Flight check: Singapore to Auckland on Air NZ

An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-200. Photo / Creative Commons image by Flickr user Richard Maher

Jesse Mulligan flies NZ0281 from Singapore to New Zealand.

The plane? A newly refurbished 777-200. The seats smell of new leather, the screens smell of new movies and the entertainment system is in HD - if the guy in front of you is watching an action movie every explosion lights up the cabin.

Class? Premium Economy. More room, more tilt, more wine. It's Business without the expense, Economy without the using-a-stranger's-shoulder-as-your-pillow.

Price? I was a guest of Air New Zealand this time, though the Premium Economy experience is such good value I'd pay for it with my own money.

On time? It was. The flight departs at 8.40am so there's a lot of time to watch movies and calculate which timezone you're in and if a drink is inappropriate.

My seat? 24K by the window with a good view of Australia, a barren stretch of red dirt that takes up the view for several hours.

Fellow passengers? Kept to themselves, though there was one couple determined to make the most of the drinks service. I felt a bit sorry for them - they were obviously keen to let the crew know they weren't properly pissed, but it's hard not to look like you're staggering when walking around a plane.

How full? Packed on the way to Singapore, a little emptier on the way back. Premium Economy is a something new for Singapore locals, so it's expected to catch on fast once word gets around.

Entertainment? So great. A billion movies and TV shows on better quality screens than any I've seen on a plane before. It's like having nine hours in your own lounge with nothing to do but catch up on movies you missed at the cinema.

The service? Always great with Air NZ. To be honest, they ruin you for other airlines. They make everything look graceful, even that moment at the end where Business Class gets let out first and they have to spend a minute or two as high-class bouncers.

Food and drink? I reckon Peter Gordon has really lifted his game lately. It's a mix of European food and Asian, and though we'll miss the diversity in the wine list, if anybody can be all things to all people it's Villa Maria.

The toilets? All good apart from the unflattering lighting, used exclusively by plane bathrooms and people who take the photos for driver's licences.

Luggage? Mine was first onto the carousel, which surprised me so much I told myself I was seeing things and had to wait another whole rotation to pick it up.

The airport experience? Very fast and friendly on both sides. In Singapore there's a lounge for Koru members and another one for Star Alliance Gold members. The breakfast buffet is particularly spectacular where I was, in Gold (don't be a hater, I have to travel a lot for work).

Would I fly this again? For sure. It's an excellent new option, especially coming back from Europe. As a bonus, that long, gruelling view of Australia makes you particularly happy about coming home to New Zealand.