Flight time: 11h, 21m.
On time: We pushed off from the gate 10 minutes early, and landed 20 minutes early - which was appreciated as my travel buddy and I had to dash for the connecting flight to New York.
How full: Jam-packed.
Fellow passengers: Mostly 60-something Americans returning home, many of whom seemed to know each other from travelling together in tour groups.
Entertainment: Excellent. High-quality touch screens with a large range of new release movies, exclusive HBO series and documentaries, plus live sport and news channels. Incredible view over Auckland as we departed - the CBD, harbour bridge, islands of the Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island before we ascended into the clouds.
Service: The all-female crew were all over 50, well-presented and friendly, with efficient service.
Food and drink: For craft-beer fans, Samuel Adams lager available on selected routes, plus New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA.
Lunch was chicken rice paper rolls with sweet chilli sauce, green salad, braised beef with roast potatoes and carrots (although menu said chive mashed potatoes), dense chocolate brownie with cream and strawberries. The beef was tender and full of flavour.
Breakfast was a choice of American (bacon, hash brown, scrambled eggs, roast potatoes) or a fruit plate with Bircher muesli, Greek yoghurt and a blueberry muffin. I chose the latter; the fruit was plentiful and tasted fresh.
Toilets: The starboard-side toilet was spacious (it was a disabled-facility toilet) and clean, with C.O. Bigelow lemon foaming hand wash. The flush on Dreamliners always seems overly sensitive. I've had a rush of air while not entirely in my altogethers every time I've used one.
Airport experience: I flew out on Sunday afternoon - as the rest of the city was preparing its Guy Fawkes crackers - and Auckland Airport was rammed. The American Airlines check-in queue was huge, snaking out of the cordoned-off area. It moved reasonably quickly for its size, with a fair amount of counters open, processing passengers promptly. There were self-check-in machines but many passengers were having problems with them and giving up to let the ground crew sort things out for them.
The new security area was having teething problems too, with the automatic tray dispenser not automatically dispensing trays. The staff seemed frazzled and a bit cranky.
Would I fly again? Absolutely. Premium Economy is an excellent option for a hop across the Pacific.
