Prime minister Helen Clarke in her usual seat on flight NZ0411.

Helen Clarke, New Zealand’s Labour prime minister, lives in Auckland. The New Zealand parliament is in Wellington. On a Monday she flies from Auckland to New Zealand on the  Air New Zealand flight NZ0411.

My routine also see me flying down to Wellington each Monday on flight NZ0411  and I am usually  allocated a seat in row 2 on the left hand side.

Five minutes after boarding is completed  the Right Honourable Helen Clark takes her seat in row 1 on the right hand side and her minder takes his set in front of me.

While I find it vaguely exciting,  no one else seems to bats an eyelid.

If  I manage to get of the plane before her I am welcomed by half a dozen officials which makes me smile.