VS or NZ to LAX

This has been discussed before but NZ business class cost is very close to VS PE.

Just planning a trip from LAX to LHR and NZ business class is available without a Saturday night stay for USD $4,037.00.

Now that seems to me to be a very good price for a confirmed business class flat bed both ways.

Same dates on VS :-

PE - $3,122.50
UC - $13,102.50

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scrooge]

Pretty easy choice I would say, same seats, better food, better wine...oh but no clubhouse...oh yeah..$9k left in your pocket [i]

I flew to LAX with AZ's BP service on Monday and am returning on it on Friday. Here are my observations.

1. The United lounge at LHR sucks, but you can use other Star Alliance lounges - go for the Singapore Airlines one.

2. Boarding was a ruck. Initially no priority boarding for BP customers. Families with small children were first, then some of the back rows and finally BP customers.

3. The seats are the same as VS' UCS (apparently there are 22 differences - I noticed about half). One point, if you want to use your laptop take your own adapter. You can plug in US and European plus, not UK.

4. Service wasn't as good as VS. There seemed to be less crew at hand than you'd find in the UCS. However, they were attentive. Don't go for the upper deck cabin. The crew have PE and BP customers to look after and service slows because of it.

5. Food is not as good as VS. There is no freedom menu so everyone eats at the same time. That said, the food was good. It's the wine where ANZ score, top notch.

6. IFE isn't as good as VS either. It's still on demand video but with a slower response and not as much choice.

7. If the flight is delayed and you end up getting to LA after 8.00pm the T2 customs and immigration staff will have left. This means you'll be bused to another terminal with all the other passengers. I was second off the plane and one of the last through immigration due to a poor choice of queue. Ironic that the priority luggage was through very quickly.

So there you go, just a few observations.

[Scrooge]

The food wasn't as good, I am very surprised to hear that.

Originally posted by Scrooge
The food wasn't as good, I am very surprised to hear that.

My experience was completely the opposite - food much, much better than VS and the wine selection also beat VS pants down.

I have also found the crew attentive and efficient, also very polite.

That said I found the cabin ambience to be lower, and some of the amenities don't exist (PJs for example).

For the price differential I'd definitely go for it.