Q – Remarkable site but, perhaps, I can challenge you with a pressing question involving our planned trip from southern California to Sydney, Australia. I won;t spend the money for First or Business Class seats, but I might be willing to fly that distance in Premium Economy. But I would want to know that if I spent the money to upgrade from regular economy, where can I sit to guarantee that the person in front of me will not put his seat down into my lap. Also, how do I really know if I am receiving favorable pricing on that route. I’ve been on one or two of the frequent flyer sites but they’re a bit nerdy and mostly deal with flying squirrels trying to save as many of their nuts as possible.
Oh, one more thing. My wife and I are leaving the kids with Grannie. My wife and I will want to cuddle for at least a portion of the flight. Any way to get rid of those annoying armrests?
A – Our first reaction was to suggest that you charter your own aircraft. But we do have a few serious recommendations for you:
For pure service and an excellent flight crew, choose Virgin Australia over Qantas on a non-stop flight. Try to get a bulkhead seat in economy so that no one is seated directly in front of you.
But given your parameters, we might suggest that you look seriously at booking the Premium Economy Spaceseat on Air New Zealand which offers handy connections from Auckland to Sydney.
Air New Zealand is one of the world’s top-rated airlines and it has designed seating that does not allow the person seated in front of you to lean back into your personal space. If you find these seats for just under $3,000 per ticket, we would recommend booking them.
Cuddling is a different story. Air New Zealand has also pioneered the Skycouch, a row of three economy seats with footrests that lift up to form a flexible space for couples who wish to show affection to one another during one of the world’s longest flights.
