Elite rebooking
 

I just paid US$600 to move a non-flexible fare by a week and it occurred to me that a really nice thing that NZ could do for Elite members is offer once-in-awhile courtesy waivers for change fees. My work doesn't have an unlimited travel budget so I book my flights carefully and rarely change them unless there's a real need to do so (as there was this time around).

It would be nice if on the rare occasions when I need to do this, NZ could just charge the fare difference rather than all the extra fees on top of them. I'd take this over a short-haul RU (I've never used mine) or the parking vouchers which in total are probably worth more than one round of change fees. Just a thought in case anyone on the Airpoints team reads these forums.

Will never happen, Air NZ are very much fee driven and currently revenue focused since yields are down and forward bookings are lighter than normal.

They just assume FF Elites for granted business and see no reason to offer any savings when they know we have little other option.

Becareful of any changes or "enhancements" that Air NZ does, it is always in there favour...

That could be said of every airline. Loyalty programs have never been about the passengers. It's about the company.

Recently, on a trip from SYD- AKL, I decided to change to a later flight. I was originally booked on an A321neo - Works Deluxe
The check in staff made a phone call and moved me (free of charge) to PE on the last flight out of SYD which was a 777 - it was wide open in both PE and J.

I did enquire about change fees and the very friendly check in agent replied she waived the change fee as a gesture of good will.
So I did not end up paying anything for moving flights and I was extremely chuffed about that :) And cos I felt silly, I used 150 APD to move up to J on that flight but was charged 30 APD on top as service fee since I did it at the counter.
Good result overall.