codyc1515

The premium customer boarding call is purely lip service and makes a mockery of the Star Alliance and their rules regarding boarding.

And while not quite as bad as in the US, it is still very frustrating sometimes paying for a service which includes priority boarding and selecting a seat at the front then not being able to stow your carry-on baggage anywhere near where you are sitting because NZ doesn't enforce their carry-on baggage limits and some dimwit wanted to save $10 and not check-in their luggage. I have never once seen anyone pulled up on the carry-on limits with NZ.

I must give credit where credit is due, however. Fast Bag to a large extent actually eliminates this issue entirely. It's very convenient, fast and doesn't require you to search for space on a 50-seat flight. Although, it is very annoying to not have something like this on A320 services.

mad_atta

This is a recurring irritation of mine on TT flights ex-WLG. Why is it such a shambles there? Surely it's not hard to add a priority lane? All it takes is a sign and some tensa barriers...

libertyuk

Odd how UA can have up to five queues for boarding in some quite confined gates (BA manages three at some long haul gates at LHR), but NZ can't reliably run two. At SYD I've seen both QF and BA running four boarding queues (Y, PY, C, F with respective OW status) albeit with chaos of Y passengers trying to converge into one and overlapping into the others.

Kamadan

My most recent flights last week(end) went like this:

AKL (to SFO): J first, then PE, then Airpoints Elite/Gold/*A Gold/Koru, then general boarding. Their pre-boarding announcement also stressed boarding premium customers first

LAX (to AKL): J and Airpoints Elite first, then PE, Airpoints Gold/*G/Koru, then general boarding


And I have to agree, a complete lack of crowd control at Auckland airport these days, and they don't seem to "enforce" the rules as during boarding for my flights ex-AKL, I saw a few sitting in Economy (off boarding pass seat numbers) joining the line and admitted when Business/PE were being boarded.

brucelee

I just came of NZ5 from LAX this morning and when we boarded at LAX I was allowed to board with J passengers as a *G. I was flying in PE.

PE were boarded after J and *G.

Kiwi Flyer

There are plenty of economy passengers (with appropriate status) who are eligible to board with the first group.

Kamadan

No, not according to the pre-boarding announcement depending on what rule/guideline that Air NZ enforces.

If you read my post again, I mentioned at AKL recently, they SPECIFICALLY stressed they will board customers in premium cabin first, and clearly stated so once boarding began:
- Business Premier
- Premium Economy
- Airpoints Elite, Gold, Star Alliance Gold and Koru
- Economy passengers by row numbers

So no, in this case said status-holding Economy passengers are NOT eligible to board with the first group (J or PE), yet you still see those pax rushing forward to board.

I just wish Air NZ actually ENFORCES whatever they decide the rule is, and to make the "holding pen" less of a zoo.

lionred2012

I have just flown on NZ2 on 6th Dec to LAX and LHR.

The boarding announcement was for BP first, Then PE then GE etc.

This does seem to be another devaluation (although a minor one) of the benefits of being GE. I was flying BP so it didn't affect me, but it is just another sign of deteriorating passenger experience on Air NZ. As a matter of interest the FM didn't greet me as a GE and never spoke to me during the flight. (On the LAX - LHR leg it was totally different. Really good crew attitude).

Another whinge, there has been a menu change on the AKL - LAX leg and the meals were awful. Very dry burger buns with dry pulled beef or a chicken dish or a vegetarion dish. There now seems to be a reduced choice on BP. I remember my first LH flight with Air NZ in 1978. I flew economy and the meal was fillet steak!!!!

Sorry for the moans, but it is just more signs of Air NZ gradually reducing its passenger experience. On a positive note clearing everything in LAX took 10 mts!!! There were no other arrivals at the time.

sbiddle

Normally it's always the FSM handing out the arrival documentation in BP so this is their opportunity to personally greet all pax. Elite welcomes seem to be hit and miss. This is interesting considering the big deal Air NZ made about these in one of the surveys earlier in the year.

IMHO Air NZ's two biggest problems right now are dirty planes and an inconsistent onboard experience. The 789 I flew to Japan on a few weeks ago was disgusting with vents heavily covered in dust. My A320 to Auckland yesterday was also just gross - table trays that look like they'd never been cleaned with big greasy marks all over them. There are simply are no excuses for such filth, but we all know cutbacks in cleaning occurred, and now they just blame minimal downtime for this.

As for the inconsistent experience this starts at the gate with exactly what we're all seeing - each airport seems to have a wildly different approach to how boarding should occur. Quality of on-board service seems to relate completely on how good the FSM is, and there are FSM's who clearly don't have the customer and management skills to be in the role. My domestic FSM yesterday was obviously chewing gum which I found quite unbelievable.

This isn't a role that will suit everybody and isn't something that should simply be given to people because they've simply worked for the airline for a long time, something that seems to be the case with some long haul FSM's.

As for food I had a great steak flying to Japan in PE, and another great steak flying back in PE. I've never seen steak on the menu to North America.

Bub001

If E, G and S are noticing a decline in service, just try to imagine what it's like in a centre seat as a non-status person...the issues go way beyond cleanliness and inconsistency of service.

sbiddle

I don't necessarily agree. Those people who don't fly regularly and don't fly often have very different expectations. With the exception of the horrible cramped 77W seats I actually think the NZ economy long haul experience is a good one.

jeffrocowboy

I agree with you sbiddle - I have often flow in less desirable seats (accompanying non-status partner) and lived to tell the tale - its not all bad.

macdo

Reviving an old thread but most recent flight ex Adelaide the call order was quite specifically.

1 Children with young families etc
few minutes pause
2 Elite
10 seconds pause
3 BP, PE, Gold and partners.
10 seconds pause
4 General.

Felt special for those ten seconds :-)

nzkarit

Well domestically on the A320s there is no gap and just say gold, koru etc and then flow straight in and say back via stairs and everyone else via the jetway.

32 is nice in Auckland as they have separate doors and machines and two queues seem to form.

Also domestically don't wait for the call just start going through machine when the person walks to the machine and the other person is standing by the mic. As any longer you will be at the back of the queue.

sbiddle

The reality is there is no point in any sort of priority boarding when realistically over 50% of the plane during peak hours will be a HVC of some sort either with Koru or status. I certainly have no issues with the boarding process and with split boarding rarely find queues move incredibly fast.