macdo

Got a market survey quiz. Had to laugh, one question asked me to rate the ease of earning and spending airpoints. I think there are two questions there.....

cavemanzk

hmmm do they think they are going to get some happy replys?

I just looked at one of my AKL-MEL bookings coming up, I get an massive 1APD and 7SP. Yet on an $99 VA flight from SYD-BNK I got 6APD.

Admittedly my AKL-MEL fare was only $188 seat only, yet under the old system I still got more on an $129 fare.

Even if you take the earn rate on the new WestPac Plat Card, I would get 2.50APD from the card earn!

dadig

Their not-so-revenue based system is shafting travellers who book the miles (distance) versus [insert their system here]. I could waste my entire life in the air on short 1hr domestic trips which are cheaper yet earn higher SP, and would clock no where near the amount of distance/cost.

In my view, their booking rewards system is severely broken. You could pay for a more expensive tier far with checked in luggage and is possible to earn less SP for a cheaper carry on fare, which makes it not truly revenue based. Other times you'd pay the same amount but end up with different amounts of AP and SP (Same leg , same day)

sbiddle

SP accrual is based on aircraft type, destination, and price. It's not truly a spend based system. If earn was related to spend you could argue it'd be fair, but while you can earn 50% more flights buying a $600 airfare then a $1200 domestic airfare the system is broken.

Xiaotung

We are seeing some fares earning more APD than SP and some others more SP than APD. There is no balance between APD and SP. I wonder what their explanations would be for this.

I just think the current earn approach is just a stupid and lazy solution for those in charge. We might as well say earning rates are based on the manager's mood.

Earning rates are also now so pathetic to a degree that it's not important what they are based on.

NZbutterfly

I'm not even going to pretend I know how the system works but the aircraft type? This surprises me.

I had to have a look and found 3rd April Akl to Sydney on an A320 and 763 both for $607 with an earn of 11 APD and 54 SP. A couple of other dates with same same price but different aircraft had the same earn rates. Domestically when I looked the prices weren't the same on the different aircraft but if there was a difference of $20 or so there would be maybe a difference of 1 APD or SP which I presumed was due to price?

I don't understand how the aircraft type could influence the earn?

I think the airpoints question above was worded like that so even if you thought the earn rate wasn't that great, maybe the rating would be improved by what you thought of the spend rate??

brenrox

Meanwhile, on myairnz.co.nz the simple act of registering for Youshop nets you 10APD

sbiddle

With intl, no. Domestic, yes.

Book a full price flexi from Auckland to Wellington tomorrow and you'll get 66SP for $763

Book a full flexi on a B1900 from Whangarei to Wellington return tomorrow and you'll get 41SP for $806

NZbutterfly

Good grief, for those prices I'd rather keep my money and hitch hike!!

I'm now having vague memories of a post mentioning the B1900 was a bit more costly to run.

On a whangarei route they can give you diddly squat as there is no competition whereas Akl-Wlg they'll need to adjust for jetstar a bit...just a small bit.

DomesticGoddess

To be fair to NZ for a moment, those are cherry-picked fares (ie highest of the day).

So while you could pay up to $698 for the most expensive fares on Monday the 30th, you could also pay $109 each way. Which I don't consider astronomically high for a fare booked within a few hours.

sbiddle

I cherry picked those fares to demonstrate the inconsistencies in SP earn for different routes and spend, not to comment on fare prices. There were far cheaper flight options available for both destinations.

NZbutterfly

Yes I've noticed the variations in pricing and accept that prices generally go up closer to your dates. $109 is definitely more palatable though.

On joining FT I was really floored to discover that people jumped on planes to do mileage runs and not for the primary purpose of getting from A to B. I understand there are benefits to flying but that the benefits themselves CAUSE people to spend money to fly?? That was a real eye opener. I can see why airlines invest a bit of time into researching it!

Craig Whitmore

Yes people take flights just to get their Status Points.. (like me)

I need at the moment a few points to get to Elite so at the end of next month I will be taking a flight to AU to get the SP needed. It just happens its the same weekend that the Apple Watch releases so I'll be getting one in Sydney.

If I don't take the flight my old SP will expire and it'll take me even more flights to get to Elite and I'll stay on Gold and Gold will expire at the end of the year.. Going to Elite means I will get another year in Lounges

NZ_Flyer

I'm doing some intra-Europe flights on A3 later this year. For example, a discount economy flight JMK-ATH-LHR which cost me NZD$115 will earn me 17APD and 40 SP's. If I spend the same doing an AKL-WLG one way I'd earn a lot less of both.

On the other hand, fly full fare J on a Star Alliance carrier and you earn peanuts compared to full fare J on NZ of equivalent cost and distance. It literally makes no sense, if you are going to make partner earning less than NZ earning at least make it consistent.