walshmi

My Air NZ informant has told me that space+ is getting the chop on both TT and Domestic. No word on what benefits Golds and Elites will get yet.

oranjemakker

And I think the fact they have not informed frequent flyers in any way makes quite a strong statement that they don't care what we might think.

I go back to my earlier comment that they way they have announced this leaves a lot to be desired. The reaction from people on this board is surely quite predictable and they should have had a plan in place to proactively address them. Don't they have a team in customer service that is dedicated to the premium pax?

I think that if they had say simultaneously emailed Gold and Gold Elites and explained how this will or will not affect them, they could have calmed a lot of the comments we are seeing here.

Its not so much about what they are doing but about how they are communicating/ positioning it. Why not an email saying:


"Dear Oranjemakker:
Today we are announcing some exciting changes to our trans tasman offering (etc .etc.)

As one of our loyal customers, we want to assure you that while we will no longer be offering business class from your homebase of Christchurch, we have put in place some excellent benefits for our Gold Elite members to ensure they still have a seamless airport and travel experience. You will (explain benefits here) and we are confident we will still be offering the best option across the tasman for our regular customers.

of course we want to hear from you. please let us know your thoughts etc. etc."

Even if they don't really care what i think, at least make me think they do! Now i just feel in the dark and am planning to fly on Emirates.

Is a bit of spin too much too ask for?

lokijuh

Interesting that this offer seems to be pitching Air NZ not quite at the Jetstar level, but certainly pretty close to Pacific Blue (who, IIRC are extending/have extended the Virgin Blue Premium Economy concept to Pacific Blue as well). If they want to be competitive with those, one would expect as a minimum elites should get free luggage regardless of fare paid (as they do on the DJ group), but one would expect more than just that, if NZ value loyalty.

MrSydney

I agree with all the posts here. There seems to be utter confusion for all of us G and GE.

Pity NZ did not have the foresight to send us out an email with a FAQ.

Surely in the numerous planning sessions at NZ issues we have raised should have been nutted out?

I would be just livid to buy a J class fare to LA via AKL and step aboard a A320 only to get a Y seat with Y service.

I had similar dramas when PE first started and the TT sectors were in Y. They rectified that by introducing Space +.^

oranjemakker

Does anyone know if Air NZ monitor this forum at all? Will someone there pick up on this frustration and pass it onto the to right people?

MrSydney

If they don't, let's hope someone passes on our real concerns.

wayoutwest

Do you really think they will care about the comments here?
They dumbed down Airpoints, currently advertising to dumb down lounge access and now telling the world they will be dumbing down their flights.
C'mon Rob, why should we use you in the future? You are stripping the airline down to (dare I say) Kiwiair, to go with Kiwirail and Kiwibank.

anat0l

They did win some award last year. Actually, quite a few. They're doing something right. Perhaps?

cavemanzk

I think they do, ive had a phone call from NZ after making a post on here once!

I rang NZ today, to ask what happens if I buy a smart saver today & was told I would be treated as if I was a "The Works" passenger.

Leumas

I don't have in-depth knowledge of NZ's product, but to me it just seems:

Works Deluxe = Business class without the seat
The Works = Economy as it is currently
The rest = LCC model

Fare classes wise, it won't need many changes, it's pretty much all spin.

Mileage earning wise, I guess you may earn a little on the Works and something meaningful with Works Deluxe.

I guess it's still a little early to tell, especially without knowing the fares/prices. I just seem to think it's essentially the same product but given a new name, and they call it innovation...?

I'm surprised they can't sustain a business class ex-WLG though. Unless QF upgrades a lot of ppl, J is full a lot of the times with QF... I don't know what class the government type flies, but I thought there'll be some business from the government...?

Rebound

My last 4 flights out of WLG to AUS had 4 J pax each time, why not just reduce the J cabin to 4 seats from 8?

serfty

Quite simple - NZ newspapers get a lot of advertising revenue from AirNZ.

None of them want to be the first to put this news to the forefront.

ZK-BEU

A lot of Govt Depts and businesses SOEs etc have a policy of paying for J only if the flight is over 8 or 9 hours so all TT travel is in Y.

ZK-BEU

futaris

If I'm a Star Alliance Gold member and I book the Seat option, will I still get an extra 20kg allowance (on top of the 7kg carryon)?

Are there any other Star Alliance fares/flights that don't include luggage?

anat0l

Well UA do charge for checked bags on their US/Canada flights, however *S and *G are exempt from the fees.

You would hope the same will hold for *G for the NZ Trans-Tasman services. *S may not be so fortunate.

Also, with the new fare points coming in, checked baggage appears to be going with the piece concept rather than the weight concept. So strictly speaking (and I'm unsure what the *G rules are), you should be entitled to a free single piece weighing no more than 23 kg (either as the only baggage on a Seat fare and as additional baggage on a Seat+Bag or higher fare).