Air New Zealand was one of the first airlines to offer a lie-flat bed in economy class with the SkyCouch. Two years ago, my daughters and I took advantage of it and it made all the difference in our long-haul, 13-hour flight from Los Angeles.
This year, we booked the SkyCouch again and wondered if-now that my kids are much bigger-if it would have the same magical effect.
It did.
Coupled with excellent service onboard and an attentive staff at the airport, flying Air New Zealand is a breeze with children.
We couldn't do online check-in so we had to check-in at the airport. I was concerned that there would be long lines, but there was only one person in front of me and I was helped within moments of standing in line. As we sorted out the details of our flight, my daughter wasn't feeling well and the staff spoke to her and made her laugh and gave us tips for once we were inside the terminal as to find the best places to sit and wait for our flight.
Terminals (9/10)
I'm still loving the new Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Design-wise, it's stunning. Food-wise, it offers myriad choices. There are lots of seating options. My one concern is that there aren't a lot of kid-friendly options where you can grab just a plain old burger and fries. Aside from that, we had everything we needed.
Seats/Space (8/10)
We booked the aforementioned SkyCouch, which is three economy-class seats that transform into a bed. It is the perfect option for families of three or couples and is available as an economy-class upgrade when booking a flight.
On our flight, because we booked the entire row of three seats, we received the SkyCouch upgrade for free. On other flights, we had the option to "upgrade" for $100. Fares seem to be based on availability. For couples, the upgrade is more since you are essentially receiving the middle seat at a discounted rate.
The SkyCouch was definitely a worthy upgrade, even though it may be a little crowded for three people. Just the ability to have the footrest makes the seats more comfortable.
Without the SkyCouch, the economy-class seats look a little cramped and uncomfortable for a 13-hour flight, but that seems to apply to airlines across the board.
Amenities (8/10)
Air New Zealand's entertainment is second to none. Even in economy, passengers have large screens, a vast selection of movies and television shows, games and an easy-to-navigate interface. There's a USB port below the screen as well as a headphone jack, which makes charging your phone and plugging in headphones easy to access.
Dinner is served, even though the flight leaves later in the evening. For those who are able to stay up and eat and drink, there is a complimentary meal, drinks, beer, wine and cocktails. They brought the children's meals earlier so that kids could go to bed earlier.
There is breakfast service as well just before landing, which consists of drinks service and a full meal. Again, children's entrees were brought out early.
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There is no power outlet in economy seats but there is a USB power port for small electronic devices.
Service (9/10)
The staff on Air New Zealand is extremely attentive and helpful. They helped people with luggage as they were boarding. They made sure children had what they needed and handed out special amenity packs to keep them entertained and comfortable. Throughout the flight, they strolled the aisles offering water to passengers.
The level of attention felt more like a business class flight than economy.
Overall (44/50)
For an economy-class flight, I felt like we had a business-class experience. The level of service and the comfort of the SkyCouch really made the long flight more enjoyable as did the in-flight amenities. It's not surprising that this airline receives numerous accolades for its offerings.
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