Hello from London! The first leg of my 7-leg journey, an Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles to London, is complete. My expectations were high for business class on Air New Zealand and while they were not exceeded, they were met. That’s a good thing.
A full flight review will follow in the weeks to come, but I will provide a synopsis here with a handful of pictures from the flight.
The 777-300 Business Premier seats on Air New Zealand are herringbone style. Business class contains 44 seats spread over two cabins.
Service was friendly and contained a mix of British and American FAs, not exactly what you would expect for New Zealand’s flag carrier. I learned that a special crew operates the Fifth Freedom flights between Los Angeles and London.
An amenity kit doubles as a iPad case, making it more practical than what you find on many airlines. The contents were limited, but all useful — I liked the bright-colored socks.
Meal service began shortly after take-off and started with a small dish of nuts, served cold:
The menu offered two appetizer choices and four main course choices. I oped for a smoked duck appetizer and herb-crusted cod for the main course:
Finally, both a cheese course and a dessert — a pineapple compote or cherry tart, both served with ice cream–were offered:
Sadly, no cappuccinos or other espresso-based drinks.
Not that I was hungry after the main meal service, but mid-flight snacks were available:
Upon request, FAs will make your bed and the pillows and bedding were of good quality.
Without wi-fi onboard and thinking about the day ahead, I went to sleep after takeoff and managed to get a solid seven hours of shuteye.
IFE selections impressed — better than most though still not as comprehensive as Emirates or Singapore. Noise-cancelling headphones were distributed, but were just okay.
Prior to landing, a delicious breakfast. I opted for a cheese omelet with tomatillo salsa.
Beautiful views over London:
Air New Zealand is a great way to get from Los Angeles to London.
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