The flight from Wellington to Auckland was uneventful. The Boeing 787 had an up-to-date entertainment system and a good collection of films. My luggage arrived in good shape and most importantly all of it.
A first annoyance at hearing that my bags would not be transferred to my connecting flight in Shanghai but that I would need to go through customs, collect my bag & bike and check in again.
Shanghai is sadly hidden by thick brown smog. The airport is architecturally nice, otherwise there’s just the usual heap of perfume and clothing shops.
The flight to Paris felt long as it was a daylight flight. I got to see some beautiful landscapes, though. First, the Gobi deserts, then the wintry wastes of Russia and Kazakhstan.
One additional police check in Paris, aside from that all seems normal. I hope Air France manages to transfer my bag & bike this time…