Steven Joyce waits in the aisle as Winston Peters takes his seat. Photo / Wallace Chapman
Wallace Chapman flies aboard, um, a plane with some politicians on board
The plane: Heavens — who knows? I just know that it is not a Concorde, or a propeller plane. I fly from Auckland to Wellington on the 10am flight every Wednesday. Have been travelling that route every week for the last nine years.
Class: Up the back. Right up the back.
My seat: 28A.
Price: I don't book it, but you can get one-way tickets for as low as $53.
Flight time: One hour. I have had remarkably few delays on this service. In fact not one this year.
Fellow passengers: I have met so many interesting people over the years. This flight, there was a business strategist just come back from China, who wanted to get a handle on Winston Peters. I often get a lot of political questions. The most boring I've met was someone very passionate about storage solutions.
How full: 90 per cent.
Entertainment: Well, on this flight it was Winston Peters grappling with putting his luggage in the overhead locker, and taking his sweet, sweet time. And who was waiting extremely patiently while Winston was doing this? None other than National's Steven Joyce! There couldn't have been a better metaphor for the post-election scenario.
The service: Good — always good. But because I travel this route often, I tire quickly of the Air New Zealand safety videos. I rejoice when the video doesn't work and they have to revert to the old-fashioned way where they blow into that little thing.
Food and drink: White tea and a cookie. Every time.
The toilets: Never go on the domesic route.
Luggage: I have my trusty little Louis Vuitton overnighter, which I have had for years. An indispensible travel piece.
The airport experience: Koru Club — wind down for 20 minutes with a newspaper and a coffee.
The bottom line: You never know who you meet and bump into on the Auckland-to-Wellington run.
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