Beware the code share
 

Wanting to maximise my air points, I booked a recent trip to Bali through Air New Zealand, only to find the Sydney to Bali portion received no air points and no status points because Garuda is not Star Alliance. This is despite the fact that I specifically booked the flights through the Air New Zealand web site.
Air New Zealand see nothing wrong with this practice.:mad:

So, when my husband couldn't book on an Air New Zealand flight to New Caledonia, because it was full, he found he was able to book on exactly the same flight through Air Calin. So, we thought, it is an Air New Zealand flight. My husband rang Air New Zealand to confirm (being Gold Elite) that he would still have access to the lounge and his luggage privileges. Apparently, NO. Even though it is officially an Air New Zealand flight, even though we were unable to book it through the Air New Zealand web site, my husband does not get any air points, status points or frequent flyer status.:mad::mad::mad:

Utterly, utterly ridiculous. Air New Zealand get their cake and by god they eat it too.

"Buyer beware" so the saying goes.

It is well known that Garuda are not part of Star Alliance. Air NZ, like many other airlines, offer interline fares which involve carriers which may not necessarily be part of their own frequent flyer scheme. For example, AKL-NZ-HKG-CX-LHR is a common route to London offered on the Air NZ website. However, you do not earn any points for HKG-LHR as the flight is operated by CX.

As for the second issue to New Caledonia, Air New Zealand has an air share agreement with Air Calin (where Air NZ buy a block of seats and market them under the NZ flight number). Air NZ are very clear on their website that in order to earn Airpoints and have lounge access etc, you must be booked under the Air NZ flight number. Also, no Status Points can be earned even if the flight is booked on the Air NZ flight number. The reason why the flight didn't show on the Air NZ website is most likely that they had already sold the block of seats that they had be allocated.

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/co-o...tners-aircalin

A complete non-issue here I'm afraid...

I struggle to find any sympathy for people who don't take the time to research properly and then blame it on others when things don't work out the way they think it should (ie their way).

^

I think a number of flyers get caught out not just on Air NZ but on many other airlines also. If it's not an Air NZ plane with an Air NZ number then I would double check the rules around lounge access, earning APD and SP. There are lots of codeshares these days and if you want to earn and enjoy your benefits YOU need to make sure it's booked correctly. You'll eventually get a feel for how the system works.

Airlines sometimes make favourable mistakes also. My partner and I had the Air Calin plane to NC yet received APD and SP. I was only expecting APD. I also overheard an NZ Elite member booked the same Air Calin plane through another carrier and was declined NZ lounge access.

Even now if I'm not sure on expected earnings I look it up - still get it wrong occasionally thanks to the fine print (or my only glancing at it).

Caveat Emptor
 

Even on Star Alliance carriers, the APD and SP earn are heavily penalised, you might as well fly One World if earn is important.

On a recent search, I discovered that a business fare on Turkish (*A) would only earn on NZ, a paltry economy's worth of penalised NZ partner APD and SP.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-n...hort-gold.html

In another thread here, sometimes none even if on *A.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21893101-post2.html

*A earn rate between code share partners are often lower than flying with the same carrier earning the points. There are few gems in between which are exceptions like YVR or LH based on booking class and fare basis.

First post on here, hello all :-)

J on the AKL - YVR - LHR ANZ codeshare gets a metric ****-ton of points (IIRC about 850 status points when I flew it).

On the upside, the AC Dreamliner leg from YVR to LHR was very pleasant (big screen, good food, attentive staff and funky seat, although not as comfy as the AirNZ bed), and clearing Canadian security in transit at YVR is a million times nicer than battling through TBIT at LAX.

On the downside, the AC YVR international lounge has no showers and is basically an NZ regional lounge with more maple leaves, and my bag was mislaid in transit to LHR....

I quite enjoyed the super long night flight from AKL on NZ24, which is pleasant enough sleeping at the front end of the plane, followed by the shorter YVR to LHR leg in a new environment. But the lack of luggage on arrival in LHR has put me off doing it again in a hurry.

cheers

b

At the time of booking your flights SP and APD earn is made very clear.

Just because something is booked on a NZ ticket does not mean an you should expect points earn or lounge access. Anybody who had that expectation should really spend time researching before booking flights.

This is a very optimistic view but I would hazard a guess that very, very few people outside of this community would actually know what a code share is or any of the intricacies of the kind described in the OP.

For what its worth, however, NZ does in-fact say that the in-flight experience may be different when booking with a partner airline but what that means in real terms is not described at all when making that same booking.

While I agree on the first part, SP / APD earn is very visible when making your booking, I would strongly disagree that it would be common knowledge that flying a partner airline when booking via. Air NZ's website would disallow someone from having lounge access. It's just not clear when booking and even then the difference between having an NZ operated vs. NZ shared service is literally a click away.

I think quite a few people here are missing the fact that the OP booked directly on the Air Calin website. This means that no AP/SP earn will show.

I cant even get Bali to show up as a destination on the NZ website.....

Firstly NZ and GA do not codeshare. The flight to DPS was merely an interline so there should be no confusion there.

Re Aircalin, I am a bit confused. Did OP book an SB coded flight operated by NZ? If that was the case, he would have had a NZ issued boarding pass and the lounge staff would have had no reason not to grant him entry. Also I would expect APD/SP earn as well given it was NZ metal.

I have even less sympathy given that the OP has been commuting to Noumea for the last three years, according to their post history.