Gotta Requalify
Sep 23, 08, 8:51 pm
I have to say at the start, that I think the Air NZ call centre is really great. Every time I call them, I get what I want with generally a minimum of fuss.
And this is just the 13 24 76 number that anyone can call.
I have a subscription to Expert Flyer and even though I have no trips planned from June to December (sob) [but as I flew 200K Kms in the first 6 months, so it is good to be home.]
I use Expert Flyer to monitor my holiday booked at the end of the year to the US, as Air NZ have changed every single flight booked and I almost never got notified. I have also booked a flight to Nelson for Easter next year going via Wellington, and checking the web site, I noticed my flight MEL-WLG no longer existed and I couldn't get via WLG or CHC to Nelson without needing a night's accommodation. So the only option for a straight through flight was the 777 via Auckland.
I used my Gold Elite vouchers for upgrades to Business, as well as points for a third person on the A320 to Wellington, and this is some of the excellent service that the call centre had provided in the past. In the last 10 days I have dropped back to Gold Level.
I rang yesterday and said I had noticed my flight no longer existed and what were my options. I was told I could book the later flight via Wellington (which would require a nights accommodation at my cost) or get my money back. As she was talking, the line disconnected so I had to ring back and explain the whole thing again.
The next agent said the only option was going via Auckland, but as the fare classes weren’t available, she would rebook me in economy class and refund the upgrade vouchers and points and I would need to re-request the upgrades and get them confirmed 3 days before the flight.
I wasn’t happy with this, as if the upgrade vouchers were refunded, I would loose them as my membership year had changed. And why should when I had confirmed business class flights, should I not be made whole as they changed their flights. She started the line that flight changes were needed due to commercial reasons, I said I accept that, but I had confirmed business class flights.
She said that she would need to talk to her supervisor and would ring me back. Yeah I know what UA members might be thinking, but like I said at the start, I think the call centre is great and they have ALWAYS rung back if they say they would.
So she rings back and said she was going to rebook me in economy class (I know as a Gold, I would get PE sorry space plus, which would be better than the business seats on the A320, but I would loose the upgrade vouchers which I could have used for the return journey. Plus the seats were booked when I was a gold elite – which tells me I get confirmed straight away.) However, they would tag my booking with the vouchers so I wouldn’t loose them. This I didn’t believe, as the when I rang back in the future all the next agent had to say is “she was wrong” and I would have lost them for good.
So I pushed back and said it isn’t acceptable – I was confirmed in business, Air NZ changed the schedule, not me and why can’t I be made whole. So after some too’ing and fro’ing, she talked to her supervisor again and said they would release some seats and get my party booked into business.
She finished the call with – its not going to be quick so they would do it off-line and then send me an updated itinerary.
I watched my Airpoints account activity and saw the credit and reuse of the upgrades and points (very useful that it is real time so you can watch the agents what they are doing) and saw via Expertflyer that the seat requests were booked. But never got the e-mail with the revised details. Rang this morning and got confirmed that everything is okay.
So big thumbs up for getting the problem fixed in the end and making me whole. Wasn’t good that I had to push to get a solution that was caused by them.
Overall, I still think the call centre is a great asset to Air NZ, they follow through, they call back, they are pleasant on the phone – even when I was saying that option isn’t good, as I am worse off. They generally offer and find solutions to problems. If there are any reasons why I can’t do what I need to on-line, they wave the fee for calling them.
So the lesson is - keep pushing for an acceptable solution as often it will work out right in the end.
One other gripe – the on-line ability for picking seats, for a party of 3 when it is 2+2 cabin, eg. Business on the A320 or the Dash 8, doesn’t allow you to pick a seat across the aisle. It always picks two seats and one in front or behind the others – but it is new so I am sure they will fix that.
And this is just the 13 24 76 number that anyone can call.
I have a subscription to Expert Flyer and even though I have no trips planned from June to December (sob) [but as I flew 200K Kms in the first 6 months, so it is good to be home.]
I use Expert Flyer to monitor my holiday booked at the end of the year to the US, as Air NZ have changed every single flight booked and I almost never got notified. I have also booked a flight to Nelson for Easter next year going via Wellington, and checking the web site, I noticed my flight MEL-WLG no longer existed and I couldn't get via WLG or CHC to Nelson without needing a night's accommodation. So the only option for a straight through flight was the 777 via Auckland.
I used my Gold Elite vouchers for upgrades to Business, as well as points for a third person on the A320 to Wellington, and this is some of the excellent service that the call centre had provided in the past. In the last 10 days I have dropped back to Gold Level.
I rang yesterday and said I had noticed my flight no longer existed and what were my options. I was told I could book the later flight via Wellington (which would require a nights accommodation at my cost) or get my money back. As she was talking, the line disconnected so I had to ring back and explain the whole thing again.
The next agent said the only option was going via Auckland, but as the fare classes weren’t available, she would rebook me in economy class and refund the upgrade vouchers and points and I would need to re-request the upgrades and get them confirmed 3 days before the flight.
I wasn’t happy with this, as if the upgrade vouchers were refunded, I would loose them as my membership year had changed. And why should when I had confirmed business class flights, should I not be made whole as they changed their flights. She started the line that flight changes were needed due to commercial reasons, I said I accept that, but I had confirmed business class flights.
She said that she would need to talk to her supervisor and would ring me back. Yeah I know what UA members might be thinking, but like I said at the start, I think the call centre is great and they have ALWAYS rung back if they say they would.
So she rings back and said she was going to rebook me in economy class (I know as a Gold, I would get PE sorry space plus, which would be better than the business seats on the A320, but I would loose the upgrade vouchers which I could have used for the return journey. Plus the seats were booked when I was a gold elite – which tells me I get confirmed straight away.) However, they would tag my booking with the vouchers so I wouldn’t loose them. This I didn’t believe, as the when I rang back in the future all the next agent had to say is “she was wrong” and I would have lost them for good.
So I pushed back and said it isn’t acceptable – I was confirmed in business, Air NZ changed the schedule, not me and why can’t I be made whole. So after some too’ing and fro’ing, she talked to her supervisor again and said they would release some seats and get my party booked into business.
She finished the call with – its not going to be quick so they would do it off-line and then send me an updated itinerary.
I watched my Airpoints account activity and saw the credit and reuse of the upgrades and points (very useful that it is real time so you can watch the agents what they are doing) and saw via Expertflyer that the seat requests were booked. But never got the e-mail with the revised details. Rang this morning and got confirmed that everything is okay.
So big thumbs up for getting the problem fixed in the end and making me whole. Wasn’t good that I had to push to get a solution that was caused by them.
Overall, I still think the call centre is a great asset to Air NZ, they follow through, they call back, they are pleasant on the phone – even when I was saying that option isn’t good, as I am worse off. They generally offer and find solutions to problems. If there are any reasons why I can’t do what I need to on-line, they wave the fee for calling them.
So the lesson is - keep pushing for an acceptable solution as often it will work out right in the end.
One other gripe – the on-line ability for picking seats, for a party of 3 when it is 2+2 cabin, eg. Business on the A320 or the Dash 8, doesn’t allow you to pick a seat across the aisle. It always picks two seats and one in front or behind the others – but it is new so I am sure they will fix that.