We are planning a trip to NZ in March 2005 and have found that we cannot use our mileage points to upgrade on either Qantas or Air New Zealand. Major disappointment. My question is: how uncomfortable IS the flight? We are flying from Los Angeles, a 12.5 hour flight. Are the planes (in your experience) full? It looks like the seat configuration is 3, 4, 3, and I just cannot imagine sitting that long on a plane in a middle seat, next to a stranger!
I hate to sound like a baby, but please, tell me how your flight was!!!

We just returned from Australia via Auckland, New Zealand. I had the misfortune of sitting in the middle seat. My husband had the window and a stranger was in the aisle seat. My husband didn't get up from his seat once during the 12 hour flight. I, however, am not blessed with a large bladder! I was confined in the middle seat. I HATE disturbing people so I only used the restroom when the girl in the aisle seat got up. Luckily for me, she did that a few times. I will always avoid the window/middle configuration in the future and request aisle/middle for my husband and I. (Husband loves the window seat but it's not worth it for me to suffer in the middle).

On a side note, traveling to Sydney from LA we were lucky enough to have the middle seat free so we had more room to lay out. I guess it was payback time on the return flight.

In the end, if you make it safely-that's all that really matters. I find the longer flight to Australia/New Zealand is actually better than the shorter flights to Europe because, if you're able to, you have more opportunity to sleep on the longer flights.

Well, it's long; I think I saw at least part of all four in-flight movies, plus the travel documentaries and TV shows.

We took the LA to Auckland flight that leaves at 11:30 p.m., and it wasn't very full. We had an aisle and window seat with the middle seat empty. Savvier travelers than us quickly spread out, but we managed to nap where we were.

Our Auckland to LA flight left at 4:30 p.m. and was full. We were in the back middle row in the two middle seats, but all four of us (the two ladies on either side tried to move but had to come back) all moved around as needed. We were a little uncomfortable, but it really wasn't that bad.

Lee Ann

Hi there,

We flew into Sydney via Auckland a few weeks ago. We were on a Monday night flight over and it was not very full at all. As soon as we hit cruising altitude the flight crew suggested rows that we can use to lie down. Very nice of them!

The return trip was full to capacity and I took a sleeping pill and called it a night!

Good luck!

We have flown between LAX and Auckland several times, but we have never taken a direct flight. Unless you are really pressed for time, why not break up the flight by stopping for a day or two in Papeete or another island? You won't be so jet-lagged, and you won't have had to endure a 12-hour flight.

It also depends to some extent on how tall you are. I'm of a medium height for a woman, and I'm okay on the non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. My husband also is not tall as men go, and he too copes fine with trans Pacific flights.

One of our sons is 6' 4." He's very cramped in economy class, so he suffers on long haul flights.

It helps to have an aisle seat if you're tall, as it gives you just a little more leg room.

Better still, there sometimes is a row next to an emergency exit or next to the galley that has more than the usual amount of leg room. Even if it means enduring the noise of traffic to and from the galley, it's worth it for a tall person to request the more roomy seat.

Another thing about an emergency exit row is that an airline avoids putting a baby or young child in that row, so as to avoid impeding access to the exit in the event of an emergency. So, however cute little people are under other circumstances, if you want to avoid sitting next to them on a flight, sitting in an emergency exit row will help you to achieve your goal.

You can look up your Qantas's seating plan at

http://www.seatguru.com/

This can help you to locate desirable seats, such as those in emergency exit rows and behind bulkheads.

For Air New Zealand's seating plans, go to

http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/trave...ng/default.htm

Even though the flight is long it is not really all that bad.

At check - in ask if the flight is full. If it is, see if you can get middle aisle seats. If the flight is relatively empty, see if they can assign you a middle row to yourselves.

I usually take my assigned seat and then keep an eagle eye on any empty rows. As soon as I think the plane is loaded I make a move to nab an empty row. A lot of passengers wait till the plane has taken off before looking for empty seats but I always try to make my move beforehand.

If the flight is full and you end up having to share with strangers, just buy an eyemask and an inflateable cushion or a pillow, take a sleeping pill and relax. They generally dim the cabin lights to try to encourage sleep about an hour or two into the flight. Most people settle down and the plane is relatively quiet for the best part of the flight.

Thanks, everyone. Seems like it is a crap-shoot as to the fullness of the plane. We are thinking of getting aisle seats accross from each other rather than sitting next to each other, so we both will have a little more leg/shoulder room, just in case. Also, I think sleeping pills will be mandatory.
Our long flights have always been to Europe, and we've been able to upgrade the last 5 or 6 times. We are seeing the downside to upgrading--you never want to go back!