Nadya

Hello All,

I'm a PhD researcher in New Zealand. For the purpose of my research i need to study people travel experiences with Air New Zealand.I would like the members to share their travel experiences and tell stories of their good or bad experiences of traveling by Air New Zealand and what values them to travel by this airline?

I would appreciate maximum responses from this flyertalk forum.I shall be very thankful.

Regards,
Nadya

Placebogirl

Hi Nadya

I would be willing to share my experiences with you if you can provide a few more details (and as a fellow researcher, I would suggest it is a good idea to provide these details when recruiting research participants anyway):

* What institution and department is your PhD with
* What is the time commintment for participating in your study
* What are the restrictions on participants: do you only want people who have travelled with Air NZ in the past month? Year? Who live in NZ? FFP members?
* What ethical review process, if any, has your study been through?
* What happens to responses? Is there a way to find out the results of the study?

If you can answer these things, I may be able to participate, and you might find others more willing to consider it as well.

Wan1dap

Nadya this approach will get you zero response. It's completely unprofessional, as Placebogirl was trying to point out, more subtly than me. There's plenty of information available in this thread, so I'd start by reading it thoroughly. Or does that seem like too much hard work? Of course it does, you're a student. Silly me.

Gasfoodlodging

Hang on...that seems a bit rough.

I'd say (beyond the finer details ala Placebogirl above), this is probably not a bad start/ introduction. Surely a PM to Nadya would kick things off for those willing to take this further.

Nadya, you may find more sceptical (or truthful?) responses to your request on this forum...the forum does have a tendency to focus on the HVC and others seeking to maximise their value from Airpoints and so forth, rather than nice woolly or even critical travel blog-like posts.

FT is often the source of frustration and a need to vent while seeking group solutions or understanding. Nothing like a good whinge. And yes, I am certainly guilty of that myself. Good luck.

And hey, what's up with the beating on students wan1dap?? I appreciate that everyone on FT is entitled to their opinion, but that's just plain ignorant.

brenrox

I have to agree with the posters above. As a fellow academic and researcher I am very keen to help as I know the troubles of findings sufficient participants, but you have to go about it the correct way; there are pretty strict (ethical) guidelines (in NZ anyways) and many have not been followed here. A link to a participant information sheet (PIS) would be a start and would/should address many of the legitimate issues Placebogirl raised.

From experience, in terms of recruitment, that little bit extra effort will definatly go a long way

pbl22

While Wan1dap exhibited little tact in his response, I tend to agree with him. If you want to learn an incredible amount about flying experiences, there are thousands of pages on FT's NZ forum or the Trip Reports forum to research.

I have spent hours trawling through some of them to acquire what I consider to be a significant amount of knowledge about the flying experience on NZ and other airlines. I would have about one-tenth (or less) of the amount of spare time that a student has.

The OP hasn't helped themselves by also posting the same post on (what is currently) the very next thread (about One-Up success).

jeffrocowboy

There are too many academic researchers here - shouldn't we be busy writing for publication?

Anyhow, as stated this approach for people to be involved in the research is not in compliance with NZ university requirements and they do need to be addressed.

The use of information even if "in the public domain" for research is not necessarily straight forward - so ethical review is needed.

It is disappointing to have to be pointing this out to a PhD student.

Wan1dap

Exactly. The are some PC people here who have called my response "a bit rough". I was kind. If I or any of my staff tried to gain information at work on any subject and approached it in this way, I'd be on the street in no time (although Kiwi employment law is so PC it would take them at least two years and a court battle to achieve it.) I might be bit grumpy because I'm in the middle of a five-day AKL-SIN-HKG-MNL-SIN-AKL trip, but the unprofessional and bloody lazy approach taken by the OP p* ssed me off.

bce1

I completely agree with Wan1dap. As a science researcher this sort lazy research pains me!! But in fairness to the OP some sociological researchers (being generous here) actually encourage this sort of data collection. And I was asked to examine a PhD last year using in part, methodology like this. And I was told this was perfectly acceptable within the school being examined!!! Sadly all graduate research isn't created equal.

wayoutwest

Not being a suspicious one I do have to wonder at the timing of this new poster to FT. Only days ago we were informed that the last person from NZ to come on here has now left for Rotorua. Now we suddenly get someone who jumps in wanting stories about NZ experiences.
Now call me a conspiracy follower, but given the apparent number of breaches of research protocol, who now have we got from NZ online?
We seem to have been able to pick then in the past and really have to wonder if this is not just another incompetent (as usual) idea of someone in NZ trying to get feedback and pick and choose the stories.
Sorry if you are real but given previous posts and NZ incompetence, think they stuffed up again

pbl22

I don't imagine we'll be hearing from the OP again.

Xiaotung

One suggestion to the OP. Go to Air New Zealand's Facebook page and check out people's comments and you will get tons of stories.

Saxphile

It is amazing how many academics are on this forum. I guess the highflying business types just pay full C/J fares and not waste time complaining about AirNZ online.

As for the OP, I am much more concerned with the inherent biases of her data collection method than not following procedures or ethical guidelines. I guess this explains why sociological research often produce contradictory outcomes. At least she did try to maximize her N though.

pbl22

You would assume that FT was only one of her many available avenues of research.

Saxphile

All you need is an extreme outlier source of information to skew the study, especially if she mixes and anonymize the data from FT and other sources in her analysis and therefore cannot isolate the sampling effect.

Having multiple sources isn't a bulletproof way to ensure a valid study. Important, yes, but not enough.