Air New Zealand Air Points - Anyone for more Airpoints tier status benefits ?

Coming up to the new longhaul product launch on June 10,NZ will need to be making changes to the Airpoints system to remove references to NZ First Class, and insert references to Pacific Premium. This will provide a perfect opportunity to revamp tier status benefits to bring them in line, or in front of other programs.

Here’s my meticulous wish list -

Guaranteed Seat Reservation
NZ*E +1 guest are guaranteed a confirmed reservation on any NZ flight [Including Link and Airshare] provided they ticket at least 24 hours prior to departure.

Partner Card
When a NZ*E reaches 2400 current status airbucks [2150 for Australia] a partner Gold card is awarded.

Lifetime Status
Lifetime Silver awarded at 9,000 and Lifetime Gold at 20,000 airbucks. Airbucks back calculated over every flight the member has credited to NZ [Or as far back as complete records go] and allocating the appropriate amounts at current earning levels.

Gold Members Status Tags
Please Please stop sending us the current singular poorly made tag. Give us several and have them well made. I don’t know about you but when I travel I tend to check more than 1 piece of luggage.

Baggage Priority
NZ*S, AC/NH/OZ/BD/LH/SK/SQ/JFK/TG/UA/US/RG*G, Pacific Premium Economy & Koru can receive the current tags, so that their luggage can continue to be handled, by and large indifferently.

Introduce a new tag [attached to the printed routing tag] for Gold Airpoints and Business Customers; most importantly make sure this baggage gets were it’s going first.

Premium Telephone Desk
I’ve read all sorts of posts by AA EXP members waxing lyrical about the AA EXP desk. Similarly I’ve heard the same about the QF WP desks. Why can’t I read the same sort of posts by NZ*E members ?

Koru Club Access Passes
How often have you been booking flights for a mate/elderly parent/spouse/sister/brother/colleague/mother in law and thought I would put them on NZ if they could access the Koru Club ? Distributing a few single-use passes to allow this to eligible customers would generate an enormous amount of goodwill toward NZ. So why not ?

Check In
NZ*S should be entitled to some form of Priority Check In. It’s not like NZ would lose any Koru subscriptions by allowing it – whilst Silvers get most of the Koru benefits they don’t get the most important one [Lounge Access].

Staff Domestic Priority Check In areas adequately. No open desks is not acceptable, nor is only one open desk acceptable at peak time.

Seating
Blocked Middle seat if space allows for tier Airpoints members travelling on Domestic Fully Flexi tickets would not be too much to ask ? To achieve this effectively preallocation of seats would have to be discontinued.

Woaw, Airpoints should hire you! Good points all of them. I'd like to see (yes, my old hobby horse, I know) some recognition for flights on cheaper fares, perhaps adding to your airpoints count for requalification without giving you the actual airpoints to spend.

Ability to gift miles for NZ G.

Lots of good ideas, here are some comparables and thoughts.

AC has guaranteed seat accessnfor its Super Elites, they have to purchase a full Y ticket.

I have never figured out the baggage priority thing. When travelling to NZ last Feb, out bags came out mid way through, this is despite Priority and First Class tags. In Canada it is very hit and miss as to how successful the tags will be. It would be nice to have some consistency that they always come out first.

AC has an Elite desk and Super Elite/Concierge desk. The Elite desk works very well, phone is always answered very promptly. The SE Concierge service is one of the most popular perks for the SEs.

UA blocks a middle seat in it's E+ cabing for all *Gs', a very nice perk.

The only other thing I would ask for, is the ability for Gold Elite's to have guaranteed access to reward seat when flying on NZ metal. AC's SEs' have this, again a terrific way to reward your most loyal customers.

I have never figured out the baggage priority thing. When travelling to NZ last Feb, out bags came out mid way through, this is despite Priority and First Class tags. In Canada it is very hit and miss as to how successful the tags will be. It would be nice to have some consistency that they always come out first.

I seem to find flights from US are very hit or miss on order bags come out - which I presume is something to do with loading in LAX/SFO. From other places priority tags seem to work okay, except sometimes when I have very long or very short connections.

I seem to find flights from US are very hit or miss on order bags come out - which I presume is something to do with loading in LAX/SFO. From other places priority tags seem to work okay, except sometimes when I have very long or very short connections.

On ALL International Flights they use baggage pallets so the only reason that Priority Luggage handling doesn't work is incorrect loading.

I find Domestic loaders just ignore the tags.

For domestic the flights to regional airports there is no difference as it is all on the same baggage trolley. For main trunk routes, no difference in peak hours - as nearly every bag is "priority", but makes a difference off peak and also regional flights to the main centres in my experience at least. YMMV.

For domestic the flights to regional airports there is no difference as it is all on the same baggage trolley. For main trunk routes, no difference in peak hours - as nearly every bag is "priority", but makes a difference off peak and also regional flights to the main centres in my experience at least. YMMV.
For Regional airports without a carousel they could place all the priority luggage together at the front of the first trolley.

The reason I suggest a two tier priority luggage system is for handling during peak time.

The only other thing I would ask for, is the ability for Gold Elite's to have guaranteed access to reward seat when flying on NZ metal. AC's SEs' have this, again a terrific way to reward your most loyal customers.
As NZ have the any seat anytime airbucks policy I cannot see how NZ would implement a scheme such as that for NZ*E

It is important that NZ maintain a significant differential between having a Star Status level and the NZ status's.

There is no incentive for NZ to offer middle seat blocking and the same baggage priority to *G’s.

It would be nice for NZ to offer waived telephone reward booking fees for NZ*E.

What do people think about my lifetime status proposal ?

What do people think about my lifetime status proposal ?

^

How about these two benefits (that might be unique to the KLM Flying Dutchman programme); one way awards, and that you can only drop one level of status per year.

NZ airpoints already has both those benefits. Much appreciated too. :)

The changes I'd like to see are:


Lifetime status.
Unlimited automatic upgrades from Y to premium Y for GEs and maybe Gs too. Perhaps GE upgrades could be confirmed at time of reservation, and G upgrades at checkin.
Replacement of the hotel and car rental upgrade vouchers with something really useful. Most frequent travellers alread have upgrade-producing status with hotel and car rental chains anyway. How about a couple of upgrade vouchers valid on any * carrier?
Priority tags actually having some effect, everywhere on the NZ network.


The major change I'd NOT like to see is for complimentary upgrades permitting Y to premium Y only. That would represent a massive devaluation.

Regarding blocked middle seats, as a G or GE I don't ever recall having my request turned down unless the flight was full. However, automatic blocking would be nice.

justakiwi

I havent seen any examples where automatic upgrades works financially (for the airline).

I havent seen any examples where automatic upgrades works financially (for the airline).

I wonder how many Gs and GEs there actually are? Probably more than I think :) Having premium Y full of comps on every flight would be a problem. Of course, I guess it remains to be seen how many revenue pax will be in that cabin once it's introduced. I know that if I was sure I'd get at least premium Y if my C upgrade request fell through, I'd be a happier camper, which translates to continued loyalty.

justakiwi

NZ airpoints already has both those benefits.

Of course, I forgot you can now get a one way award with $AP.

But I didn't know you would only be dropped one level at a time with respect to status. So it's 1500 $AP to get to GE and if you don't make 1350 $AP (1500 x 90%) the following year they only drop you to G? Really?

Yup. Soft landing for status has been there a while.

Yup. Soft landing for status has been there a while.

The softest landing has been there longest - from no status to no status ;)

Do expect changes to tier status benefits this month....

I've got a few questions about the Gold Elite Partner Card (and of course it's easier to get the answer's here instead of wasting time with trying to get any sense out of Airpoints on a Sunday)...

1) If the partner is Silver do they get two Airpoints cards (one Silver and one Gold Elite Partner) or a Gold Elite Partner & Star Alliance Silver card ?

2) If the partner is Gold/Gold Elite anyway does one just have to grin and bear the Gold Elite Partner Card benefit being entirely useless to them (and of course it's worse if both are Gold Elite) ?

3) Upgrades clear as a Jade member for the Partner (unless redeeming Silver upgrade if applicable or travelling with the Gold Elite and both upgrading to a cabin together) - correct ?

1) I presume 2 Airpoints cards.
2) If partner is gold anyway then they get slightly higher priority but nothing else. If partner is gold elite then no value.
3) I dont think that is correct. Airpoints treats the partner as if they are gold elite. Exception being they dont get issued any gold elite vouchers (upgrades, car rental, hotel, koru club valet parking).

What I meant by that was if two partners are Gold Elite the Partner benefit is useless to them because they can't nominate that status (2x) onto a close family member. Is that correct ?

Didnt I agree with you in (2) above?

Didnt I agree with you in (2) above?Was just trying to double check. Seems highly counter-productive to me - for example

Two partner's which are Gold Elite - would make sense for one of them to drop NZ and pickup QF and earn the 2100sc's for WP with partner SG (this is especially the case if Gold Elite Partner upgrades do clear as if they're a NZ*E).

Now if a Gold Elite with a partner who's Airpoints Gold/Gold Elite was permitted to nominate that Gold Elite Partner status on to a Parent/Step-parent, Child (including foster & step-child), Brother/Sister, Half Brother/Sister or Grandparent that would be a whole different story..



*Sorry for borrowing that definition from Qantas*

1) If the partner is Silver do they get two Airpoints cards (one Silver and one Gold Elite Partner) or a Gold Elite Partner & Star Alliance Silver card ?


Yep, the GE partner card has no indication of silver status on it at all (and has different expiry dates from the silver member status year also..) so is useful for keeping the two cards in the wallet - one for NZ flights and one for general *A use.

Yep, the GE partner card has no indication of silver status on it at all (and has different expiry dates from the silver member status year also..) so is useful for keeping the two cards in the wallet - one for NZ flights and one for general *A use.So it's a bit like carrying two cards if Koru Club and Silver.

So effectively your both status's so

Which banner show's up when you login to the NZ website (Gold Elite or Silver)
What get's printed on the NZ boarding pass for a Silver Gold Elite Partner (NZ G NZ*S)
Can your complimentary upgrade be confirmed 12 months out ?

Which banner show's up when you login to the NZ website (Gold Elite or Silver)
What get's printed on the NZ boarding pass for a Silver Gold Elite Partner (NZ G NZ*S)
Can your complimentary upgrade be confirmed 12 months out ?


Well.. in my case he doesn't log-in to the NZ website so not sure - however on NZ issued boarding passes (and judging from crew response I assume the onboard manifest) printed "NZ*G KORU". On other carriers its just the NZ*S or NZP.

On the silver comp upgrade issue, it was confirmed just a few hours after requesting the upgrade (showed up on viewtrip.com as a cancelled econ segment and a confirmed prem one) about a week out from the flight, definitely before the 48 hour suggested time for silver members.

...however on NZ issued boarding passes (and judging from crew response I assume the onboard manifest) printed "NZ*G KORU"....I would have though that it would come up as NZ-G or something, so as not to dilute the actual NZ*G cache.

What exactly do you mean judging from crew response ?

What exactly do you mean judging from crew response ?

Just the normal GE stuff - little visits from the ISD for a chat, the odd comment like "oh you travel with us VERY much.." when crew are doing anything like drinks or arrival cards using the manifest, personalised newspaper in the seat pocket - nothing spectacular sadly!