Air New Zealand Air Points - Air NZ is downgrading me!

I have a upcoming return business class flight booked and paid in full. After making this booking I was subsequently told that the metal had changed for my flight up to Fiji from a 767 to a a320. I didn't want to change the dates as my time in Fiji is all planed and for a 3 hour hop I'm happy with the works product as business obviously isn't offered on the airbus. Now the rub is that they won't refund me the difference from business down to works or even works plus. Can they do this? They have effectively downgraded me when I have paid full fare business

I have a upcoming return business class flight booked and paid in full. After making this booking I was subsequently told that the metal had changed for my flight up to Fiji from a 767 to a a320. I didn't want to change the dates as my time in Fiji is all planed and for a 3 hour hop I'm happy with the works product as business obviously isn't offered on the airbus. Now the rub is that they won't refund me the difference from business down to works or even works plus. Can they do this? They have effectively downgraded me when I have paid full fare business

Wow! That seems very suspect. I'd be insisting on a refund of the fare difference.

Did they offer an explanation as to why the won't refund the difference? Quote conditions of the fare, standard T&C's, etc?

they downgraded me from a 772 to a 763 (AKL-NRT)

And I paid change fee to reroute and avoid a 763 (previously AKL-HNL-LAX-YYZ) to (AKL-NRT-EWR-YYZ).....grrrr!

Can they do this?

Why don't you refund and rebook yourself?

they downgraded me from a 772 to a 763 (AKL-NRT)

Technically, that wouldn't be a downgrade if you are in J or Y since those service classes are available on the 763 (yes, I know that J on the 767 is inferior to J on the 772, but NZ may say "you booked J, and you'll get J").
If you booked PE, that would be a downgrade.

Why don't you refund and rebook yourself?

Some possibilities:

1. Some fares have steep cancellation/rebooking fees. My Business Saver ticket to RAR had a US$500 cancellation fee and a $400 rebooking fee.
2. Current fares (even with a Works or Works Deluxe segment) may be higher than the business fare he booked.

Your right they offered to cancel the whole thing and give a refund for the entire return ticket and I could rebook. But the price for business has almost doubled since I booked. One of you mentioned the 772. When I booked and paid for this trip I was on a 763 there and a 772 back both in J. Now I'm in works deluxe there and J on a 763 on my return. Grrr

Your right they offered to cancel the whole thing and give a refund for the entire return ticket and I could rebook. But the price for business has almost doubled since I booked. One of you mentioned the 772. When I booked and paid for this trip I was on a 763 there and a 772 back both in J. Now I'm in works deluxe there and J on a 763 on my return. Grrr

But did they give a reason why they would not refund at least the fare difference? I'm still struggling to believe that they would downgrade you from Business to Economy, and not be forthcoming with compensation.

Your right they offered to cancel the whole thing and give a refund for the entire return ticket and I could rebook. But the price for business has almost doubled since I booked. One of you mentioned the 772. When I booked and paid for this trip I was on a 763 there and a 772 back both in J. Now I'm in works deluxe there and J on a 763 on my return. Grrr

I know it is frustrating and trust me, I have been there when they make last minute Equipment change. To their eyes, which I must say maybe justifiable, this is so that it can fit their operational needs, not so much they care there are some people who would care about which plane they are using on the route.

Not that it would help, but you should try to ask them what is the fare difference to rebook you on another service when they have not made the downgrade, and of course it the new dates might not suit you, meaning that you have to just leave it. I have tried two times where they can waive the re-booking fee, service fee and the fare difference could very well different from what you are quoting online. Although I might be wrong here, it seems that you have booked those J tickets when they are on-sale and the booking letter would be Z.

The fare quoted from the search engine might be the in J which means it is the next one up, and it is extremely possible that it is double of that of Z, but I guess there is no harm to ask.

Depending on what you are after, you might be better off to cancel the whole thing and rebook, look at other airlines if you are not worried about SP (I cannot believe I am saying this) but the devaluing of their AP program is taking its tolls....

Thanks guys for all your comments. I have been spying in on flyertalk for years but never actually singed up. This incident finally gave me reason to. I'm going to call the koru contact centre tomorrow once they bother to open as my calls to general reservations have been in vain. The lady kept telling me works deluxe and business is an equivalent product so no refund would be given. I'm 6.4 so really it's not. Is there reservations call centre overseas by chance. It sounded like she was reading from a script and had no real life understanding of the working of air nz. And yes it was a Z ticked business seat. I'm not worried about Status points. I gave up on NZ years ago and now put all my energy into oneworld.

Thanks guys for all your comments. I have been spying in on flyertalk for years but never actually singed up. This incident finally gave me reason to. I'm going to call the koru contact centre tomorrow once they bother to open as my calls to general reservations have been in vain. The lady kept telling me works deluxe and business is an equivalent product so no refund would be given. I'm 6.4 so really it's not. Is there reservations call centre overseas by chance. It sounded like she was reading from a script and had no real life understanding of the working of air nz. And yes it was a Z ticked business seat. I'm not worried about Status points. I gave up on NZ years ago and now put all my energy into oneworld.

Call centre is in Auckland. And as to works deluxe and business being equivalent products, that's just laughable. Can't believe they'd try to suggest that to you.

Call centre is in Auckland. And as to works deluxe and business being equivalent products, that's just laughable. Can't believe they'd try to suggest that to you.+1 ^. Before phoning and hoping to get someone who knows more about their employer's various levels of service, perhaps you could go over the timetables and list an alternative routing, by flight number, which would be acceptable to you. I've found that if airlines can be helpful, it is often more helpful if you can be specific down to flight number, as to what you would consider an acceptable alternative.

I got a resolution. I had all my alternative flight numbers in front of me as suggested and after an hour of my life on the phone I will never get back they refunded me the diff from j to works deluxe. At times like this I remember why some people still use travel agents. Cheers for all your pointers over this

I'm glad you stuck to your guns, well done. :)

they downgraded me from a 772 to a 763 (AKL-NRT)

And I paid change fee to reroute and avoid a 763 (previously AKL-HNL-LAX-YYZ) to (AKL-NRT-EWR-YYZ).....grrrr!

It seems like flights after September 1 got downgraded from the 772 to 763. Shame, because I originally picked that routing from Tokyo to Perth to try it out. Funnily enough, the AKL to PER got upgraded from the 763 to 772, so at least I still get to try it out, even though I would have much preferred the pods for the red-eye