Air New Zealand Air Points - Have to cancel non-refundable ticket

We were to leave for NZ today from San Francisco, but had to cancel last minute due to being sick. I have two flights within NZ booked that we will now not be able to take. The booking was on a non-refundable airfare. Is there any way to get some of the money back? Or is there a way to get credit that I can then give to someone else who lives in NZ?

Cheers,
Christian

I think that, unfortunately, the answer to both questions is...no. :(

The only option given for the Smart saver fares (which is the type I presume you mean) seems to be to change to another flight - paying change fees and fare differences...

Per the rules, nonrefundable tickets are just that, no refunds whatsoever. However, if you were legitimately too sick to fly and have a doctor's note, perhaps a sympathetic agent may be able to help you get some credit vouchers on a future flight minus a penalty. This is not from personal experience, but I have heard other carriers done this. Good luck.

LAX

And if that fails, my understanding is that any taxes /surcharges /fees on top of the ticket price would be refundable, although others may be able to shed more light on this.

Good luck.

And if that fails, my understanding is that any taxes /surcharges /fees on top of the ticket price would be refundable, although others may be able to shed more light on this.

Good luck.

There has be alot of debate on weather you should get your taxes back over the last few year. Personaily i dont think taxes and surchages should be refuned becase its all in the end being sold as non-refundable.

There has be alot of debate on weather you should get your taxes back over the last few year. Personaily i dont think taxes and surchages should be refuned becase its all in the end being sold as non-refundable.

The taxes are airport usage fees. If you don't take the flight, why should you pay for using airport facilities?
The air transportation is being sold as non-refundable, but that doesn't mean taxes are also non-refundable.

As far as I know you can't refund non-refundable tickets however the best thing to do would be to file a claim with your travel insurance company. Cancellation of your holiday due to unforseen circumstances (sickness in this case) is standard in almost every policy and you should receive a full refund less any excess that applies to your policy

If you want to claim on your travel insurance, make sure you have a medical certificate to say you were too sick to fly ... talking from (expensive) experience here.

The taxes are airport usage fees. If you don't take the flight, why should you pay for using airport facilities?
The air transportation is being sold as non-refundable, but that doesn't mean taxes are also non-refundable.

Though its like going to a shop that has a no refund policy and saying i dont want this anymore can i have my gst back

Though its like going to a shop that has a no refund policy and saying i dont want this anymore can i have my gst back not really , GST is a sales tax and the sales transaction it is based on has not been cancelled - in theory the ticketable taxes are (for the most part ) not directly related to the fare - they are for using various facilities and services associated with the actual journey that is no longer being made so should be refundable in principle . In any event , if the OP has had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances his first call should be to his travel insurance issuer to see what is covered

I don't think the analagy is all there...

GST is % based on sale price. Taxes on flight tickets are fixed amounts for various "services". (AFAIK)

Not using a non-refundable ticket is not the same as returning used goods.
If you advise airline with sufficient notice then they can resell that seat and charge taxes again. Begs the question though as to what would be sufficient notice in order to gain a refund of taxes?

So while collection of airport taxes with is certainly convenient for passengers it is also a means of revenue protection for airports and/or airlines. Who gets to keep the various taxes from an unused non-refundable ticket? Airline, airport or security services?

Whereas current status in NZ (until July for AKL international flights), if you don't fly you don't have to pay the airport tax. I prefer the current system as it's more transparent to the consumer even it is a pain to line up to pay for the "tax".

All very well, the bulk of "taxes/surcharges" are in fact not taxes, nor are they airport charges. The vast bulk are usually "fuel surcharges" (not sure if that is the case for flights on NZ ex-US). However this begs the question should they be refundable? I reckon they should given that you will not be flying, therefore the carrier will not have expend fuel to carry you and your luggage. I have been successful on QF refunding fuel fines on a non refundable ticket, but that's not NZ.

But it sounds like the best option for you (if you don't have travel insurance) would be to try and pick another date for the trip and pay the fees to move your flights, as per trooper's post.

I have never been able to get my money refunded, nor get a name changed.

I have been able to get a credit voucher that was good for one year from the date of when the ticket was booked (not sure why it wasn't date of travel) that I could then use to go elsewhere within that timeframe.

No way you'll get GST back - tax law prohibits that.

So while collection of airport taxes with is certainly convenient for passengers it is also a means of revenue protection for airports and/or airlines. Who gets to keep the various taxes from an unused non-refundable ticket? Airline, airport or security services?

The airline. They collect all the taxes and then pay the relevant other party based on number of passengers actually flown, weight of a/c, etc.

I have been able to get a credit voucher that was good for one year from the date of when the ticket was booked (not sure why it wasn't date of travel) that I could then use to go elsewhere within that timeframe.

Because the original ticket has validity for only 1 year from date of issuance. If the credit was given a longer validity period the airline would be encouraging people to book tickets they weren't going to use this year to get a credit good for next year when prices are higher.

Because the original ticket has validity for only 1 year from date of issuance. If the credit was given a longer validity period the airline would be encouraging people to book tickets they weren't going to use this year to get a credit good for next year when prices are higher.But if it's a cash (or cash equivalent) credit note, how does holding that credit for more than a year help? $200 is still worth $200 if the ticket prices have increased to $300.