[dmanww]

I'm planning on flying from LAX to AUK in beginning or middle of august.

Right now AirNZ and Qantas are both having deals for 898 round trip. :raebanana

Do you guys have advice on which I should pick. Is there anything I should watch out for?

Also, which airline has the easiest policy for changing the date of the return ticket?

[Flo jo]

AirNZ have more legroom in the economy section & the staff were really helpful.

Sorry don't know about changing the date on the return tickets, but my guess is that all the airline companies are sharks so it will cost you somewhere along the line. However AirNZ used to have a flexible ticket that would cost more but you could cash in the return portion if you didn't need it. Not sure if they still do this but you have to make sure that the return is within the 6 month period if you are just coming on a tourist visa.

hope this helps.

[migratory birds]

Funny, I thought the Air NZ flight attendants were cool (read 'cold'), not terribly helpful and were fulfilling shift requirements for time only. The seats we sat in had no padding and you could feel the metal bars below the flattened padding so we rigged up folded blankets to serve as seat cushions. There was virtually no legroom (but we flew out of SF not LAX and I believe one is a 737, the other 747) and once someone reclined their seat, we were trapped for the nite.

Part of my hesitation with moving is the dreadful flight but I think next time I'll try a different airline and hop my way there thru Asia instead of flying direct.

Phone staff and check-in staff with Air NZ were great though. If you need to change your outgoing flight, you may (or may not) have better luck doing it right at a ticket counter instead of on the phone.

[Croft]

I've always been a fan of ANZ and found the flight attendents just fine. The legroom on the 747s is amongst the best on the business - take a look at http://www.seatguru.com/ to compare.

My preference would be with ANZ.

[swissmissdesigner]

I use Qantas all the time, I like it..
very friendly, great food and great service!

[swissmissdesigner]

compaire the luggage policy, I think ANZ has only one lugagge and Qantas has two..

[Flo jo]

If its still the same as when we came out AirNZ had a 2 case allowance but only if you were flying out of LAX. From all other destinations you can only take out 1 piece of luggage. I think its to compensate for all the queueing you have to do for scanning in LAX even though you are unable to leave the airport.

[dilanium]

When I was looking earlier this year you could take two pieces of luggage checked in on Air NZ, did this change?

edit: nope, two bags.
Flights to/from the USA, Canada or Tahiti
> Flights between New Zealand and London via
Los Angeles
Economy and Premium Economy
2 pieces, each up to
23kg (50 lbs)
from: http://www.airnewzealand.com/travelinfo/baggageinformation/check_in_baggage.htm

[dilanium]

Though, you get two bags on Qantas with a 70lb limit in economy.

[migratory birds]

The legroom on the 747s is amongst the best on the business - take a look at http://www.seatguru.com/ to compare.


I think it's a 737 they fly out of SF, two bags per ticketed passenger. On our return, I looked at seat guru and, as I recall, the 747s have another inch or two of legroom which could make all the difference when trying to get up to pee or stretch in the middle of the nite if the passenger's seat is reclined in front of you.

[Croft]

I think it's a 737 they fly out of SF, two bags per ticketed passenger. On our return, I looked at seat guru and, as I recall, the 747s have another inch or two of legroom which could make all the difference when trying to get up to pee or stretch in the middle of the nite if the passenger's seat is reclined in front of you.

If there's someone behind me I only ever partially recline - I just find it so inconsiderate to fully recline in economy. What really winds me up are the people who leave their seats recline - while they're eating their dinner, or going to the loo. AAAAAGGGGHHHH. I'm tall, so tend to suffer more than others. A friend of mine is 6'8". He has no problem, as there is no chance anybody in front of him can recline their seat at all!! They usually try, look back to see what the obstruction is and he just grins back at them! He's a big lad and built like a rugby prop.