Flygirlnz

So I've been GE for a number of years with 5 years banked.

This upcoming year, if I stick with my planned travel pattern for work & pleasure, I'll spend close to $100k with NZ and personally do 5,000 SP.

I've always gone out of my way to fly them, but lately one thing after another has started the grate again - the zoo that is the AKL intl lounge (yes, I know the new one is coming, but will
there be anywhere quiet to work? The last 'quiet zones' at AKL int lasted about as long as the foot massages).

I hate that the prem transfer counter is gone on arrival at AKl and I have to often run my bags over to domestic, soaking wet to make a connecting flight, after a business class long haul. Or conversely, sit around and wait for hours because there is now nowhere to change a ticket.

The new call centre set up is just abysmal: today it was somebody clearly half way across the world talking about me spending my 'miles'. Similar to the last one who asked about my flight to 'Nardi'. And the guy who assured me a seat only Pacific saver was always non-Flexi. 'Fair enough, I suppose you could be right' was his response when in suggested that he check that specific booking. And it was fully Flexi.

It irks the crap out of me that I routinely drop $15-20k on a family long haul, but have to ask a special favour to get a decent call centre agent to call me back before I start to make sure it happens right. I can't imagine asking a client to spend $1500 and using the words 'I'm sorry, we only take inbound calls and no, we can't call you back' when something goes wrong - like when I am half way across the world, behind the great firewall, and internet won't give me the info I need re the impact of a typhoon warning on my flight.

Still, for me there is still lots to love about NZ - mostly the crew and the decent people you do get to deal with when you dig deep enough... and the familiarity and just feeling at home when I am away from home, so often. And they have come through for me and my kids when the going has been rough.

Anyway - last week for reasons of expediency (and because NZ no longer runs a J service out of my city) I had to fly EK and FJ within a few days of each other. First time I have had a choice and chosen not NZ in..wow. Twelve or 15 years?

I bought a last minute J fare on EK. It was a just ok flight, the sky didn't fall on me, but I found it cold and impersonal and service was clunky.

But oh, the lounge! The peace and quiet was just unreal. It was such a totally different experience to having to fight for a seat, drown out the ruckus with loud music via headphones, and constantly have small children running right in front of me.

Ditto for the QF Syd lounge, which was an oasis of calm (yes, it was 0630 departure and a quieter time of day, by still..)

Anyway - so now am thinking - I could carve off my entire TT and Pacific spend, give it to QF, easily maintain QF gold, and with a bit of effort probably get to platinum in anticipation of a decent long haul...all while still re qualifying and banking a year at Elite with Air NZ.

I wouldn't have to trek all the way to Auckland to get a decent size aircraft for my TT/Pacific work trips, and I could buy sale class J often cheaper than NZ.

But if that extra SP is actually counting for something - and for me, that something is upgrade approval for my husband (also GE in his own right) and kids to take our precious family time away together - then it makes sense to grin and bear the smaller stuff.

Does anyone know if it makes a dot of difference to getting stuff done - apart from GE gifts, and dinner is always tax deductible for me, anyway - to earn 3000 or 5000 with NZ? Or is it all the same to them (apart from Ep1, of course, but I am a lowly small business owner with a budget to boot).

Beano

can't imagine asking a client to spend $1500 and using the words 'I'm sorry, we only take inbound calls and no, we can't call you back' when something goes wrong - like when I am half way across the world, behind the great firewall, and internet won't give me the info I need re the impact of a typhoon warning on my flight.

True True I agree its crazy
BUT its not only Airnz

Actually Contact Energy commercial section will not call back overseas either (last month I spent over $14k with them
Nor Westpac airpoints credit card application either (I spent $120k with them over the last month
BUT the BNZ call centre do (I spent $500 with them)

Mwenenzi

For the money you are spending also consider crediting AirNZ flights to UA. But check earning vs fare booking class.
QF is not a great ffp. Some QF flyer's credit to AA. But for AA status you need 4 AA marketed flights. EK marketed flight do not credit to AA, but do credit points to QF. AA vs QF award cost post 330
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/onewo...help-here.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

dadig

Clearly $100k is not enough for Elite Priority One

Flygirlnz

God, no, and I wouldn't expect it to be. (Didn't spend that last year, for the record - maybe 80k? but based on currrent travel patterns and work demand, that's where it's heading in the upcoming 12 mths).

But there's a yawning chasm between that top 100 or 200 travellers by spend or whatever it's meant to be and the 'bank a year & get a 'gift' and get another 'gift' tier.

Seems like a gap that feeds directly into an opportunity for other airlines to pick up the space in the middle and for the flier to get the best of both worlds.
--
Thanks for the OW info..I am such a FT naďf, it makes my head hurt to try to work it all out..yeah, we could make 4 x sectors on anyone APAC or NA work for a second premium status..I guess it's just a matter of working it all out.

But first, figuring, whether those extra 2000 SP and I guess some for my husband, too...are worth anything w NZ.
---
re the callbacks and service... Regardless of 'status' I think anyone who drops $15 or 20k in a transaction deserves the courtesy of a simple phone call back and a competent, knowledgeable person who wil do their best for that customer..regardless of status..whether it's once in a blue moon or 3 x a year.

Kiwi Flyer

I sure would look to credit elsewhere. Depends on where you fly and what you want from the FFP.

DomesticGoddess

I've basically done what you've suggested. I still fly exclusively NZ domestically and long haul where at all possible. But TT I've switched to Qantas primarily due to Business class being on offer ex WLG. I've easily qualified for QF Gold as a result and will hit Platinum in the next month or two.

With access to QF First lounges in SYD and MEL I won't be changing my approach any time soon.

Miles Down Under

Don't know any EP1 members who do not run large companies with high enterprise-wide travel spends.

What international destinations do you usually fly to Flygirlnz?

SeaProf

I am curious as to why you recommend this. As someone who lives in the States I do not see the advantage of having status with UA, other than access to economy plus which can be purchased fairly cheaply. Is there something I am missing?

oranjemakker

I've switched much of my flying as well, from CHC the QF/EK alliance is pretty good offering two flights per day non stop to Sydney. I dont mind EK service, I've flown them quite a few times now in all three classes by myself and with kids and have always found the crew really friendly, and professional.

And the lounges are quiet, and have excellent food and booze (e.g. real champagne, not the cheap bubbles NZ pour). And out of Dubai they even offer a free porter service from the kerbside in their premium area, this was a godsend travelling with our family and loads of luggage (we were in Y but QF Gold gave us this benefit).

its a very slick operation.

On QF have made gold pretty easily. And they regularly seem to offer specials on business at around $690 RT which is not much more than Works Deluxe on Air NZ. Have one GE year banked and should requalify this year, so that gives me two years. May go for Platinum on QF.

Flying out next week to Europe on CX, will credit to QF. looking forward to it, and far more options than Air NZ (can open jaw into London and return from AMS). Got the tickets on an early bird and from memory only cost us about $6-$7k per person. (curiously, even on a paid business fare note that we haven't been given access to the premium seating on the domestic flights, guess because I havent given my NZ number. doesnt bother me, just found it interesting)

Re the domestic, I know a lot of people here slam JQ but I find out of Christchurch they are really quite reliable to AKL which is the main route I (and our team) fly, and its almost always half the price, or less, than NZ.

And with the rumours that AA is looking to fly direct AKL-LAX that could really open up our options and make a complete break from Air NZ a real possibility!!

Back to your original question, for me the only value on the extra status points is the banked year, seems that you may be better carving off some of your spend beyond that to other programs.

ruff00

With that spend pretty much any other airline will status match you to Gold if you want to give them a try.

I experimented with Cathay last year, and have Qantas this year.

(I agree, the lounges are a zoo, even the newly refurbished ones... just too many people).

Flygirlnz

Domestic at least weekly return, sometimes more. 3-4 TT return (J where poss), 12-15 Pacific return (J. 50 pct paid, 50pct upgrades with APD), 1 x LAX and 1 x PVG or HKG or somewhere up that way (all PE plus UGs) and we'll add a South America this year with the new service.

Husband: 50 pct of the Domestic, TT and Pacific travel & all of the NA/Asia.

In terms of what we're trying to achieve, we own our own businesses, so our paid fares are always tax deductible, as we work wherever we are. Within the 100k budget want to be able to our fares and kids fares and achieve award travel fares/ UG (into) for the kids for a domestic each per month, 2 x TT, 6 pacific and the long hauls.

Oh, and in 2 years I want to buy FC RTW for me and my husband (in my wildest dreams we would be able to take the kids...), which is way the QF Gold/OW connection matters.

Man, if I was my customer I would sure like to hear about my budget and plans and put together a program to meet their needs, within the tier entitlements, rather than risk losing 2/5 of the spend.

But there doesn't seem to be a routine mechanism for this at all - unless you sign up with their travel agency arm and I can't stand travel agents (none of them 'get' the system when it comes to the whole balance re points/spend/benefits).

It's really puzzling to me that they treat the relationship as a long term, loyalty based one, but transact it in such an episodic way. Makes no sense on either side. Or maybe 100k pa just isn't enough to scratch the sides for them?

Flygirlnz

Wow, that's great info orangemakker, and enlightening. And $690 rtn for TT J is excellent. I need to start keeping an eye on those fares.

Yeah, the JQ option is an interesting one..does your QF G give you any help in disrupts? They are universally awful in this regard, it's my biggest hesitation. If I could find a way to make it stretch the budget to get more prem travel long haul and with the family, I could probably survive..man, that's cheap for business to Europe, too...

oranjemakker

SORRY (its sunday morning and kids running around screaming etc!)!!! Thats one way TT NOT RT! The sale fares are $199 Y, $649 J and $899 F, one way. I think its still pretty good.

On the Europe flights, just checked, it was $6,853 per passenger including all taxes. Routing CHC-AKL-HKG-LHR then AMS-HKG (overnight stopover)-AKL-CHC. Booked in October.

Havent had to experience a disrupt yet, so cant advise.

poopbunny

Very slick indeed.

I was at EK AKL lounge recently and saw crayfish on offer, even if only a canape.

Last time I saw crayfish associated with Air NZ was on one of the videos at the TePapa Musuem ANZ 75 Years exhibit.