Filed a DOT complaint 16th April
DOT "replied" 28th April - it was a semi personalised response indicacting that based on the information provided at the time of the consumer complaint that Air New Zealand was required under DOT rules to provide a full refund.

Air NZ have replied 29th April direct to me, with a forwarded copy of my complaint to DOT and their response where they had authorised a full refund to my TA. Interesting instruction to AIR NZ from DOT

Case # DK__________

Dear Customer Relations Official:

Enclosed is a copy of a complaint that we recently received about your company. Under DOT rules, airlines are required to acknowledge receipt of this complaint to the complainant within 30 days and provide a substantive response to the complainant within 60 days. See 14 CFR 259.7(c). If your company has already received a copy of this complaint directly from the complainant or from another source, those deadlines are calculated from the date that you first received a copy of the complaint.

As this complaint is about an area that appears to fall under one of our rules, please send us a copy of your response(s) to the complainant and include the case number at the top of this communication.

Sincerely,

xxxxxxx xxxxx
U.S. Department of Transportation
Aviation Consumer Protection Division"As this complaint is about an area that appears to fall under one of our rules, please send us a copy of your response(s) to the complainant and include the case number at the top of this communication".