Nine News US correspondent Denham Hitchcock, who has been chasing Kevin Rudd for days, got a lucky break when he was seated next to him on a flight.
The former foreign minister was flying to Dallas after announcing his resignation in Washington DC yesterday.
Hitchcock told Nine News he managed to nab the last available ticket in the hopes of speaking to the likely contender for the prime ministership.
"I've been chasing him for about four days now, and he's been pretty much avoiding me," he said.
"I bought the last ticket on that plane, and there I was sitting next to Kevin Rudd."
After a long day, Mr Rudd was reportedly nervous about Hitchcock's presence, but soon relaxed and began to chat with the journalist.
"We spoke about family, football, travel, food and even a little politics," Hitchcock said.
"He did tell me he is relaxed about next week."
While not directly confirming his intention to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Mr Rudd expressed his confidence ahead of Monday's leadership ballot.
"I'm again pleasantly surprised and pleased by support coming in," Mr Rudd said at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
"This is a very important decision for the country and we should all take a long breath."
Mr Rudd has now boarded an 18-hour flight heading back to Australia before Monday's leadership spill.
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