How much is a national airline brand tied up with our perceptions of the country it represents? Think Finnair - generous quantities of booze on board, straightforward but efficient service, and the grit and indefatigability to take off and land in conditions which would utterly defeat the big softies at Heathrow. How more Finnish could it be?

In some cases, those airlines help to define what we think about a nation. How much goodwill has Singapore Airlines generated for the city state over the years? A fair amount, I would imagine.

Air New Zealand isn't so intimately connected to the national brand, but it does like to wrap itself in Kiwi colours ('Kia Ora and Welcome'), knowing that most people probably have good ideas about the country, even if, like me, they have never been there. So I approached my first flight with ANZ thinking about a laid-back culture, friendly service, excellent wine, great chefs like Peter Gordon, and a competitive spirit which beats the British 'oh well' any day of the week.

Then reality strikes, and you are in the horrible United lounge at Terminal Three thinking, 'where did it all go wrong?' T3 and the depressed condition of partner lounges is, of course, beyond the control of ANZ. But it's at this point you start asking 'So why did I not go on Virgin again? I could be sitting in that fabulous lounge having smoked salmon right now'.

Getting past this grim start and onto the plane, life starts to improve quickly. The crew are, indeed, very friendly and laid-back, getting everyone on board with a minimum of fuss. Seeing the cabin, the first thought that strikes you (again) is 'Virgin'! The seats are almost identical to those on business class on board the bid red V - angled 22" wide leather armchairs which turn into flat beds (note to airline copy writers, you don't need to say 'fully flat bed'), complete with ottoman which 'doubles as a visitor seat'. There is also the same (or almost the same) excellent interactive entertainment service with plenty on offer for those 12 or 13 hour flights. ANZ does score a few extra points with its advanced 'Airshow', pinpointing the plane's exact location along the route.

Dinner was, frankly, very average. Don't blame me for raising expectations by mentioning Peter Gordon - ANZ claims on its website that he has contributed to its menu. If he has, it was hard to see where his usually exquisite taste had been applied. In all honestly, I was being difficult by requesting a vegetarian option at the last minute. But that was because the meat-based dishes didn't seem so hot. I can't comment on the booze as I wasn't drinking, but I did hear some noises of quiet appreciation coming from my fellow passengers.

After dinner, I decided to try and get some sleep - something I always find difficult to do, even on flat beds. On this occasion, it worked! I was out for at least four hours, a world record for me. So the seat designers must have done something right.

All in all, it was an excellent flight, and I felt reasonably fresh and ready to face the horrors of US immigration at LAX.

On the way back, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that ANZ has its own lounge at LAX. It's not exactly Virgin's 'Clubhouse', but it is miles and miles better than United's doss-house at T3. As Heathrow plays musical chairs, maybe the bosses in Auckland could find a space somewhere they could call their own - and cover it in Kiwi colours.