything down on a form. Since all my toiletries were in the missing suitcase I was also given an overnight kit and a t-shirt. The toilet bag was actually quite nice, black, with the Star Alliance logo on it, a nice souvenir!
Fortunately I later realised I had packed my bags exceptionally well and almost evenly divided my clothes between the two suitcases, so I could actually have managed a few days with only one bag.

Pics
Welcome to the Cook Islands!
The man playing and singing in the arrivals hall, at 2 am!
The arrivals hall at Rarotonga airport

And finally: The truth about the missing bag...

The negative thing about the missing bag unfolded just before I went to bed. I didn’t even notice it at the airport, but my suitcase actually had two baggage tags, one on the normal handle and one on the handle on the side.
Both tags were identical with RAR printed, but the tag on the side had the baggage number I had given at the airport when filing the report, the tag I thought was on the missing suitcase.
I don’t get it! I am completely sure she put a tag on both suitcases in Wellington, I even saw her doing it! No doubts!
Then howcome one suitcase ended up getting two tags, and the other one none? I just don't get it!
I do have a bad feeling about it though. Either the check-in agent in Wellington must have done something after I left as she was so negative to me anyway (I left before she had sent the bags away on the belt), or somebody among the baggage handlers did something (an easy way to leave luggage behind? both flights were probably very heavy).
OK, I know I’m very negative and pessimistic now (which I really don't want to be), but I just can’t think of a good and logical explanation. Any suggestions?

I can tell already now though that I did get my bag back, and it didn't take very long either (another fun and crazy story I will post next).
The bag was left behind in New Zealand, without a baggage tag, so obviously they didn’t know where to send it, makes perfectly good sense.
Fortunately it had a nametag with my name on it (a plastic frequent flyer one, so they were useful after all!), so it was very easy for the staff to match the bag with the filed report.

jacob_m

After a long instalment with just a lot of problems I thought I should post something nice for a change.
My day in wonderful Rarotonga in the Cook Islands!! And there are pics at the end as well...

It is quite interesting that everything that went wrong on this trip went wrong in just 24 hours.
Starting with the thorough customs check in Wellington upon arrival, the bad weather and all the flight cancellations the following day, and finally a missing bag.
Anyway, I decided the first thing in the morning that I would not let these bad experiences ruin my stay in Rarotonga. After all I made the flight, I had one suitcase with all the clothes I needed, and missing bags rarely disappear, they are usually found and delivered within 24 hours (as you probably know).

I only got to spend one day in Rarotonga though (unfortunately), this was not a personal choice but my ticket simply did not let me stay longer than 24 hours.
The final destination of my ticket was actually Tahiti/French Polynesia, and award tickets booked through SAS do not allow stopovers (a stop longer than 24 hours).
But I was just happy I managed to include Rarotonga in my itinerary, and that I managed to find two flights with available award seats that gave me roughly 22 hours on the island between arrival and departure (which is at least a full day), and I was very determined to make the most of my day there.

Rarotonga is the main island of the Cook Islands, which is administratively part of New Zealand.
The island is quite small, there is a road around the island which is 36 km long, and in the middle of the island is a high mountain. You can cross the island by foot (hiking) but not by car.
There is one major town on the island on the north side called Avarua where there are plenty of shops, restaurants, banks etc. There is even a cinema and a branch of the South Pacific university. 3 km west of Avarua is also the airport.

I stayed at a budget hotel/hostel in Rarotonga called Tiare Village.
It cost virtually nothing to stay there, something like 25 NZD per night (I got my own room though), but it was a much more fun experience than staying in one of the resorts on the south side.
It was also very conveniently located close to the airport and Avarua, so at least I wouldn’t have to waste time on airport transfers and such (not completely irrelevant with my short visit and a flight arriving at 2 am).
Tiare Village had both a main house with kitchen, TV-room and a large veranda and small chalets where you could stay.
There was also a small swimming pool which was nice as the place wasn't really close to any beaches.

Pics
The entrance to Tiare Village

I was picked up at the airport by the owner, Adrienne, who drove me the short distance from the airport to the hostel. It was completely dark on the small road from the airport, there are not a lot of lights on the island with the exception of the main road, but even there the lights are sparse from time to time.
It felt a bit like going through a rainforest with so few cars around and many exotic animals making sounds in the middle of the night.
I instantly realised I was not on the most modern and exploited of islands, but I loved it!

The next morning I woke up around 9 am, I got a few hours of sleep despite the late arrival.
There were tropical birds singing outside the window and apparently there are lots of roosters on the island as well, in case I didn’t realise it was morning.
They didn’t serve any breakfast at Tiare Village except for some bananas in the trees you could eat.
I was told there was a convenience store nearby though where I went to buy something to eat, but if you’re thinking a modern supermarket or even a 7 Eleven, forget it! This was a small house with over-the-counter service, very old-fashioned, but the woman working there was very friendly and helpful.
As I walked back to the hostel I passed through some fields (I have no idea what they were growing there) and I was so amazed that every person I met greeted me. People who seemed to be farmers smiled and said good morning to me as I passed.
I have never experienced anything like it! But it was wonderful! Such a friendly people the Cook Islanders!!

Pics
Vegetation, and the mountain in the middle of the island

Back at the hostel I spoke to another guy as I had breakfast, he told me he had gone around the island the previous day by bike, and very much enjoyed it.
I did not really know yet what to do during my day in Rarotonga, but I thought the island seemed a bit too large to go around (36 km). He said it was fine though and the roads are completely flat, so with a few stops on the way it was not particularly hard.
They had bikes to rent at the hostel, so I decided to follow his recommendation and go around the island, the weather was so nice anyway. I just had to buy some sun lotion first as the one I had bought at home was in my missing bag, the sun was quite strong.

The island tour was actually very enjoyable, and with stops for coffee, ice cream, lunch, and more coffee it was not particularly hard and tiring to go all those 36 km around the island, it took me around three and a half hours with the stops included.
The island is very beautiful, this was really what I had imagined paradise to be like. Crystal-clear water, white beaches, palm trees, what more can you ask for?
What I mostly liked about Rarotonga though was that it has not been very exploited and it’s not packed with tourists, it felt very traditional and genuine. The people were also really friendly, all of them! And on top of that everything is very cheap.
On the southeast side of the island I found probably Rarotonga’s nicest beach called Muri Beach, absolutely stunning!
That’s where most of the resorts and larger hotels are located, which is quite understandable as the beach is just fantastic.

Pics
Avarua town centre
The small port in Avarua
The Parliament of the Cook Islands
A beach on the west side of Rarotonga
The road around the island
The best beach on the island, Muri Beach!
A long long way from home!!
A traditional church! They are very religious in the Cooks

I was back in Avarua around 5 pm, the island tour had passed without any problems whatsoever, but my thighs were really hurting.
Unfortunately everything closes very early in Avarua, and when I say early I mean 4 pm, so around 5-6 pm the place was almost deserted.
Fortunately there were some restaurants open so I could come back later and have dinner.
I had dinner in an Indian restaurant that looked nice, and when ordering I asked if they had any local beer available. The waitress said the only fairly local beer they had was Wailima, from Samoa!! Awesome!! Certainly the most exotic beer I have ever tried!

Around 9.45 pm I was taken back to the airport by the friendly Adrienne. I shared the car with a Tahitian family who had been to Rarotonga on holiday and was now returning back home to Tahiti on the same flight as me.
My day in the Cook Islands was getting to an end, but I had experienced a fantastic day on the island and I had really tried to make the most out of it, I would certainly not hesitate to come back some other time.

Pics
The main road around the island at night

Gotta Requalify

Don't worry about getting hassled at NZ customs, they don't just do it to foreigners. I am a New Zealander, and had more questions than any other airport in the world. I was going through Christchurch Airport MEL - CHC - LAX (when Air NZ had the 747 going direct)

So at the very start of my trip, ie, I had only just come from Melbourne, I was queried about why I was staying in NZ for such a short time, (in Transit and you can't stay airside for a long time in Christchurch.)

I had to show my itinerary, my ticket, my business card. I was asked why I had only paid for the ticket a few days before travelling (company policy in case our business plans change) and why I had paid cash for the ticket. (I didn't that's why it has AMEX on the bottom line.)

All this for a NZer travelling to NZ.

Then I got the third degree again from the customs guy in from of x-ray.

I guess they want people to stay longer in NZ.

(I forgot to say - great report, please keep it up. Thanks)

jacob_m

As this thread is getting longer and longer (85 replies and over 5600 views after just a week, yikes!) I have now added a table of contents on the first page.
Should make the report a little easier navigate, especially for people looking for info about a particular flight (or menus, pics etc).

USA_flyer

A trully exceptional trip report in the making here. Thank you for putting your travels into words and pictures for us to see.

jacob_m

Check-in, and how I managed to retrieve my missing bag…

I arrived at Rarotonga airport around 10 pm, 1h 15 min before departure. This may sound a bit late, but it’s definitely sufficient for such a small airport.
Even in Rarotonga they have a premium check-in line for business class passengers and star golds, but it actually moved slower than the regular line.

Once at check-in I told the check-in agent about my missing bag.
I had been told the evening before that if they found my suitcase they would send it on the next plane to Rarotonga, but the next plane to Rarotonga from Auckland was due to arrive in just a few minutes, and it would continue an hour later to Tahiti with me onboard.
The check-in woman said she would check if they had any more information about my bag and disappeared inside the office next to the check-in area.
It took quite some time before she was back, but she told me they didn’t really know if the bag was onboard the plane from Auckland, but there was a man standing in the baggage hall looking for the bag on the belt (by now the plane had landed), it was actually the same man who had helped me the night before.

We discussed how we should sort this out, it was now only an hour left before departure. After calling the man in the arrivals hall a second time she said she would print an extra baggage tag for me in case the bag was onboard, and then after passport control and security I should make my way to the immigration area where the man would wait for me.
This sounded like a good idea and I thanked her very much for her help.

Pics
The check-in area at Rarotonga airport
(the photo was taken during the day when I passed the airport on my island tour)

I proceeded to passport control opposite check-in where I found out I once again didn’t have to pay the departure tax since I had spent less than 24 hours in Rarotonga.
I continued to the security check with my extra baggage tag and business class tag in my hand (people just kept staring at me) and afterwards I made my way to the immigration hall.
There, next to the baggage belt, was the man, and next to him was my blue suitcase!! He instantly recognised me and waved at me.
I was so relieved seeing that bag again. My worst nightmare was that even if they would find the suitcase they would send it too late and it would arrive after I had left, and that could well have continued for some time with my rather tight and extensive itinerary.
I thanked him so much for all his help (this would never have worked without the fabulous staff at Rarotonga airport!!!), but he just seemed happy everything worked out well. ^
I gave him the baggage tag from check-in, and after having the bag re-tagged he brought it back onboard the plane again.
It is such a crazy story, but fortunately with a nice end!!

Air New Zealand lounge, Rarotonga

I made my way to the Air NZ lounge, yes there is actually a small lounge in Rarotonga as well.
It is completely unattended and you don’t even need a pin code or such to get in, so anybody can enter the lounge and the airline just has to assume only eligible passengers actually enter.
The lounge was one of the smallest I have ever visited, but it was quite nice.
There was a small self-service area with a good selection of drinks and nice fresh fruit and cheese to eat. Not bad at all for such a small airport!
I had some drinks and some fruit and had a seat to watch TV, I was still very relieved my bag had been found and was now loaded onboard the plane.
On TV there was a news report and they told that Air NZ would discontinue the service from Rarotonga to Tahiti and onwards to Los Angeles, the very flight I was waiting for.
What a shame!! I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the great staff at the airport who would now get a lot fewer flights to handle per week.
As far as I know Air NZ is the only international airline at the airport operating flights to Auckland, Fiji (once a week), and Tahiti and onwards to Los Angeles. Two of those destinations will hence be cut.

Just a few minutes later the boarding announcement was made for our flight to Papeete and Los Angeles and I went to the boarding area which also doubles as immigration hall for arriving passengers.
Inside the man was playing guitar and singing for us again, just like when I arrived.
At the gate an agent was checking boarding passes and passports before passengers were allowed to board, and when he saw my boarding pass he recognised my name and asked if everything was OK with my suitcase.
The entire airport seemed to have been involved in finding that missing suitcase in one way or another!
I still can’t praise the airport staff enough though for all their help, I thoroughly appreciated their efforts!

Pics
Inside the small Air NZ lounge in Rarotonga
The small self-service buffet in the lounge
The “transit hall” in Rarotonga, almost entirely outdoors!
The Air NZ Boeing 767 in Rarotonga
The combined boarding area and immigration hall, and the man is playing and singing this evening as well!
It's time for boarding

Rarotonga-Papeete, flight NZ 028 operated by Air New Zealand
Departure: 23:15
Arrival: 01:00
Aircraft: Boeing 767
Class: Business Class
Seat: 03A

The flight was operated by a Boeing 767, to complement the A320, B737, B747 and B777 I had already flown on Air NZ, that’s basically their entire fleet (propeller planes excluded).
The business class cabin onboard the B767 is quite OK, the seats are large and comfortable, but it’s not as fancy as the new Business Premier.
Pre-departure drinks were offered and I happily accepted another glass of champagne.
The cabin load was quite good, at least in business class where 80% of the seats were occupied, but fortunately the seat next to mine remained empty. The route didn’t seem very unprofitable from what I saw.
We also had a local VIP onboard (he checked in just before me so I saw what was written on his bags). He was "The Queen’s representative in the Cook Islands”, I’m not quite sure what his duties are though, feel free to enlighten me if anybody knows.

Anyway, the doors were closed and we pushed back right on time (well we didn’t actually push back).
We taxied to the other side of the runway before taking off. I took a photo as we were lining up just before departure, and you can see on the photo how dark the island actually is at night.
It was a bit sad leaving Rarotonga, I had such a nice time there and the friendly people really made an impression on me. But it’s of course always possible to come back.

During the flight they served a small snack in business class, some finger sandwiches, a fruitcake, and coffee and tea. If you asked nicely you could also get something from the bar (and guess how I know that ).
They showed an episode of some TV-series on the main screen (can’t remember which one) which you could also watch on the personal screen at the seat.
They have no AVOD onboard the B767s, but they have several movie channels in business class, however the system was not turned on due to the short flight time.

Pics
The business class cabin onboard the Boeing 767
The nice Rarotonga airport seen from my seat, time to leave!
Lining up for take-off, as you can see the island is very dark at night
Light snacks to Papeete
An episode of a TV-series (can’t remember which one) on the main screen
Soon about to land in Tahiti

Arrival in Tahiti, French Polynesia

The flight time to Papeete was quite short, around 1h 25 min, so we arrived a bit early in Tahiti around 0.45 am.

During the descent they handed out landing cards for Tahiti to passengers who were not continuing to Los Angeles.
I asked the flight attendant if I had to complete one as well since I have an EU-passport, after all French Polynesia is part of France which is part of the EU.
The flight attendant (from New Zealand, probably not very used to have EU-citizens onboad flying around the South Pacific) said all passengers had to complete it, but right on the top of the form it was written in capital letters that the form was only to be completed by non-EU citizens.

Inside the immigration hall at Papeete Faa’a airport (pronounced Fa-ah) there were once again three musicians playing, wishing us welcome to Tahiti and French Polynesia. ^
If they could only have this at more airports around the world!!
I was also given a small white flower that you should put on top of your ear, a lot of people wear them in Tahiti, both men and women.

Since I was now technically entering France there was actually an EU-line at immigration, it was a bit strange to see the blue and yellow EU flag on the signs, right on the other side of the world!
In contrast to most other passengers I did not have to complete a landing card for Tahiti and I did not have to show a return ticket, they didn’t even stamp my passport. It was just like being back in Europe.

Inside the baggage hall (a lot more modern than Rarotonga) the baggage delivery started quickly with the priority-tagged bags coming out first including both (!) my suitcases, again it felt so nice everything had worked out well.
I said “rien à déclarer” to the customs people who just smiled and went outside to try to find a taxi to get to the hotel.

Time for a well-needed rest in Tahiti!
(I actually slept 10 hours the following night and didn't wake up until just before noon)

Pics
Just arrived at Papeete Faa’a airport
The entrance to the terminal building and the immigration hall
Three musicians playing at Papeete airport
The small flower given to all arriving passengers in Tahiti

Seat 2A

Your descriptions of Rarotonga brought back fond memories of my week long visit there in 1984. It's a pity you were only able to spend one day, but as one who's quite familiar with both domestic and international stopover rules (and loopholes) I appreciated how you managed a short "stopover" nonetheless.

I also rode around the island, but I rented a moped (Cheap, about $10.00 USD per day). A Rarotongan Drivers License was required, but its issuance was a mere formality, handled at the rental office. It made a great souvenir!

Perhaps most interesting was my flight from Rarotonga to Papeete. Back then, the only direct service was an Air New Zealand flight operated once a week in each direction between Nadi, Rarotonga and Papeete. The aircraft used was a one class 737-200. Thankfully I had a confirmed reservation. Many did not. The night we flew to Papeete, there were close to thirty people standing by, and only two or three seats were available. Those who didn't clear the stand-by list had to wait another week. Some had been trying to get to Tahiti for three weeks! The only option if you couldn't make the NZ (TE back then) flight was Polynesian Airlines via Apia, and it cost close to $500.00 one way.

Rarotonga is pretty close to paradise, but even paradise can seem like a prison if you're ready to move on. Travel around the South Pacific was a bit different back then.

I'd go back to Rarotonga in a heartbeat though. The wierdest Mexican restaurant I've ever eaten at was located right next door to the Kii Kii Motel where we were staying. The only thing Mexican about this place was the colorful serapes hanging hanging on the walls. Also, there was real tequila. If you drank enough of it, you could overlook the fact that there were no beans, no jalapeno peppers, no mole, no cumin and really strange "tortillas". We ate there alot!

P.S. I sure wish I could do a First Class RTW itinerary but alas, my mileage program doesn't offer them via award and I probably could not afford one anyway. Regardless, I've sure enjoyed reading about yours. A thoroughly enjoyable trip report so far! ^ ^