V-Flyer

Hi there,
Sorry, I'll have to keep this brief, but wanted to add a wee trip report because I really appreciate it when people post theirs.

This was our one way flight to Auckland, as we're now NZ residents [:p]

The journey started in Edinburgh and we were booked onto the 08.45 BMI flight down to LHR. We booked our tickets via Trailfinders and made sure that the BMI flight was part of the ticket so we had the same luggage allowance on the domestic flight as we did on the international. We'd booked the tickets about 10 months in advance, and surprise, surprise, Air NZ changed the flight times. Just to be on the safe side we phoned Trailfinders and asked them to book us on an earlier flight. They said no problem, we could avoid paying any extra to change the flight by not having new tickets re-issued. Instead, all we'd need to do is get the tickets re-validated at the ticket desk at EDI. I later checked twice with Trailfinders and got told that I didn't need the ticket desk as they could sort it out at check-in.

Anyhoo, we got to EDI bright an early, and trotted over to the check-in desk. Oh my lord, talk about a face like thunder [V] We were ordered to the tickets desk where the lady there started muttering about how we needed to pay extra and how Trailfinders should have charged us for changing the time. After unsuccessfully trying to get hold of TF, she shrugged her shoulders and muttered something about it's Air NZ's problem not ours, and sent us back to check-in with 're-validated' tickets.

Thankfully, we didn't get the she-devil again at check-in and got a rather nice chap who really helped us out. You may have read my thread about excess luggage, well.... we had 5 pieces of luggage when we're only allowed 4 between us, and he didn't charge us extra. He even took it upon himself to try and change our seats on NZ1 because 'they've sat you behind each other'. After a quick thanks but no thanks and an explanation of the business prem config [:p] we were on our way.

He'd checked the bags all the way to AKL, which ment we wouldn't have to face security at LHR. As it was, EDI was very busy for a Sunday morning. Security wasn't too bad, but I did get my bag searched because the screening lady said I had 'liquids' in my laptop bag, which were in fact a USB card reader for the digital camera and an alarm clock [:?]

The flight with BMI was quite uneventfull, but there were lots of people that were just as surprised as me that you have to pay for beverages.

On arrival at LHR we went through international connections and on to the lounge. Lord, we're really spoilt with VS aren't we. I would have tried blagging my way into the CH but the OH was just about on deaths door by this point. he'd picked up some dodgy 24hr virus...nice timing!

Boarding for NZ1 had already started when we got to the gate so there was only a queue of about 3 people. We were seated in 4&5k. It's a very small cabin on the 777 200, which I quite liked. We were greeted by cabin crew and asked if we knew how the suite worked [:p] By this point Duncan was decidedly peeky and to cut a long story short, ended up with ice packs and oxygen. The crewe were excellent in there efforts to help him get comfortable.

Food on the flight was OK. I can't comment on the vege option, as the OH didn't eat for the whole journey. I had chicken which wasn't that great, but edible.

I didn't know what to expect at LAX, but as it happens we were only there for about an hour, so know time for a shower or anything.

Back onto NZ1 in the same seats. Food was better on this flight, but the crew wern't as nice. OH was feeling a bit better, and did manage some brekie by the time we were just about to land at AKL.

I (and many others) had problems with the table in the suite. It just wouldn't stay put [:(!] Other than that, it was all very clean and tidy. Quite a good choice of films but could have done with some more episodes of Friends and Extras, rather than 6/8 episodes of Bro Town.

Overall, very good. It was a bl**dy long flight and tbh I think we might just fly PE and have a stop over next time. [:?]

Milliemoo