Fellow passengers: At a rough estimate, two-thirds Kiwis, mainly on holiday, and a sprinkling of Canadians.
How full: The 26-seat Business Premier cabin was full, bar three seats. There were 17 vacant spots further back in the plane which has a capacity of 312 passengers.
Entertainment: The refurbishment has meant a whole new entertainment system, so while the planes are approaching a decade old, everything inside is new including the 10.4" iPad-style touch screens with intuitive controls. Between SoHo, SkySport pop-up channels and Netflix at home, airlines have got a job on their hands. That said, there is plenty of variety onboard, but I went for a Norwegian zombie movie I had on my laptop.
Food and drink: The dinner menu included lamb, venison and hapuka which was as plump as the last one I pulled from the sea off Gisborne. A good range of premium wines, Quartz Reef bubbly and French Champagne.
The toilets: Music on as soon as you're in, Antipodes soap. All good.
Extras: The retro-style amenity bag (to mark the airline's 75th birthday) had socks, lip balm, moisturiser, air plugs toothpaste, a pen, and a couple of cool postcards.
Luggage: Up front, two bags at 32kg stowed.
The airport experience: Pleasantly quiet early on a Saturday evening; the soon-to-be replaced Koru Lounge ranged from crowded to tranquil.
Would I fly this again: Yes. This is currently Air New Zealand's longest flight and can be over 13 hours (we had a tailwind so did it in 12.5) so the comfort and a sleep up front really does help get a journey off to a better start. And the staff were friendly and thoughtful.
Grant Bradley is the Business Herald's aviation reporter.
