Air New Zealand Boeing 777. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Stephanie Holmes flies from Auckland to LA on NZ6.
The plane: Boeing 777-300.
Class: Economy Skycouch. Still in Economy, but a whole world away.
Price: Economy fares start from $939 one way.
The seat: The Skycouch is an award-winning product for Air New Zealand. A row of three, able to be converted into the next best thing next to a lie-flat bed you're going to find in the skies.
On time: If you count the schedule changes due to Dreamliner issues, we were actually three and a half hours early. My 7.30pm scheduled flight was changed to 3.50pm a couple of weeks before departure. If you don't count that change, we were about 10 minutes late pushing back from the gate, and queued for another 15 minutes on the tarmac before taking off.
Flight time: 11h25m.
Fellow passengers: The usual mix on this trans-Pacific route. Kiwis, Americans, Canadians, Spanish, Chinese were just a few of the accents/languages I noticed in my section of the Economy cabin. LA is an international destination.
Luggage: Skycouch customers get the standard Economy allowance of 23kg checked in baggage and 7kg of hand luggage. No one checked the size or weight of my carry on, which was good as I think I was a sniff over my allowance.
Airport experience: I've travelled a lot over the past couple of years and, contrary to Mike Hosking's belief, I really do think Auckland Airport has afforded a pleasant experience on every occasion, even with the ongoing construction work in the departures hall. Both check-in and security processes are swift and hassle free. For this flight, I had checked in online using the Air NZ app and mobile website, so I just had to print my baggage tag and boarding pass at the airport. Flights to the US go through added security procedures, including a brief interview with a security officer before the bag drop and again before reaching the gate. Some passengers were directed to a separate security check at the gate, where their cabin baggage was examined. I spent a blissful couple of hours at the Strata Lounge, a premium lounge available to all passengers for $49. I would highly recommend it.
Food and drink: Water was served after take off, then there was a brief delay before the dinner service due to a patch of clear air turbulence. When dinner did arrive, it was a choice of chicken curry with rice and peas, or a beef casserole with potatoes and vegetables. I chose the chicken and it was full of flavour while tame enough for those with a spice aversion. The potato salad starter was fine; the Kapiti lemon shortbread ice cream was delightful; the Egmont cheese and Jacob's crackers were well received. And the Villa Maria reserve pinot noir went down a treat — all three glasses. Hic.
Entertainment: The entertainment system is top notch. There was so much to choose from I regretted having to get some sleep. The touch screen is intuitive and simple and I loved the playlist functionality.
Service: Zulekha — whose name means "beautiful" — was wonderful. Friendly and warm and helpful. The rest of the crew delivered on that "great Kiwi service" ethos.
Toilets: Towards the end of the flight the toilet roll needed to be refilled and bins emptied.
Would I fly again? Yes, Skycouch offers excellent value for money and great comfort. I slept for about seven hours.
Princess Diana stayed there, and now so have I.