Nicholas Jones flies Air New Zealand Auckland to Houston, NZ28
The plane: Boeing 777-300
Class: Business
Price: Booked a couple of months ahead the one-way fare is about $5900, compared to Economy price of $930.
My seat: 10K, by a window and one of 44 up the front of the plane in Business. There's one seat on each window side, at an angle facing the middle of the cabin. The seat is 55.9cm wide and converts to a 2m lie-flat bed that's easily long enough for my 186cm frame.
On time? About 20 minutes early.
Fellow passengers: Other journalists who can't believe their luck behind me. Across the aisle is an American lawyer heading home for Thanksgiving, with Merv Hughes facial hair, flannel shirt and All Birds footwear.
How full: Enough room for our group to be upgraded from Premium Economy.
The flight: Due to take 13h 15m.
Entertainment: A small screen on the side pulls out so you can watch when lying flat. Noise cancellation headsets put paid to the usual aircraft experience of putting the volume to full and then struggling to hear.
Service: Exceptional and with a bit of flair. Hazel seems keen to get everyone a little sloshed, quickly refilling my Craggy Range cab merlot. "I don't muck around with half pours - haven't got time to come back, you know what I mean?" He did, and I was soon happily asleep.
Food and drink: Champagne to start and then the Craggy Range. Smoked fish entree, followed by a New Zealand lamb burger, garlic bread and salted caramel icecream. Breakfast was cinnamon and buckwheat pancakes and decent coffee. Felt strange not peeling off the tinfoil and then eating with elbows by my side.
Toilets: Our own dedicated toilets on both sides of the plane mean there aren't normally queues. And there's nobody to clamber over. A supplied toiletry bag with gear including a sleep mask, toothpaste and brush, mouthwash and lip balm ensures I get off the flight feeling less disgusting than usual.
Luggage: Two pieces of carry on (up to 7kg each) and two pieces of checked luggage (up to 23kg each) are included.
Airport experience: Air NZ has a completely separate check-in zone for Business and Premium Economy passengers. Staff hover nearby to help if needed at the check-in kiosk, and a lift whisks me up to Customs. Once in the Koru lounge a couple of Macs IPAs pair with a bowl of chicken with chorizo and white beans. But where's the newspaper to read?
The verdict: I'm ruined for Economy now.
Flying Business Class on Air New Zealand from Auckland to Houston
Aboard Air New Zealand business class. Photo / Tim McCready
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