Background about the Round-the-World Trip
A round-the-world trip had been on my wish list for many years and last summer I finally decided to go. Originally, my plan for October 2010 was to visit a good friend in Brisbane again after a break of four years. While searching for flight options, I realized that a visit to Brisbane would be a great opportunity to create a round-the-world trip. RTW packages by the large alliances didn't attract me due to numerous restrictions and the limited choice of airlines. I found it much more interesting to combine all kinds of airlines without someone restricting anything.
As usual, my focus was on new carriers and new types - and my intensive searches turned out to be successful. First of all, I booked the long-haul flights, followed by a few connecting flights. Finally, I added some more side trip flights. Final routing: Munich-Bangkok-Brisbane-Melbourne-Albury-Sydney-Auckland-Christchurch-Dunedin-Wellington-Auckland-San Francisco-Munich. The itinerary included 12 flights, 7 new airlines, 5 new airports and 3 new types. I would leave on 2 October and return 11 days later, after flying 26345 miles (42398 kilometers).
Planning Details - Part V
Shortly after had I started working on my RTW itinerary, I found a very attractive one-way fare between Auckland and Munich, offered by Air New Zealand. The price was only half of the lowest available round-trip fares which was quite remarkable. There was a choice of three different options: Auckland-Hong Kong-Munich, Auckland-Los Angeles-Munich and Auckland-San Francisco-Munich. All options involved stopovers of about nine hours and more which would give me the opportunity to relax in a day room. In either case, the second sector showed a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 - a type which was still missing in my log. I quickly ruled out AKL-LAX-MUC, because I had already flown on Air New Zealand's Boeing 747-400. The other two options included an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-200ER - definitely more interesting! Finally, I decided to make an eastbound RTW trip and booked the AKL-SFO-MUC connection on NZ’s nice and functional website. Some weeks later, I also booked a cheap room at the Red Roof Inn in Burlingame where I would spend a few hours between the two long-haul flights.
I was really looking forward to my first A340-600 flight, my second long-haul flight on quality carrier Air New Zealand and - not to forget - my first Pacific crossing.
Auckland Spotting & Sightseeing
After another relaxing night and an excellent breakfast at the Jet Park Airport Hotel....
...I checked out and met Nicholas alias trip reporter NZ107 for the first time. We went to a popular spot where you can take good pictures of aircraft on final approach and taxiing to the runway. I got numerous new registrations, including V8-BLC...
...and A6-EDC:
Here are two great pictures taken by Nicholas during our meeting:
Around noon, Nicholas took me to some nice spots where I could enjoy fantastic views of Auckland and the surrounding area. First of all, we went to One Tree Hill:
Then we went to Mount Eden, the highest natural point in the whole of Auckland. You can find a majestic bowl-like volcano crater there:
Here you can see One Tree Hill in the distance:
After having lunch in a nice little bistro, we went back to the airport and continued spotting for a while under the approach path. I got a total 21 new registrations on that day which wasn't bad. About 2.5 hours prior to departure, it was time to leave for the airport.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Auckland (AKL) - San Francisco (SFO)
Air New Zealand NZ008
Scheduled times: 19:30-11:45
Actual times: 19:29-11:26
Flight duration: 11:38 (hrs)
Distance: 6516 miles
Economy Class, seat 65A
Boeing 777-219ER
ZK-OKH (s/n 605)
Built in 12/2006 and delivered in 01/2007
1st flight on ZK-OKH
11th 777-200ER flight
29th 777 flight
There were plenty of staffed counters in the Air New Zealand check-in area and I just had to wait a few minutes until a very friendly male agent waved to me. Only a few minutes later, he printed the boarding pass for the SFO flight with my pre-reserved seat number (65A, last row). Then I asked the agent whether he could already issue the second boarding pass, too. He wasn't able to get access to the Lufthansa seat map at first, but then he asked a colleague and looked something up in a manual. He remained in good mood all the time and seemed to be very motivated to sort this out. Finally, his machine printed the boarding pass (seat 55A) and he cheerfully said "Yessssss!" Before leaving, I asked him about the passenger load on the SFO flight. "It's half empty!", he said and wished me a pleasant journey. That's what I call a good start!
It wasn't necessary yet to pass security, so Nicholas and I went to the indoor observation deck for some more spotting. It's a nice and clean facility with numerous seats where you can easily spend a few hours. It was quite busy at the international terminal:
Finally, it was time to go airside and I said goodbye to Nicholas who had been an excellent guide. Thanks again for a great day in Auckland!
After passing security, I noticed that this 777 was parked at gate 8 - which was my gate:
The plane turned out to be ZK-OKH, the newest of eight 777-200ERs in the fleet.
In order to reach the gates for the USA flights, I had to pass another security checkpoint. Finally, I could take a seat in the gate area. ZK-OKH was built in December 2006 and delivered in January 2007:
After boarding had commenced, I remained seated for a while so that I could log some more registrations. I entered the cabin among the last few passengers and friendly flight attendants welcomed me on board. Only few people were seated in the rear section - and I was happy that the aisle seat next to me remained empty!
The seats were the same as on my Air New Zealand 747-400 flight in 2008 - very comfortable:
Legroom (most likely 32 inches) was not as generous as on the 747-400 (34 inches), but still sufficient for a long flight:
Inflight magazine:
The IFE guide...
...even contained a fleet information page:
Pretty good headphones were available, but neither amenity kits nor hot towels:
After the doors had been closed, the captain informed us about the route and announced a flying time of 11 hours and 45 minutes. I was glad about being seated on this comfortable 777 for the next 12 hours - and not on the familiar neighbor to the left:
We left the gate slightly ahead of schedule in beautiful evening light:
Two NZ heavies resting in a hangar:
The Rolls-Royce Trents soon started roaring and the 777 lifted off after a powerful takeoff run:
Right turn, let's go east!
While the plane was climbing to cruising altitude, I had a look at the AVOD entertainment system. It's easy to navigate and offers a wide range of options, including more than 70 movies in numerous languages, more than 70 TV features, 16 music channels, more than 200 music CDs (playlist builder), 20 video games, a 3D airshow channel, destination information and travel guides. Main menu:
Movies main page:
You don't find menu cards on Air New Zealand which prefers to show the meal options on the IFE screen. About 45 minutes after takeoff, exactly that happened. Unfortunately, the options soon disappeared again, so I couldn't take a better picture:
I continued watching the airshow channel until the food arrived:
Pretty interesting features:
Back in 2008, I had been impressed by NZ's lamb, so this was my choice again:
The meal was nicely presented and tasted quite good in general, but there were too many fatty pieces in the main course. The ice cream dessert (no Häagen-Dazs like in 2008) tasted fine, but it had already partly melted when I was ready to eat it.
Shortly after dinner, we entered a period of turbulence which would last between five and six hours. The intensity kept changing, but became quite strong from time to time. Anyway, this couldn't scare me and I just leaned back and enjoyed watching the airshow. Flying over the Pacific was really something special:
During a period of light turbulence, I went to the galley to get a drink. A friendly female flight attendant in the 40s quickly handed it out to me and also spontaneously gave me two cracker packs. Very nice service!
Later, I also noticed that the flight attendants frequently kept passing through the cabin with water. And I liked the fact that they had always put lemons in their water carafes.
Finally, I got quite tired and even fell asleep. I woke up several times and noticed how the plane was being shaken by turbulence, but always fell asleep again. When I finally felt fit again, we were smoothly cruising in daylight somewhere between Hawaii and the US West Coast:
The flight attendants were preparing to serve breakfast and I started playing "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire":
Scrambled eggs or pancakes? I opted for the former:
The breakfast was delicious, everything was really tasty. And the presentation was nice, too. Well done, Air New Zealand!
Thick layer of clouds over the Pacific:
After breakfast it was time for the indispensable cabin shot:
Due to the great IFE system, the remaining flying time passed quickly. About 20 minutes before landing, flight attendants offered candy - and on my side a little girl was strolling through the aisle with a candy basket. "So you are helping out today?", I asked her and she nodded with a smile. Very nice gesture by the cabin crew - I guess it made the girl really happy.
Land in sight!
Beautiful weather in the Bay Area - what more can you ask for?
Left turn to final approach:
United heavy waiting for clearance:
Our Pacific crossing came to an end after 11 hours and 38 minutes. After a short taxi...
...we arrived at the gate almost 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Another United heavy was parked next to us - no doubt, SFO is United territory:
Before leaving the aircraft, I thanked the friendly flight attendant in the 40s for the good service and told her that I had been quite satisfied with the seating comfort. Of course she was happy to hear that.
Transfer at San Francisco
It wasn't very busy in the terminal around noon, so I didn't have to wait very long at immigration. After grabbing my luggage, I immediately walked to the hotel shuttle pick-up zone and 20 minutes later I checked in at the Red Roof Inn in Burlingame. Friendly staff, big and clean room, numerous amenities - I was very satisfied with that cheap motel. Room view:
After resting for a few hours, I felt totally fit for the last sector of my journey. About two hours prior to departure, I took the shuttle back to the airport.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
San Francisco (SFO) - Munich (MUC)
Lufthansa LH459
Scheduled times: 21:00-17:15
Actual times: 20:51-17:07
Flight duration: 10:52 (hrs)
Distance: 5879 miles
Economy Class, seat 55A
Airbus A340-642
D-AIHA (MSN 482), named "Nürnberg"
Delivered in 12/2003
1st flight on D-AIHA
1st A340-600 flight
9th A340 flight
Even though the agent at Auckland had already checked me in, I went to a Lufthansa counter to make sure that everything was alright. A rather unfriendly male agent confirmed my seat 55A and printed a new boarding pass. Then I passed security and walked down all the way to gate G99. It was dark outside and I couldn't see much of the aircraft except for a part of the tail. I took my binoculars out to identify the second of the two letters there - it seemed to be an "A", but I wasn't sure. Anyway, I just had to wait some more time.
I took a seat in an area above the actual gate and soon noticed that the Lufthansa cabin crew had also gathered about ten meters away for the pre-flight briefing. The male purser appeared to be quite rigorous while he was speaking, he somehow reminded me of a strict teacher.
More than half an hour later, friendly flight attendants welcomed me on board. When I saw the name "Nürnberg" on a badge next to the galley, it was clear that the second letter on the tail had indeed been an "A": The plane was D-AIHA, the oldest A340-600 in the fleet. However, it was once delivered to Lufthansa after its sister ships D-AIHB, D-AIHC and D-AIHD. I usually prefer getting the oldest or newest frame, so this was a perfect start of my first trip on the A340-600.
When I arrived at my row, I noticed that a laptop had already been placed in the seat pocket of the aisle seat...so this crushed my hope for another flight without a neighbor. Then I went to the single rear lavatory which turned out to be huge - that one is perfect for passengers with mobility problems who have trouble to reach the A346's six underfloor lavatories. Before returning to the seat, I asked a friendly (and very young) male flight attendant about the today's load. "There are numerous open seats", he replied and I started hoping that the passenger next to me would move.
After I had returned to my seat again, a guy sat down next to me and asked whether this was my laptop in his seat pocket...this was rather odd, I thought. Some moments later, another guy showed up, took the laptop and disappeared again. Then the guy next to me checked his boarding pass, jumped up again, took all his belongings and also walked away. Now the seat next to me was empty again - and it remained so even after boarding had been completed. This made my day!
The seat itself felt quite hard and was narrower than the counterpart on Air New Zealand (17 vs 17.8 inches), definitely less comfortable:
Lufthansa has introduced rather big PTV screens, but the IFE boxes are quite big, too. They are installed under A, D (picture) and K seats:
A 31-inch pitch is usually acceptable - however, in Lufthansa's case, the seat design is a bit flawed: the seat back extends too far down which makes it more difficult than usual to stretch out. Lufthansa should provide shin pads...
Welcome screen:
Lufthansa's excellent inflight magazine also contains an IFE guide:
The headphones looked cheaper than the ones on Air New Zealand - but they did their job. I guess the lower cabin noise on the A346 helped a bit.
Neither amenity kits nor menu cards were available, but at least hot towels were distributed. Before we left the gate, there had been two nice welcome announcements, one by the purser and another one by one of the pilots. Among other things, the purser informed that a snack and an aperitif would be available before dinner. I felt really welcome on board, leaned back and looked forward to my first A340-600 flight and my first Lufthansa long-haul flight after more than 15 years (Los Angeles-Frankfurt on a 747-400 in 1995 had been my last one).
The "Nürnberg" was pushed back almost ten minutes ahead of schedule, but it took almost 20 more minutes until the plane smoothly and relatively quietly lifted off into the clear night sky. The countless lights of San Francisco looked fantastic.
Crackers and drinks were served about half an hour after takeoff. I ordered a Campari Orange and the friendly male flight attendant who I had talked to earlier also offered a cold drink. So I additionally ordered sparkling water:
Now it was time to test Lufthansa's AVOD IFE system. There's no handset for the IFE system, but the touchscreen control worked smoothly and faultless in my case:
You can choose between 18 movies in numerous languages, 35 TV and music programs, 30 radio channels, 100 CDs and audio books and a classic airshow channel. Games are only available on the A380. LH's "mediaworld" certainly doesn't belong to the most advanced systems in the business, but it can keep you entertained for a long time.
Dinner was served about one hour after the snack service. The young male flight attendant showed up again and didn't just quickly ask "chicken or pasta", but kindly said: "We have chicken or pasta for dinner today, what would you like to eat?" I decided to try the chicken and also ordered white wine:
The main course didn't look very appealing, but the meat, the sauce and the pumpkin mashed potatoes tasted quite good. I also enjoyed the salad, the tiramisu cake and the wine.
After dinner, I walked forward and had a look at the underfloor lavatory section. Here's the entrance:
Let's go down...
There are three lavatories on each side:
You can also find a small snack bar there - and on the opposite side there's also a crew rest entry door:
Up to three people were hanging around in that area at the same time. I still didn't feel cramped, though.
Nicely illuminated stairway:
Later in the flight, a young female flight attendant was resting in the galley near the entrance to the underfloor section and I asked her whether that facility had proven useful. She looked thoughtful at first and then she said that passengers usually like it. However, she also explained that it can become quite crowded around the entrance during service times. I confirmed the positive impressions of the underfloor lavatories, but told her that seating comfort and legroom in particular weren't as good as on Air New Zealand. She didn't look surprised about hearing that and said: "I don't think that will change anytime soon."
After watching "Robin Hood" with Russell Crowe, it was time for a cabin shot. Some mood lighting would be welcome:
What I noticed after a while was the lack of water runs at night. I didn't mind about going to the galley to pick up a drink, but that would have been more difficult with an occupied aisle seat.
I didn't feel tired at all and enjoyed watching the airshow. We took a quite northerly routing:
Sunrise over Greenland's ice surface - simply beautiful:
Breakfast was served about 75 minutes before arrival. I decided to try the omelette:
What to say? I can only praise Lufthansa for that breakfast - everything tasted good, including the coffee. And the quantity was just right, too.
Another cabin picture, this time in daylight:
After flying more than 42000 kilometers, my round-the-world trip slowly came to an end. The "Nürnberg" on approach to München:
Only a few more moments to go:
D-AIHA gently touched down on runway 08R after 10 hours and 52 minutes and taxied to the southernmost gate of Terminal 2, just next to an Aegean A320:
During disembarking, I took some more cabin pictures:
When I arrived at the exit, I took the chance to take a picture of the plane's name badge. Despite trying several times, I couldn't get a really crisp one:
"Are you from Nuremberg?", a female flight attendant kindly asked me while I was taking pictures of the badge. I just told her that I had been glad about getting on the "Nürnberg" after also flying on the (new) "München" on a sightseeing flight over the Alps in summer. "Oh, you are ahead of us!", she replied. Totally Thrilling: Scenic Flight On Lufthansa A380 (by PlaneHunter Aug 5 2010 in Trip Reports)
The long forward fuselage section of the A340-600:
One more picture from the terminal - my first ride on the longest plane in commercial service was a really enjoyable one:
About 20 minutes after leaving the plane, I grabbed my luggage, went to my car and drove home after a fantastic and memorable trip.
Conclusion
Crossing the Pacific on Air New Zealand was a pleasure due to comfortable seating, decent food, great IFE and good and personal service. However, the catering had been a bit better on the HKG-LHR flight in 2008. Flying on the carrier's 777-200ERs may be less comfortable once the planes get 3-4-3 seating like the new 777-300ERs. Seat width will shrink from 17.8 inches to 17.1 inches, pitch will partly increase and partly decrease (31-33 inches to 32 inches). Anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to fly on that great carrier again.
The Lufthansa flight was good, but not as enjoyable as the ride on Air New Zealand. While service and catering were more or less on par, seating comfort on Lufthansa left a bit to be desired. Pitch should be increased to 32 inches and the carrier should also think about using an improved seat back design. LH's IFE system cannot match NZ's system, but that's not a major issue. Of course I will fly Lufthansa again - actually I have just recently booked a trip which includes another LH long-haul flight.
My first round-the-world trip definitely belongs to the most exciting, most enjoyable and most successful trips I have ever made. Not everything went as it should have, but that's part of the hobby. I flew on 7 new airlines and 3 new types, visited 4 new airports and logged a total of 187 new registrations. That's not easy to top, but I will try my best.
SloAir From Slovenia, joined Jul 2010, 336 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 20770 times:
Hi PlaneHunter,
I have been looking forward to this report. A346 is my favourite long-haul aircraft. My first wide body and long haul flight was with a Lufthansa A340-600 from MUC to JFK so this report brought back great memories.
Air New Zeland looks good to, I really want to try them once and do a RTW trip. I hope I will be able to do that someday in the future
Quoting SloAir (Reply 1): Thank you for an interesting and detailed report,
Hi Blaž, many thanks for your feedback!
Quoting SloAir (Reply 1): A346 is my favourite long-haul aircraft. My first wide body and long haul flight was with a Lufthansa A340-600 from MUC to JFK so this report brought back great memories.
That's nice to hear. The A346 certainly belongs to my favorites.
Quoting SloAir (Reply 1): Air New Zeland looks good to, I really want to try them once and do a RTW trip. I hope I will be able to do that someday in the future
RJtraveller From Indonesia, joined Feb 2011, 50 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 20692 times:
Hi PlaneHunter !
Nice and interesting trip report,
The Air New Zealand sector seems to offer better food and service than LH, had flown the NZ B744 last year from HKG to AKL in eco class and the seat was very comfortable the same type like your flight and offers very spacious leg room. Really regret flying back to HKG with CX.
Interesting flight in LH A346 , the seats seems a lot more newer and better than the A343, and the PTV is also better and bigger i suppose.
Anyway Nice TR thanks for sharing really enjoy reading it looking forward for you next one's !
RvXKaz From Singapore, joined Apr 2011, 184 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 20664 times:
Hello Planehunter,
I have been following you on your round-the-world trip since you hopped on the TG flight from MUC and since I just got my a.net account, let me congratulate you on completing such an epic journey. It has been great reading your reports comprising everything from regional hops on domestic carriers to inter-continental longhauls spanning 4 continents!
I am happy to hear that after a disappointing Thai experience, the other *Alliance members didn't disappoint at all. The food on NZ looks tasty, as was the breakfast on LH. The mystery meat dinner dish indeed looks strange but glad to hear that it tasted good. The window views were spectacular on both flights and I really enjoyed your pictures of the interior as well, especially of LH.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I flew on 7 new airlines and 3 new types, visited 4 new airports and logged a total of 187 new registrations.
This is indeed a remarkable achievement to accomplish on a single vacation. Congratulations!
Thanks for the delightful readings the past few weeks!
Warm regards,
Gavin
They say that I'm a dreamer. But I'd only Dreamt Skyward.
Quoting RJtraveller (Reply 5): Anyway Nice TR thanks for sharing really enjoy reading it looking forward for you next one's !
Hi reggie, thanks a lot for your comments! Many more reports to follow...
Quoting RJtraveller (Reply 5): Interesting flight in LH A346 , the seats seems a lot more newer and better than the A343, and the PTV is also better and bigger i suppose.
The seats on the A343s are quite similar. According to Seatguru, they are even wider (17.5 inches) and pitch is more generous (32 inches).
I have been following you on your round-the-world trip since you hopped on the TG flight from MUC and since I just got my a.net account, let me congratulate you on completing such an epic journey. It has been great reading your reports comprising everything from regional hops on domestic carriers to inter-continental longhauls spanning 4 continents!
Quoting RvXKaz (Reply 6): Thanks for the delightful readings the past few weeks!
Hi Gavin, thank you very much for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the series.
Quoting RvXKaz (Reply 6): I am happy to hear that after a disappointing Thai experience, the other *Alliance members didn't disappoint at all.
LH even exceeded my expectations.
Quoting RvXKaz (Reply 6): The window views were spectacular on both flights and I really enjoyed your pictures of the interior as well, especially of LH.
That's nice to hear. I always try to get a seat on the left side on transatlantic flights so that I can enjoy the sunrise.
Quoting RvXKaz (Reply 6): This is indeed a remarkable achievement to accomplish on a single vacation. Congratulations!
Thanks! Getting seven new airlines again during a single trip will be very difficult to achieve...
gabrielchew From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, RR: 13 Reply 8, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 20575 times:
Hi!
Its good to see a LH A346 report - I'm booked on one FRA-BOG-FRA in October. Did you find that the IFE box under the window seat was very annoying? Was there enough room for your feet, or would you advise getting as aisle seat?
it must have been interesting spending one night flying over tropical South Pacific islands, and the next night flying over frozen Greenland!
CXB77L From Australia, joined Feb 2009, 2186 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 20546 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW CHAT OPERATOR
Hi PlaneHunter, thank you for another wonderful trip report! I enjoyed reading about your RTW trip.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Before leaving, I asked him about the passenger load on the SFO flight. "It's half empty!", he said and wished me a pleasant journey. That's what I call a good start!
Exactly. That's news to my ears
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): After the doors had been closed, the captain informed us about the route and announced a flying time of 11 hours and 45 minutes. I was glad about being seated on this comfortable 777 for the next 12 hours
I would be too. Did the captain mention anything about the expected turbulence en route? At least the turbulence on your flight started after dinner, not during
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): You don't find menu cards on Air New Zealand which prefers to show the meal options on the IFE screen. About 45 minutes after takeoff, exactly that happened.
There wasn't a menu display on my IFE screen when I flew with them ... but rather it was announced by the purser (or whatever the head F/A position on NZ is called)
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The flight attendants were preparing to serve breakfast and I started playing "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire":
You locked in the wrong answer, by the way! The correct answer is C. I also wanted to play but couldn't get it to work.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The breakfast was delicious, everything was really tasty. And the presentation was nice, too. Well done, Air New Zealand!
Ah, exactly the same meal as I had, and sounds like it tasted just as nice too! Indeed, top marks to NZ there.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): What to say? I can only praise Lufthansa for that breakfast - everything tasted good, including the coffee. And the quantity was just right, too.
If you had to choose between the breakfast you had on NZ and this one, which would you choose?
globetraveller From Germany, joined Apr 2008, 377 posts, RR: 21 Reply 11, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 20503 times:
Hey PlaneHunter,
This is an excellent and fitting end to your round-the-world experience. I have been following the whole series and enjoyed reading every report.
Good to know you also had a chance to meet up with Nicholas and that he took great care of you too! Your pictures of Auckland definitely make me want to go back soon!
Quoting gabrielchew (Reply 8): I'm booked on one FRA-BOG-FRA in October. Did you find that the IFE box under the window seat was very annoying? Was there enough room for your feet, or would you advise getting as aisle seat?
That sounds like an interesting trip. Well, the box is quite big and does reduce legroom, but I didn't find it annoying like on certain other carriers. However, the seat next to me remained empty, so this may have helped a bit. Be aware that the boxes are also installed under the D (aisle) seats. I guess you are on the safe side if you take a C or H aisle seat. I recommend to have a look at Seatguru.
Quoting gabrielchew (Reply 8): it must have been interesting spending one night flying over tropical South Pacific islands, and the next night flying over frozen Greenland!
luxair747SP From Germany, joined May 2010, 444 posts, RR: 18 Reply 13, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 20367 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Hi PH,
as usual very interesting TR with many good pictures.
I especially liked the ones from One Tree Hill, it is a nice spot to relax.
The NZ flight looked really enjoyable and the service quite good.
Normally nobody can beat the NZ lamb.
The LH flight looked like every flight of them, their service level is quite high, but as you said the seating comfort could be improved, is the seat better on the A380?
Many thanks for sharing this nice conclusion of your RTW series
Cheers
Johannes
I still have to try EK's lamb...should I ever be lucky enough to get it.
Quoting luxair747SP (Reply 13): The LH flight looked like every flight of them, their service level is quite high, but as you said the seating comfort could be improved, is the seat better on the A380?
I'd say the A380 seat was more comfortable, but the sightseeing flight was quite short. And I had a bulkhead row seat, so I cannot say much about the seat back design.
Quoting CrimsonNL (Reply 14): Hi PH, thanks for sharing! Great pictures and writing. Two long haul types I have yet to fly on..
Thanks, Martijn! Good to hear you enjoyed it. I can only recommend to try these two types.
Quoting CXB77L (Reply 15): I flew on the 744, but perhaps it's not so much the type than the route.
Palmjet From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2001, 1051 posts, RR: 16 Reply 17, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 20089 times:
Hi PH - lovely conclusion to your round the world flights!
Looks like NZ came up as being excellent again - certainly streets ahead of your flights with TG on the outbound (which is not surprising in my view as TG never seem to live up to their once stellar reputation these days).
NZ are an excellent carrier, particularly in Y. Glad you enjoyed your flights with them. Some lovely shots of Auckland as well - I've not left the airport there since 1987 when I was on a school trip! Pleased you enjoyed the LH longhaul as well. By co-incidence, I've just flown my home carrier, QF, internationally for the first time since 1997 and while it wasn't amazing, I had a very nice flight with them. Thanks for posting this final instalment.
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1750 posts, RR: 26 Reply 18, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 19492 times:
Another great report, PH!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Then we went to Mount Eden, the highest natural point in the whole of Auckland. You can find a majestic bowl-like volcano crater there:
I've been here! We visited in 1993 as my grandmother was born and raised there! Very cool place, with impressive views. I was very young, but I sure remember this crater!
Air NZ certainly looks very nice; I hope I get a chance to fly on them. Lufthansa looks okay too, but I'd agree with you on the seat pitch. Definitely looks cramped!
Quoting Palmjet (Reply 17): Looks like NZ came up as being excellent again - certainly streets ahead of your flights with TG on the outbound (which is not surprising in my view as TG never seem to live up to their once stellar reputation these days)
One significant problem with TG is a lack of consistency. On TG you can have great new aircraft, great crews and great food - or just old cabins, average crews and unimpressive food.
Quoting Palmjet (Reply 17): Some lovely shots of Auckland as well - I've not left the airport there since 1987 when I was on a school trip!
I definitely need to see more of the city next time.
Quoting Palmjet (Reply 17): By co-incidence, I've just flown my home carrier, QF, internationally for the first time since 1997 and while it wasn't amazing, I had a very nice flight with them.
Sounds quite familiar!
Quoting 767747 (Reply 18): I've been here! We visited in 1993 as my grandmother was born and raised there! Very cool place, with impressive views. I was very young, but I sure remember this crater!
Yes, it's an amazing place.
Quoting 767747 (Reply 18): Air NZ certainly looks very nice; I hope I get a chance to fly on them. Lufthansa looks okay too, but I'd agree with you on the seat pitch. Definitely looks cramped!
You you get more pitch on the A343s and A330s, but it seems the future standard will be 31 inches - at least that's what you find on the flagship, too.
FLIEGER67 From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, RR: 57 Reply 20, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 19336 times:
Hey, PH,
really nice to follow you´re final RTW story part.
Well done, a great combination of aircraft and NZ hit´s the point, so it seems.
I´ve never been on that carrier, so we will see when it happens!.
The LH A346 is still in my log, not the real comfortable machine from my point of view.
FRA-CAI with a fully load and some special passengers last year.
Anyway superb pictures and story.
Greetings,
Markus(FLIEGER67)
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 21, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 19298 times:
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 20): really nice to follow you´re final RTW story part.
Well done, a great combination of aircraft and NZ hit´s the point, so it seems.
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 20):
The LH A346 is still in my log, not the real comfortable machine from my point of view.
FRA-CAI with a fully load and some special passengers last year.
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 905 posts, RR: 3 Reply 22, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 19049 times:
I find 31" "unacceptable." That's why I avoid LH, VS and BA transatlantic.
flightsimboy From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, RR: 4 Reply 23, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 19030 times:
Hello Plane Hunter!
Great final installments on NZ and LH! Always a pleasure to read these long haul reports on a lazy Sunday morning, especially a cold and cloudy one like today
I somehow enjoyed your trip on NZ more than I did on LH, even though the LH was the one I was definitely waiting to read about. Not sure if I liked the NZ more because it was a Pacific crossing (see reason why in the comments below)
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): .I checked out and met Nicholas alias trip reporter NZ107 for the first time.
Nicholas has been playing host to some a.netters recently!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): a very friendly male agent waved to me. Only a few minutes later, he printed the boarding pass for the SFO flight with my pre-reserved seat number (65A, last row). ..... he said and wished me a pleasant journey. That's what I call a good start! thumbsup
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): A rather unfriendly male agent confirmed my seat 55A and printed a new boarding pass.
Hmm in contrast, LH's welcome did not seem so friendly. My best check in has actually been with LH at YYZ! The check in agent really made me feel she was so happy to have me flying with them!!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter):
Pretty good headphones were available, but neither amenity kits nor hot towels:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Neither amenity kits nor menu cards were available, but at least hot towels were distributed.
This is where Middle Eastern carriers have pampered travellers, by providing these while others have opted to eliminate these from their services.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter):
You don't find menu cards on Air New Zealand which prefers to show the meal options on the IFE screen.
Is this something that is shown "again" just before meals are served to get the passengers attention, and does it usually disrupt normal programming like an inflight announcement made by the captain or cabin crew. It's quite ridiculous to show it 45 minutes after take off, which could be quite an inconvenience to have to remember your meal choice or quickly jot it down somewhere on a piece of paper lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Back in 2008, I had been impressed by NZ's lamb, so this was my choice again:
Those meal presentations and bowls on NZ are really nice!! There were recently pics of the meal trays on TG and I think both LH and AC need to present their meals better, instead of one those aluminium trays!! If the other Star Alliance carriers are doing a good job with theirs on ceramic ones, so can they. Very impressed with the meal presentation, and glad that you enjoyed your meal party on NZ but completely on LH!
Very interesting indeed. I would have had that as a constant display on the seat back window of the empty seat at the side of me!!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Shortly after dinner, we entered a period of turbulence which would last between five and six hours. The intensity kept changing, but became quite strong from time to time.
I can't recall experiencing such severe turbulence of such a long duration over the Pacific, except on the MH flight from LAX to TPE!
It's quite amazing actually, thinking you have those endless hours over the large expanse of water. Makes an Atlantic crossing seem like a tease!! (Well at least the crossing from US East Coast to Europe)
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): And I liked the fact that they had always put lemons in their water carafes.
Probably to help prevent vomitting from all that nauseating effects of turbulence lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): About 20 minutes before landing, flight attendants offered candy - and on my side a little girl was strolling through the aisle with a candy basket. "So you are helping out today?", I asked her and she nodded with a smile. Very nice gesture by the cabin crew - I guess it made the girl really happy.
That is so amazing! That little girl will remember that all her life. No telling if it might lead to future cabin crew aspirations!! NZ really feels like a fun to fly with airline, I think what Westjet is in Canada. Perhaps they should team up lol
I know the feeling!! Felt the same way when finally seeing land after all those long haul Pacific crossings!! Actually brings a sense of relief to know that land is soon approaching (One does prefer to be over land in the event of an emergency, rather than over a large expanse of water). Not forgetting that most of these Pacific crossings are in the night or at least you have nothing but night outside your window, with the first signs of land appearing with the break of dawn!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Now the seat next to me was empty again - and it remained so even after boarding had been completed. This made my day! thumbsup
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Only few people were seated in the rear section - and I was happy that the aisle seat next to me remained empty! thumbsup
You are quite lucky to have had no one sit at your side for these super long haul crossings! My worst experience was sitting in the last seat on the EK A345 DXB-JFK for those +12 hours with restricted recline, and my neighbour who hogged the armrest the entire way! Have only been lucky to have the seat unoccupied on MH 744 (LAX-TPE) ,EK 772LR (DXB-JFK) and QF 744 (SYD-LAX)
You are lucky to live in Germany where you can easily get the Herpa 1:200 version of this awesome model!! Even more special now since you flew on it. It is so difficult to get one at a reasonable price over here!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The plane was D-AIHA, the oldest A340-600 in the fleet. However, it was once delivered to Lufthansa after its sister ships D-AIHB, D-AIHC and D-AIHD.
Strange that D-AIHA should have been delivered after B, C and D. Don't aircraft get christened according to the order they enter the fleet? D-AIHA and D-AIHK are regular visitors to YYZ!
Didn't have PTV screens on any of my LH flights, but still found them enjoyable!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The male purser appeared to be quite rigorous while he was speaking, he somehow reminded me of a strict teacher.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The young male flight attendant showed up again and didn't just quickly ask "chicken or pasta", but kindly said: "We have chicken or pasta for dinner today, what would you like to eat?" I decided to try the chicken and also ordered white wine:
Perhaps strict because he had some very junior attendants on this flight lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I walked forward and had a look at the underfloor lavatory section. Here's the entrance:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): You can also find a small snack bar there - and on the opposite side there's also a crew rest entry door:
Up to three people were hanging around in that area at the same time. I still didn't feel cramped, though.
Nicely illuminated stairway:
Very cool feature to have those lavatories down there! Also quite interesting to know of the little watering hole snack bar in that area too. I wonder if most passengers actually go down there to stretch their legs, or only stop by there when using the lavatories. I don't think too many could gather there for too long anyway, it's not EK's J class bar on the A380 lol
Most flights to and from the US West Coast to Europe fly these Northerly routes.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): After flying more than 42000 kilometers, my round-the-world trip slowly came to an end.
And what a trip it has been!! And I must chime this in again all in less than two weeks. Very impressive indeed!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): also flying on the (new) "München" on a sightseeing flight over the Alps in summer.
I need to go read that trip report again.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Of course I will fly Lufthansa again - actually I have just recently booked a trip which includes another LH long-haul flight.
FlyingFinn76 From Finland, joined Jun 2009, 1705 posts, RR: 41 Reply 24, posted (2 years 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 19020 times:
Hi PH,
A very good conclusion for your RTW trip. Having done some really weird stuff myself over the years I still find it amazing that you do two 11 hour flights with just 9 hours in between. A VERY wise decision booking that cheap dayroom, I think you'd be dead if you hanged out the whole time at the airport. BTW Burlingame holds a special status for me as I used to travel there regularly for one job in the past. A very nice place and very close to SFO.
NZ looks very nice, and of course the triple seven just is a very amazing piece of machinery.
Good to have some overview about the LH 346 - am scheduled to fly my first flights with the type in October (yes. it is FRA-BOG-FRA, and half of it is shared with Gab, LH mistake fares can be fun! ), I have reserved a window seat on the last row for the outbound, can't remember what it is for the inbound. Still hoping for an exit row assignment at the day of travel, but let's see. I'm glad LH finally has some decent IFE with PTVs, my last long haul flights with them were FRA-YYZ-FRA back in 2005 with the 744 and of course no PTVs at all, very old fashioned.
Greetings from CPH airport, will board my 999th (logged) flight in two hours!
25 ba319-131: Nice report PH, thanks for sharing. - Nice, got my first one later in the year. - Not bad, I suspect we won't see most of those in Europe? - Always ni
26 PlaneHunter: Well, the seat design also plays a role, 31" is not the same everywhere. Btw - you get 32" on VS A343 and A346 as well as on LH's A343s. I just flew
27 AlwaysOnAPlane: Hi PH. Excellent conclusion to what has been a very enjoyable RTW report. A lot of miles under the belt with these last two flights. Good to learn you
28 Aflyingkiwi: Hi PH, Fantastic end to this RTW adventure. Glad to see that you enjoyed your flight with NZ and that you were able to log the A346. Definately a pret
29 PlaneHunter: Hi Lee and Aflyingkiwi, many thanks for your nice comments! More space, more privacy, it always makes a flight more enjoyable. Yes, vener experiences
30 sultanils: Hellow PH, Another nice report concluding your RTW series, I followed your travels with great interest, thank you for your efforts to share them with
31 PlaneHunter: Hi Nils, thanks for your feedback. Most of my itineraries may look weird to non-enthusiasts... And it was my first LH long-haul flight since 1995. Ye
32 akhmad: Hi there PH, I am sorry for the late reply. I had to read the final part of your RTW trip over and over again as I did not want it to end. I only knew
33 The777Man: Hi PlaneHunter! Thanks for an excellent conclusion with wonderful pictures with your round the world adventure! Auckland looks great; very scenic! Nic
34 PlaneHunter: Hi Suryo, thanks so much for your kind comments! No, I don't take pictures of common people I don't know. Sometimes you simply have to praise them. Y
35 KLM777300ER: Great trip report! Having flown LH on IAD-FRA, PHL-FRA, FRA-DXB, and FRA-CAI on a combination of the B744, A333, A343, and A346, I will definitely say
36 NZ107: Hi PH, Glad to finally see this one up here! Great TR. It was a pleasure meeting up with you in Auckland. You're most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. It
37 PlaneHunter: Thanks! Yes, Seatguru confirms this. But it seems 31" is the new standard, that's what you also find on the A380. Hi Nicholas, many thanks for your c
38 Luftfahrer: Thank you very much for taking the time to write this trip report and sharing it with us, PlaneHunter. I enjoyed every bit of it – great work! Keep
39 LazialeMKD: What a great report, very nice comments and pictures. That ANZ flight looked very good, although you had turbulence quite a bit, something what I hate
40 parton87: Hello PH What a nice report on your return from down under. A interesting route I have to say. Both LH and Air NZ looks like good airlines. The city o
41 NZ107: That was the aim anyway.. Something like what Virgin America currently do. I'm not sure if that is going ahead anymore but I think you can still orde
42 ronerone: What a great TR PlaneHunter! I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series, and i am quite sad that it has already come to an end! .. Felt like we were flyin
43 PlaneHunter: Hi Marius, Angel, Robert and Roni, many thanks for all your nice comments! I would like do the same again, better today than tomorrow...but on differ
44 flykev: PlaneHunter, as ever that report was a joy to read. Thank-you for taking the time again to share such a detailed report with us on here and I particul
45 eastafspot: Hi, I've really enjoyed reading this fantastic report, illustrated with clear and stunning pictures. how many reg do you have on your log? that's must
46 chepos: Another great installment, two oceans in your trip (just amazing) .Sights in NZ look just astonishing. Great trip report, can't wait to read another T
47 PlaneHunter: Hi Kev, many thanks for your nice comments! Yes, metal cutlery has indeed become rare. Should be online tomorrow! Thanks a lot for your feedback, eas
48 bananaboy: A great read, so thanks for that. I was probably at AKL the same time that you were - I was hanging around after LAX-AKL and waiting for my flight to
49 MHTripple7: Fantastic report! How were you feeling after all of that flying? I am very impressed with NZ, they seem to offer a great product. I wish I had gotten
50 abrelosojos: Perfect report! I always like when two airlines are compared, and your analysis of NZ and LH seem right on the mark. NZ has been getting a lot of good
51 PlaneHunter: Thanks for your feedback, Mark! Interesting. Did you also fly NZ? I'd like to try NZ's J class product one day. Thanks a lot, MHTripple7! Surprisingl
Sponsor Message: 
From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, 
From Slovenia, joined Jul 2010, 336 posts, 
From Romania, joined Sep 2009, 34 posts, 
From Indonesia, joined Feb 2011, 50 posts, 
From Singapore, joined Apr 2011, 184 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, 
From India, joined Mar 2008, 2787 posts, 
From Australia, joined Feb 2009, 2186 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Dec 2007, 1618 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1750 posts, 
From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, 
From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, 
From Finland, joined Jun 2009, 1705 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
