Flying from San Francisco to Auckland aboard United Airlines

Photo / Bill Abbot

Alice Peacock flies Premium Economy with United Airlines on UA917, from San Francisco to Auckland.

The plane: A Boeing 777-300ER.

Class: Premium Economy.

Price: $3737 Auckland to San Francisco Premium Economy return.

My seat: This was my debut in Premium Economy, and the sight of a bigger seat with extra leg room ahead of a 12hr 50min flight was sweet relief. Seats in Premium Economy have La-Z-Boy-esque footrests to make the most of that stretching room, as well as bigger trays and deeper seats.

Flight time: The flight departed at its scheduled time of 10.45pm, which worked in well with my plans to have a good slumber on board. On the other end, we arrived about five minutes early.

Entertainment: Once I figured out how to access my fold-out television, I was chuffed to find a great range of movies and shows. After enjoying a much-needed doze I flicked on Green Book — which was still in cinemas back in New Zealand. United's entertainment system offers access to the plane's Wi-Fi for a small fee, but I opted for an extremely rare stint offline.

The service: I awoke parched from my slumber, dismayed to find my drink bottle completely empty. I ambled down the cabin to the kitchenette, which was unmanned, so I returned to my seat and hit a button to summon an attendant. Five minutes or so later, I was still waiting. I went for a longer amble to the back of the plane, where a lovely attendant filled up my water bottle. Around an hour later another attendant came by my seat: "Did you need something?" she asked. Aside from this, the service was good — and to be fair, my sudden need for water was in the wee hours of the morning.

Food and drink: I skipped dinner in favour of some shut-eye, but awoke to find a snack had been left for me — a roll with cheddar and turkey. Breakfast was either pancakes or scrambled eggs. I went for the latter, which came with a fruit salad, yoghurt and a muffin. Pretty standard plane fare. A drinks trolley rolled around the cabin frequently too — initially with a selection including alcoholic beverages and later on, with tea.

Final word: The leg room and cushy seat made for a relaxing experience — worth forking out for.