Air New Zealand Air Points - rant, admission of newbie status, lesson for others

This is just a rant really, but might provide enough incentive for someone else to avoid a possible false economy of one-itinerary-two-tickets, or just something to learn from. It's also tacit admission that I don't know anywhere near enough about this game to make it work in my favour when I really need it to. And also that sending the business the way of a Travel Broker instead of just doing it myself was for noble reasons at the time, but ultimately proved foolish.

Route required was NSN-AKL-[lax/sfo/yvr]-DEN-TPA-[a hub to get to YHZ]-YHZ-[a hub to get to lax/sfo/yvr]-[lax/sfo/yvr]-AKL-NSN.

Chosen fare was NSN-AKL-LAX-DEN-[open]-LAX-AKL-NSN on NZ paper and DEN-TPA-YYZ-YHZ-YUL-LAX on a *A airpass on UA paper (because DEN-TPA is on UA metal). Both tickets were issued from a single New Zealand consolidator. Got half the NZ fare (in PE) on the Northern Lights promo, and the usual on-the-face-of-it savings on the airpass.

First problem. The airpass was four sectors on AC following one on UA. However the Ts and Cs meant the first carrier had to issue the ticket, and that it had to be booked in H. This meant that a pair of AC SWUs I scored later are useless to me. I could have booked all the way to TPA on NZ paper, and booked a round trip in the YMU class group with AC. Might have cost me another ... maybe $300, but would have then got the guaranteed upgrades TPA-YYZ and YUL-LAX. DOH!

Second problem. The YUL-LAX AC sector left me with a 125 minute connect to LAX-AKL on NZ, which should have been absolutely no problem whatsoever with both the inbound and outbound being in T2. But then AC announced a schedule change to make the connect 97 minutes, and NZ confirmed I'd be on my own if I missed. Only practical alternative (flights on a Saturday) was to leave YHZ seven hours earlier than planned (i.e. seven hours less with family) and spend a couple of those in a MLL lounge in YUL or YYZ, and the other five in the LAX KC. Took that option, but at least got to modify the LAX-AKL sector from 777 to 747 to improve the PE experience. Cost me $350 in change fees.

Third problem. Had lodged an AP$ upgrade request for the original LAX-AKL sector, but upgrade request didn't automatically follow the CARINA booking reference, and didn't know I could change the request details online. AP$25 to change the upgrade request on the phone.

Fourth problem. US now announce a 30 minute schedule change LAX-DEN, which puts me under the MCT there too. Only real alternative appears to be an extra four hours in LAX, for an arrival in DEN at 11.30pm. That will blow four hours of catch-up time with buddy in DEN. And cost me another $125 in change fees.

Now left wondering at what point I might have, or still could, stop throwing good money after bad. Maybe should just blow the airpass (probably not refundable) and blow the rendevous in DEN (pricelined a hotel there too), and pay for a LAX-TPA one-way on TED. Then book the four AC sectors on AC (probably only full-fares left at this stage) to use the SWUs.

So still ahead in raw dollars, but a long long way behind on the "... if only ..." :(

Maybe I should get a moderator to reset my post count to 1, so I look like the newbie this experience has made me out to be!

Have a good weekend all ...

I think the broader issue here is how far away from any concept of customer service the airline industry can get that it creates these sorts of issues that you got dragged into simply to try and get a reasonable price to travel.

Can you imagine if your local gas station ever came up with the idea of variable pricing according to demand, so the price was lower at 2am and higher at 6pm?

How about paying a variable amount for your TV set according to how many hours a day you watched it and even what programs you watched.

More for a cup of coffee if you are thirsty?

The legacy carriers in trying to compete with the low Cost Carriers are leading the charge of commoditizing their own product and destroying their point of difference and the brand values they have built up! They just don't know it yet!

As the fare rules become more ludicrous (and implemented with more zeal) and frequent traveller programs (now seen as expenses to be minimized rather than recognition of loyalty) get their currencies debased both will become less relevant and airlines will become a straight commodity just like pork bellies. It will eventually only be a matter of price.

The irony is that that they are doing this to themselves! A triumph for bean counters over marketers and a complete loss of common sense!

I wouldn't blame yourself for getting caught up in their madness!

Can you imagine if your local gas station ever came up with the idea of variable pricing according to demand, so the price was lower at 2am and higher at 6pm?

Ever filled up in Sydney?? This is exactly what happens. Not so much hour by hour (although that does sometimes occur), but certainly day by day. The price can be as much as 10-15c higher on some days, usually Friday or Monday when everyone needs to fill up. :mad: And surprise surprise on the cheap days, most pumps seem to be out of order, and getting premium petrol on the cheap days is almost impossible, they claim shortages, but they always seem to have more on Wed or Thurs. Very frustrating. :td:

Back to topic though, I feel for you kiwibigdave, it's just such a minefield out there in airlineland, even for FF's like yourself. Luckily you at least came out ahead on the $$.

It seems that the big carriers are riding a rollercoaster of cutting costs and services, then putting them all back again in order to differentiate themselves once more. Trying to cover all the bases I suppose, but seeming a bit unfocused about it all.

Cheers
TiggerK

Can you imagine if your local gas station ever came up with the idea of variable pricing according to demand, so the price was lower at 2am and higher at 6pm?


I haven't seen this in New Zealand, but this actually IS standard industry practice in Toronto! Gas prices at many stations are often 5 - 10c cheaper if you fill up in the evening (ie 9pm) compared with during the day!

I haven't seen this in New Zealand, but this actually IS standard industry practice in Toronto! Gas prices at many stations are often 5 - 10c cheaper if you fill up in the evening (ie 9pm) compared with during the day!That would be sweet to see here, if the offpeak price was genuinely discounted. Knowing the oil companies, the offpeak price would be the baseline :rolleyes:

justakiwi

A quick comment, as *A fare must be issued in conunction with an international ticket, the two itineraries if booked by a decent travel agent should be on the same PNR or at th very least linked, so that involuntary time changes to meet MCT should be free.

Although that may take some negotiation, but it does justify the need on any complex fare to be backed up by a good travel agent, or a realisation of the risks being taken.

This of course does not get rid of the issue of the inability to use SWU, or lost time due to schedule changes.

Mark

An update now that the trip is over.

After the UA LAX-DEN schedule change noted above I spat the dummy at the travel broker and new flights outside the MCT were rebooked for free. To do this required him to 'take ownership' of the ticketing from the wholesaler, which I thought nothing of, until ...

... taking a bit of a punt that I would be able to make the original flights after all, and making a bit of a mockery of the MCT, I deplaned from NZ, cleared US immigration at T2, walked across the car parks, and cleared departure security at T6, all in about 30 minutes. I then spent nearly an hour at UA customer services, firstly in a slow queue, then while the lady there tried to figure why she didn't have system authority to revert the booking to the original flight even though seats were available and I only was 5m from the departure gate. But she managed it in the end somehow, and I was the last pax aboard the plane.

Then partied for too long in Denver and felt a little sorry for myself the next morning on the DEN-TPA (UA) flight :cool:

A couple of days later I slept TPA-YYZ (AC) so the SWU wouldn't have been any use after all.

And isn't the YYZ domestic MLL the most sterile airport lounge of all time? It was like a library there was so little atmosphere! Heaven forbid someone would have taken a small child in there ...

YYZ-YHZ (AC) was uneventful, though I had pricelined a car at Avis for $15 per day and got an upgrade to a thing called a Chrysler 300M. It was bigger than the apartment I used to live in in London :D

A couple more days later and I was op-up'd YHZ-YYZ (AC), so who needs a SWU? :)

YYZ-LAX (AC) I was in an exit row window seat with an empty seat next to me. So slept most of the flight again, and again felt no remorse at not being able to use a SWU.

Then, making a complete mockery of the MCT again, the YYZ-LAX flight arrived on time at the T2 gate at the bottom of the stairs to the Koru lounge! 2 hours for a connection? Yeah, right. It took maybe 2 minutes.

Then 6 l o n g s l o w hours in the Koru lounge, enlivened by meeting a very charming young couple heading for NZ for a holiday, and also by meeting the one, ... the only, ... drum roll please .... Kiwi Flyer.

Then upgraded from PE to BP on $AP LAX-AKL, and fogged in at AKL for three hours before finally getting back to NSN early afternoon.

All in all just another flights adventure ...

kbd