Quick update on this - I received a note from AirNZ last week:
We have been advised that the new Gold Elite benefits are currently slated for around mid-February assuming there are no IT issues.
Unfortunately no further details about what these changes are, but luckily not too long to wait.
Re the trips - in the end I decided to fly NZ and credit these trips to Airpoints - have the first 4 of 10 booked (although 1 is on SQ as AirNZ were £1000s more expensive that day).
It looks like there's a difference in opinion on where is best to put these miles. I fully understand
Blackcloud and
Kiwi Flyer's views on there being no incentive to credit beyond 2500 (under the present system). I guess it's like all those posts asking "which FF program is best" - depends complete on your travel patterns. I'm more wth
NZ*Trout and
nzatk - for me, all my longhaul leisure travel is on NZ, and will remain that way for a while, and really all I'd like to do is get upgrades for me and my wife. That plus some flexibility on certain rules on occasion has a lot of value. So Airpoints makes more sense for me.
Originally Posted by celle
No sour grapes about loss of op-ups, it's just that lounge privileges used to be more extensive than they are now.
I vaguely remember at one point you didn't need a ticket to access the Koru Clubs, is that right? So some people probably used it as an after work bar, weekend retreat etc. Must have been nice. I think I also remember reading that one member (in Wellington?) was extremely upset by this change, and threatened to sue or something. I'm guessing he was a regular
