Air New Zealand flies direct from LAX to Auckland. Chad Slattery for AIr New Zealand The literal translation of “Kia Ora,” the traditional greeting of New Zealand ’s indigenous Māori people, is “be well.” It’s how you’re welcomed on to any Air New Zealand flight but is especially brought to life in the airline’s Business Premier cabin, where the seats, service and food are all thoughtfully designed for long, comfortable flights.
I recently took advantage of Air New Zealand’s sale and booked a direct flight from Los Angeles to Auckland to embark on a bucket list Princess cruise through New Zealand . I splurged on Business Premier because, at this point in my life, I can’t do long-haul international flights without a lie flat seat if I want to be able to function when I arrive at my destination. And, since the flight time clocks in at almost 13 hours and arrives before sunrise, I needed to be able to spend a full day sightseeing without collapsing.
Happily, I was able to do just that. Here’s why: The lie-flat seat is so comfortable. Air New Zealand People seem to have very mixed feelings about these seats and I get it.
The angled configuration is a little awkward, with everyone’s feet sticking out into the aisles but, honestly, the lie-flat version is so comfortable, I couldn’t care less that it may not be the most private seating. I was able to actually sleep for many hours and, on a long flight like this one, that’s everything to me. Note: I sat .
