I took a 13-hour flight to New Zealand from LA. Here are 8 mistakes I made.

The author in her business-class seat on an Air New Zealand long-haul flight.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

• Two summers ago, I spent 13 hours on a plane flying from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand.
• Before, during, and after the flight, I did things that increased exhaustion, jet lag, and discomfort.

New Zealand is known for its incredibly stunning scenery — and an incredibly long flight if you live in the US like me.

I set out to see those views in June 2022 and embarked on a 24-hour journey to the country.

I boarded a flight in Denver heading to Los Angeles and arrived at my final destination — Auckland, New Zealand — two days later.

Between time-zone changes, a 13-hour flight, a 2.5-hour flight, and layovers, I spent nearly 24 consecutive hours in airports, airport lounges, and airplanes.

I was lucky enough to have a business-class seat on my Air New Zealand flight, but even with the added comfort of business class, I still made plenty of mistakes. Take a look.

Business Insider received a press rate for the round-trip flight from Air New Zealand.