Flying from Wellington to Auckland with Air New Zealand

Mt Ruapehu looms large out the window of an Air New Zealand A320. Photo / Grant Robertson

Grant Robertson flies NZ416 from Wellington to Auckland with Air NZ.

The plane: An Airbus A320.

Class: Standard economy.

Price: One-way fares start from $56.

Flight time: The usual 55 minutes or so, no delays.

My seat: 4F.

Fellow passengers: Sunday morning vibe — Kindles and laptops abound.

How full? Mostly. Celine Dion was calling for many of them.

Entertainment: For me, Cabinet papers, and a stunning view.

The service: As ever with Air NZ, friendly and attentive.

Food and drink: The cookies and chips are still there. The coffee remains the only negative of the whole experience.

The toilets: Available.

Luggage: My bodyweight in papers to read.

The airport experience: Efficient.

The bottomline: An absolutely stunning day to fly.

Calm and sunny all across the motu.