Corazon Miller flies aboard Air New Zealand's flight NZ101 from Auckland to Sydney.
The plane: Boeing 777-300. The Dreamliner flies this route periodically and, if I'm being honest, I was hoping I'd be on the newer plane. This was a comfy second best and definitely a better option thanthe tiny A320 on the evening return flight. Not that there's anything wrong with the A320, but my fearful flyer inside takes greater comfort in the larger plane's ability to battle crosswinds across the Tasman. Yes, I know - there's no logic to this reasoning. Planes are one of the safest forms of transport - but whoever said fears were based on logic?
My seat: 47F, in the middle of the plane, one seat in from the aisle and in a row right at the back of the cabin against a wall. This was ideal for me as there was enough space to recline the chair comfortably without worrying about disturbing a person behind. (Be warned - the seat does not fully recline.) It's not ideal for someone who likes to get up and walk around on a long-haul flight, but perfectly acceptable for a shorter flight. I was seated next to a mother and baby; the little one was a well-seasoned flyer, he slept through the flight and contentedly drank his milk, which may have prevented the usual ear discomfort that can get the littlies bawling on take-off and landing.
The price: This a competitive bit of airspace, and this ticket (for a work trip) came in at $655.54 return.
Entertainment: There was no KiaOra magazine in my seat pocket. My screen also had some sort of annoying glitch that put it to sleep every 15 minutes or so, but I still managed to make it through the cheesy Kiwi-Pasifika comedy Gary of the Pacific.
The service: Bonus points for the attendant who gave a spare meal to a mother travelling alone with her baby, who had been left stranded after the cancellation of a LATAM flight. Points subtracted for the steward who made an ill-placed joke as I left the plane: "They drive on the left here." In reference to my being part-Asian, perhaps?
Food and drink: Scrambled eggs and sausages, fruit and yoghurt, coffee or tea and a caramel slice. Aside from the inevitable chewy consistency of eggs that have been sitting in a warmer for some time, it was relatively tasty.
Fellow passengers: Full to the brim, with a number who had been offloaded from the cancelled LATAM flight.
Airport experience: I had a smooth check-in that gave ample time to waltz through the duty-free stores; fortunately for my holiday funds there was little that caught my fancy this time around.
The bottom line: A slick, early morning transtasman crossing in a comfortably spacious aircraft.
