Flight check: Auckland to Sydney on Air NZ

Air New Zealand aircraft on the tarmac at the Auckland International Airport. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Chris Schulz flies the Highway to Hell to see AC/DC on NZ103 from Auckland to Sydney.

The plane: An Air New Zealand one, flying to Sydney to see - who else? - the titans of three-chord rock and high priests of boganity, AC/DC.

Class: Cattle class, with meals, known in Air New Zealand's terms as "The Works".

Price: I don't know, someone else paid.

On time: Pretty much. We flew out a few minutes after the scheduled 9am departure, but made up the time in the air. It's a 2hr 49m trip.

My seat: Was a clean and comfy aisle seat.

Fellow passengers: Apart from the occasional burst of tears from a baby, most either slept, or were catching up on Tom Cruise's hijinks in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

How full: The seat next to me was empty, which is always good for stashing lolly wrappers.

Entertainment: I chose badly: Amy, the depressing documentary on Amy Winehouse that charts her demise into drink, drugs and, ultimately, death.

The service: Very good. Air New Zealand's high standards are intact. However Israel Dagg's rapping skills, as displayed in the safety video, are yet to impress me.

Food and drink: Black bean noodles with thinly sliced strips of beef hit the spot. The coconut jam roll was too sweet to finish.

The toilets: Super clean. Loving the bookcase wallpaper that gives the cramped space the impression of extra room.

Luggage: I travel light, so there were no problems with locker space.

The airport experience: Rough, but it was expected as this flight was departing just as the All Blacks arrived from their World Cup-winning efforts. It took me half an hour to find a car park - in long-term uncovered parking area E. I ended up being the last person to board.

Would I fly this again? Sure, but next time I'll make sure a full media contingent isn't arriving at the airport right on my departure time.