Flying from Christchurch to Wellington with Air New Zealand

An Air New Zealand ATR72. Photo / Creative Commons image by Flickr user wiltshirespotter

Lauren Jones flies from Canterbury to Wellington

The plane: An ATR72 — my first time flying in a propeller plane.

Class: Economy.

Price: $115, usually you can get them way cheaper but unfortunately I couldn't be flexible with the time or date this time around.

Flight time: We were scheduled to leave at 10.05am, but were slightly delayed as the plane was late to arrive in Christchurch.

Fellow passengers: Lots of Super Rugby fans on their way to the game that weekend.

There were no crying or yelling kids — bonus!

How full: Packed, actually. With only two seats on each side of the aisle.

The service: It's a small plane, so there were only two flight attendants — both were lovely.

The toilets: Didn't manage to make it to the toilets, a 45-minute flight doesn't leave much time for getting up. Luggage: I only had carry-on luggage, and despite the small cabin there was plenty of space for carry-on items.

Airport experience: Both Christchurch and Wellington airports were pleasant. I got a Best Ugly Bagel from Wellington airport and that was wonderful — I would definitely recommend.

The bottom line: Hands down the best thing about this flight were the views. Flying Christchurch to Wellington pretty much the whole way you get coastal views on the right and mountains on the left, in winter the mountains are blanketed in snow and it's such a beautiful contrast. How lucky are we to live in such a diverse and beautiful country.