Flying from Vancouver to Auckland with Air New Zealand

An Air New Zealand Boeing 777 at Auckland Airport. Photo / Creative Commons License

Matt Brown flies on Air New Zealand's NZ23 from Vancouver to Auckland.

Plane: A 777-200.

Class: Economy.

Seat: 58J, an aisle spot.

Check in: In Montreal, I had checked in all the way to Auckland and transiting at Vancouver airport was a breeze, with no need to go through Customs or security. I had a scheduled four-hour wait between flights and went to the Plaza Premium lounge, which welcomes Priority Pass card holders.

Boarding: I went to the gate an hour before the flight and it soon became clear we were not going to leave on time. One of the pilots came and addressed the passengers around the scheduled departure time of 8.15pm and said there was a "broken hydraulic pump in the right engine". Engineers were sourcing a replacement and they hoped to get away that night. We were given a bag of chips and water and, a couple of hours later, a $25 meal voucher. However there were very few eating options in the terminal, other than burgers or Subway, that were open late at night. The Air New Zealand cabin crew and pilots came around the waiting area and chatted to passengers, updating us on progress. Around 40 passengers who were heading to Australia changed to Air Canada direct flights to Brisbane and Sydney. Eventually, after a nearly six-hour delay we boarded and took off at 1.30am. I had changed my seat during the delay to get one of the seats with no one beside me at the back of the plane.

Food and drink: Because of the late departure, most passengers opted to skip the meal service. I popped a sleeping tablet and slept for the first six hours of the flight. I then watched a couple of movies on the excellent inflight entertainment system. Breakfast consisted of fruit, yoghurt and an omelette, which was quite tasty.

The extra space from the empty seat next to me made for an enjoyable flight. The captain made up some time and we landed at 9am, four hours behind schedule. Passengers who had missed scheduled connections had been rebooked while in the air.

Fellow passengers: A mixture of Kiwis returning home and Canadian tourists.

Verdict: Air New Zealand's international Economy product remains one of the best in the business. During a frustrating time for passengers with the lengthy delay, the ground staff were helpful and courteous while the flight crew on board showed their warm Kiwi hospitality.