United Airlines, Auckland to San Francisco: Premium Plus class is an exceptional way to travel

Before arriving at the airport, United Airlines passengers are encouraged to download the carrier’s app to enter passport, vaccination and travel information to save time at the check-in counter.

Although I submitted my information well ahead of departure, the check-in process was held up at the self-service kiosk when the system didn't accept the address at my final location. United customer assistant Malcolm was happy to help, trying alternative ways to enter the postcode and using his own phone to search for information.

Despite this small niggle upon check-in I have never had a smoother flight experience from gate to gate. The app is easy to use and handy for checking flight and gate status – any changes come through as notifications to your phone.

Auckland (AKL) to San Francisco (SFO) with United Airlines.

UA916. Boeing 777-200.

We left two minutes ahead of schedule and after 12 hours and 7 minutes in the air landed 11 minutes early into San Francisco - leaving plenty of time to pass through immigration and security checkpoints to make my connecting flight.

As travellers are required to recheck baggage at their first US entry point, I recommend allowing for plenty of time when booking your journey.

22G. There are 24 seats in United’s Premium Plus class laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration.

The standard seats are much larger than economy at 45.7cm wide, 97cm pitch and 15cm recline. My arms were almost at a full stretch reaching to swipe the entertainment screen, so I used the remote to sit back and flick through the options.

The double-wide centre arm rest has a built-in storage compartment to stash your phone, wallet and passport. There was a 110V power outlet and USB point which proved handy but the loose connection meant the cable kept falling out. On the other side of the arm rest was the tray table which popped up at the press of a button.

My aisle seat was located against the bulkhead so allowed full recline for the majority of the flight without the guilt of disturbing the passenger behind. The passenger in front also politely asked if they could recline their seat. A button released a La-Z-Boy-style leg rest, while two moveable foot pedals could easily be positioned to suit.

I chose to bring carry-on baggage only, and despite pushing the upper limits of the size allowance, the case easily slotted into the overhead compartment. Further perks of United Premium Plus include priority boarding and priority baggage handling, including two free standard checked bags.

Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fans will be more than happy with the full box sets available onboard. There were also several recently released films to choose from, including Jordan Peele’s Nope, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling.

TV shows ranged from HBO’s The Rehearsal and Edge of the Earth to easily digestible plane viewing material like Friends, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Cake Wars.

I like to alternate screen time with music and was disappointed with the selection of premixed soundtracks available. Instead of albums and songs that you can pick and play, the themed compilations – from pop to rock and classical – featured pre-selected tracks that I couldn’t skip through.

The airline’s wellness channel featured breathing techniques to release tension and a calming sleep routine. The noise-reducing over-ear headphones supplied in the premium cabin perfectly drown out the inflight hum.

It felt like the food kept on coming during this service. Following the delivery of cassava chips once the seatbelt sign was turned off, it was a speedy transition to the dinner service.

My first choice of pasta wasn’t available as the trolley reached our aisle, so I was left with either the white fish or the two options served in economy – a vegetarian empanada or chicken in cream sauce.

While sceptical about indulging in fish on a plane I put my faith in the Premium Plus label, and it did not disappoint. Served in crockery, the generous portion arrived piping hot and came served with French green beans, mashed potato, and a pottle of creamy mustard sauce. To accompany, there was a green salad with garlicky dressing and a cold bread roll with even colder butter. The small square of creamy milk Whittaker’s chocolate was a delightful finish.

My seatmate opted for the less appealing empanada which was filled with some kind of mysterious black paste.

The delivery of bottled water was a nice touch instead of plastic cups. Midway through the journey, crew delivered small sandwiches and more water, before the breakfast service whipped around with sweet potato frittata, or eggs with spinach, beans, potato and sausage. The latter was a solid pre-arrival choice accompanied by a muffin and fruit salad.

United’s Premium Plus amenity kit comes with all kinds of things for travellers to stash around their seat, including a Saks Fifth Avenue branded blanket and pillow, slippers and socks, and toiletries including lip balm, earplugs, an eye mask, toothpaste and brush.

Free wi-fi is available onboard but limited to messaging services like Messenger and WhatsApp. Those who require more juice can pay to pair their device with the inflight network.

United’s crew were friendly and helpful. My seatmate received plenty of help after struggling to fit three carry-on items into her allotted space and losing her phone (twice) in the seat cavity. While waiting for the restroom, one of the cabin crew pointed me in the direction of the bulkhead restroom which was double the size and exceptionally clean.

United Airlines’ non-stop flight between Auckland and San Francisco operates six times a week with connections to all major US cities, from $1543. See: