Air New Zealand Air Points - Appalling showing from Air NZ

(from the NZ AKL lounge). Pre-history: purchase full-fare economy (b-class) one-way ticket AKL-SIN, upgrade using a voucher. Trying to credit points to SQ.

Get my BP and notice that airpoints shows 'nil'. I point this out and the check-in person turns from mildly friendly to defensive right then and there. Your ticket is in I-class (redemption class) and you don't earn points. I point out very friendly that this is not correct, explaining the above. She continues to claim I'm wrong, then walks over to someone else (a supervisor?). I walk over with her (although she doesn't invite me to) and get the same story. I very politely, very friendly, and very calmly point out that this is wrong.

'I am not going to argue with you' (argue?? Who said anything about arguing?)
'You'll have to sort it out with your TA'
'But my TA has nothing to do with this'
'Then talk to customer service'.
This woman was so aggressive it was not nice anymore. Maybe I was just too polite and she thought she could just brush me off. I ask for her name but she won't give it (they don't have name tags) and says 'I am not obliged to give you my name'. 'I am just relieving'. (Then why do the others come to you for help?).

At the service desk, Airpoints is called and they acknowledge that of course you earn points but they can't change the I-class thing. The lady at the counter gives me a piece of paper with NZ customers service's phone number on it (!) and also says that I have to sort it out myself.

I head over to the SIN office by counter 25. What a difference! all smiles and genuine attempts to help, even though it's not their fault/problem. The station manager photocopies my original e-ticket for her records and gives me her business card in case anything goes wrong with the points. Wonderful. ^ ^

I head back to the premium check in area and no one asks what happened/what the service desk's answer was. I volunteer and tell (the same person as the one who originally checked me in) that indeed one does earn points. No apology, not even a reply, nothing - total silence.

I can honoustly say that I remained very calm and very polite (I surprised myself how well I did), but as so often with NZ staff, they are friendly as long as nothing goes wrong. Their service levels are just too inconsistent. Today's showing was really bad. I was made to feel like an annoyance, rather than a valued customer. This is a very frustrating and disappointing start to my trip. I spent nearly an hour trying to get this sorted instead of having a shower in the lounge. I will definitely complain about this. It has put a dent in my confidence to choose NZ.

:(

but congrats on getting the upgrade ^

Did NZ tell you in advance or only find out at checkin?

:(

but congrats on getting the upgrade ^

Did NZ tell you in advance or only find out at checkin?

I found out at checkin. But then the :) quickly turned to :rolleyes: to :( to :mad: . NOT really enjoying things so far.

Have a drink or three and enjoy the flight.

Most airline systems have a problem with correct crediting of upgrades. Always solved by sending in your BP, original ticket or receipt and a comment that you upgarded. (e.g. LH do the same thing and book you in /I/).

As Kiwi Flyer says, have a drink or three, enjoy the flight and at the worst it costs you a postage stamp to sort it out when you get home).

(NB - airline staff often have no clue about FF programmes and usually get overly concerned about people double dipping etc).

Mark

As Kiwi Flyer says, have a drink or three, enjoy the flight and at the worst it costs you a postage stamp to sort it out when you get home).


That's not really the point (although I'm afraid it will take far more than a stamp, probably many emails / phone calls etc as the BP shows 'airpoints nil' and if the points don't get credited to KF I'll have a hard time explaining to them what happened).

Their ignorance ('you don't earn any points when you upgrade a paid ticket') was surprising but hey, they're not airpoints staff. So be it. My point was the appalling attitude of all the staff. Defensive, even agressive, unhelpful and condescending. Shocking.

On a positive note, the flight was good. I did have three drinks (more in fact!): a Feuillatte champagne (I had never had this one and I really like it), Matariki (love this wine), and Mt Difficulty pinot noir ^

Food ranged from acceptable to excellent (especially the mains and one of the desserts). I always love their bread selection and the olive oil they serve with it. Service by one of the two FAs was very good (a French woman) and the other (a younger guy) acceptable, but rather unsmiling. All in all a pretty good flight. ^

Fliar,

Sorry to hear you ran into trouble with the ground staff.

Would you mind PM'ing me with your full name and date of travel, and I'll see if I can sort this out for you without further effort being required on your part.

Glad you enjoyed the flight, however!

Fliar,

Sorry to hear you ran into trouble with the ground staff.

Would you mind PM'ing me with your full name and date of travel, and I'll see if I can sort this out for you without further effort being required on your part.

Glad you enjoyed the flight, however!

airnzboy, that is a very generous offer ^ ^

I'll look up the flight number and PM you in the next day or two. If only all NZ staff were like you :)

Why does this seem familiar? :)

I usually have great things to say about NZ customer service, especially the call centre, but I fondly remember striking a particularly arrogant sod who didn't want to do anything for me. Where was it? The AKL premium checkin area. I think that place needs an enema :p

justakiwi

I had a ran in with the premium desk as well on NZ10 AKL-HNL Dec 10 too.
I had a paid C ticket issued on NZ for AC/NZ and the person did not know her job in trying to tell me I haveonly 2 pieces of luggage for allowance. Business get 1 extra piece and so does *A Gold so I have at least 3 if not 4.

After we got that straightened out that I do get > 2pcs, and she held firm at 3pcs. Since I had been told by AC 4 pcs originally, I had to carrying on a weekend bag which I was planning to check and my computer bag and trying to put a small paper bag of shopping small bits and some papers in checked and carry ons and got it down to 3 checked and 2 carry on.

After the checked went through, she then played weight police and they were 9kgs each and she forced me at 30 mins before the plane leaves to take 4 kgs out of my stuff but I cannot put it in the checked anymore since it already went thorugh. I was getting nervous of missing my flight so end up leaving some water and a nice bottle of Wolf Blass. With this being a paid C YOW-AKL RT in the 5 figures in NZD, I thought it was a bit poorly done since I do not feel like a valued customer at all as Biz class flyer or *A Gold.

Sorry, but J class definitely don't get an extra piece of luggage on NZ; however *G definitely do receive an extra piece.

After the checked went through, she then played weight police and they were 9kgs each and she forced me at 30 mins before the plane leaves to take 4 kgs out of my stuff but I cannot put it in the checked anymore since it already went thorugh. I was getting nervous of missing my flight so end up leaving some water and a nice bottle of Wolf Blass. With this being a paid C YOW-AKL RT in the 5 figures in NZD, I thought it was a bit poorly done since I do not feel like a valued customer at all as Biz class flyer or *A Gold.

Quite frankly that is despicable. - That should not have happened to J class pax; notwithstanding that you shouldn’t expect to feel like a more valued customer solely on the merits of your mere *G membership.

NZ are struggling getting J class pax and that is the treatment they give them; No wonder.

I have my own Baggage police story. Checking for domestic flight on Y2 basis [NZ$360 O/W AKL]; Dropped luggage at the slow bag drop and the Bimbo behind the counter told me that I’d well exceeded my 20kg luggage allowance. Lent over the counter and pointed to the NZ*G KORU FQTV NZ clearly printed on the bp. You should have seen her trying to maintain her Composure.

On a slightly different note, I turned up very early in order to get an emergency exit seat. I was told that these were only allocated to tall passengers. I am 6ft , so I was suprised at her answer. I asked her how tall I had to be as she was not going to issue me with one. She replied , I do not know but its not worth me issuing you a seat for one as if a taller passenger comes along, your seat allocation will be cancelled. I explained that I normally always get one , so whats the problem? She refused to issue me with an emergency exit seat. No one was behind me in the queue as i had purposely arrived very early to get one. I left frustrated and proceeded to chat with her colleague , who promptly re-issued my boarding pass without any fuss at all! Weird huh?

It is this constant ignorance and rude behavior that is becoming more of a culture on Air NZ than any other airline.
It is rather sad and I do think it comes down to the person who puts people in the position in the first place.

Lets face it, customer service is not the place to be if you don't like customer interaction and especially if you don't know company policy or god forbid the policy of the greater Star Alliance. There are people out there who would excel in such a position.

If it wasn’t for Air NZ boy, I would have driven myself mad on my many trips AKL-LAX, its sad to think now that I can't and won't step one foot onboard an Air NZ jet, yet in my heart I feel this need for loyalty, so much contradiction within me.

Simple solution, cull the hiring staff, replace them with bubbly people, people no longer want a posh airline, the days of being lardy dar are far over, its now about ease, retaining custom from loyal customers and indeed trying to win custom from the greater membership pool, aka other airlines within the Alliance.

No longer will the branding of NZ and the hope of loyalty win custom from the world’s people, how on earth do they expect this with such rude and to be frank unknowledgeable front line staff??

Don't get me wrong, there are some of the most fantastic and lovely people working for Air NZ, I know a heap of them and some of them are on here, to those people, never loose your passion or your shine, it brings hope for the future. You really are the true face of Air New Zealand; you are the ones that make trips the special experience they should be.

Until that day where I do not have to fight my way through check-in, nor feel undermined by staff who are simply on a power trip, I will continue to take my business to other operators.

Dave