[tiggy2]

The prices are about the same, can anyone recommend one over the other?

We will be travelling with three small kids. Thanks

[lizzzard]

With kids, ANZ is great. I haven't flown Virgin though so don't know about how they compare.

[Stellabella1980]

Pretty sure that virgin is a direct flight (depending where you a departing oz from? and check the airfare that you are not paying for a virgin airfare but flying delta) whereas Air NZ will stop in Auckland for a layover. Both really good airlines have flown both and love them both.

[charlie23]

OP

I flew with Air NZ in May last year from Perth to NZ (12 hour lay over) then NZ to LA return, with a 5 year old & a 3 year old. I found them to be excellent. The kids were entertained with the in flight consoles, food for the kids was great & the air hosts were wonderful & asked if we needed anything quite often during the flights.

On the return flight DS ate something that didn't agree with him so he spent 6 hours throwing up, the staff bent over backwards for us even when DS threw up in the aisle!!! We ended up having to stay on the plane until Quarantine cleared us but DS was put in a wheelchair & we were speed through customs & baggage claim by the air hosties.

Haven't done OS flights with Virgin so can't comment.

This post has been edited by charlie23: 16/01/2013, 11:29 PM

[Codswallop]

ANZ have some planes with "family sofa" style seating, look it up on their website.

[KNL909]

We flew ANZ to LA via Auckland last September and had no complaints. Our stopover in Auckland was less than 3 hours each time which was perfect. Long enough for a good walk around, toilet and coffee.

[tiggy2]

I can't decide if a stop in Auckland is a good or bad idea.
And would I be better off booking a bassinet or the couches? They are in different parts of the plane so I can't have both.

Kids will be 6, 3 and 6 months and I will be the only adult with then on the return trip. What do you think??

[melb101]

We flew last year with Air NZ and they were fantastic. The stop over in Auckland worked for us and the benefit of flying straight into San Francisco was a bonus. The food was great and the crew were brilliant. I would definitely fly with them again.

[Bacongirl]

I haven't flown Virgin to the US, but I have flown Delta (who co-share with Virgin) a couple of times and been really happy. Entertainment, food etc was all really good and the planes were pretty new.

The sky couch on Air NZ looks interesting, but on our last few flights to/from the US the seatbelt sign was on a majority of the time, so I'm not sure how they would work then?

[carls888]

We flew virgin in October and they were great. The plane seemed to have heaps of room and staff were lovely.
Food: meh, plane food...
I liked the direct to LAX rather than a stopover, it's long enough, but if I had to transit in LA to go somewhere else like SFO I would do an Auckland stopover instead I think.

C