I recently won an Air New Zealand prize letter from my airline (Merry Christmas) and was interested in heading down under from LAX. Possible travel dates are March 31, 2009 going down and April 7, 2009 coming back. NZ is showing 2 non-stops a day and I know this is shoulder season (Fall), so I was wondering if this was a good time to go? I don't mind the cooler temps...they often come with smaller crowds and lower prices.

Is there anyone in here that works for NZ or can keep an eye on those flights for me in the coming months? Also, any comments on NZ service when it comes to Non-revs? I flew Quantas 2 years ago on a similar deal and service was very professional (and AA handled ground services at LAX). Thanks much for any help.