Service or more lack of service on NZ
 

Has anyone else felt that NZ’s service in the past 12months on the Tasman has gone below average?

Sitting in NZ734 BNE-AKL tonight, and it’s taken them over 90 minutes to start the meal service. Boarding was average with crew just chatting to each other and not helping getting people into there seats so we can push back.

Maybe because I paid $400 for the Works on this flight it feels worse, NZ is starting to feel allot more like an budget airline every time I fly with them recently.

They always feel better than Virgin but feel worse than Qantas trans tasman. Completely opposite long haul with it being Virgin > Air NZ > Qantas, with evetyone leaps and abounds what I experience on ANY domestic USA flight.

AA Business class service ex Auckland was way better on the weekend compared to AirNZ on the same route.
Really no reason to choose AirNZ now with the dated business class hard product, slow on board service, and poor frequent flyer programme (on earn and burn).

Gosh I don't remember the last time I saw NZ crew helping passengers to their seats on economy? Then they have the gall to make a PA announcement that everyone should hurry up as it's a full flight and to sit down asap, oh and also to then stand up & close the overhead bin doors to help the FAs. That last bit really gets me. It's not an Intercity bus.

Is there room in economy to help people get seated? Last thing you want is someone else trying to get up and down the aisle.
Also cabin crew aren't meant putting bags in the overhead anyway.
Also trans Tasman is a bus service.
I thought they normally said close the bin when its full, I haven't heard them say get up and close. People should be doing that anyway, normal way of doing things.

I have found Air NZ service over the last 18 months has gone from great to perfunctory.
This is on YVR/LAX-AKL and VV routes.

Bolded part sums it all up really.

People need help finding their seats? Or closing a bin?

I’ve noticed the service being quite underwhelming this past year too (on mostly long haul routes from SF and LAX) — I wonder why the big drop of late after being fairly consistent for so many years?

NZ staff used to have a knack for always making one feel welcome and that one matter's to them. This ability was unique when compared to any other airline I have flown. They have lost this for the most part, with a few exceptions.
Like many or most businesses, at the end of the day they are in the customer service business that happens to involve transportation. The impression your customer leaves with is so important.

Other airlines seem to be able to do it fine on an A320/321 without any major issues, I've been on Air Asia new A321NEO which hosts 231 Y seats the crew assisting any passenger stoppages in the aisle and boarding it an 1/3 of the time that it takes NZ.

On NZ it just seems that there is no care any more e.g. someone stopped in the aisle for a couple of minutes blocking it while they sorted there stuff, the crew did nothing just stod by the mid lav talking to each other.

I find the boarding of the 321 seems to take forever: more pax heading down a longer tube. At least you don't get bashed as much on them as they have a bulkhead on the 321's instead of the domestic 320's.
What gets me is the cr*ppy meal they serve for about $100 more. Absolutely no meal envy from my fellow Seat-only passengers. If they could make it more doll's house in portion I'm sure they could.
Cockpit crew get meals served first and reading Koru magazine they now get healthy meal choices - we get beef cheeks, lemon chicken or a salad month after month.

I really only buy Works for extra SCs these days and don’t bother with the meal. I gave mine to the children the other night to NAN and even they didn’t want it😀. I have always preferred to eat meals on the ground so now graze in the lounge and eat at my destination. I always sit in a C seat and have 2 peeves:

1. being bashed by pax and their numerous shoulder bags
2. pax (and crew) who feel the only way to navigate down a one way path is to hold every seat, and thereby depress my head rest....grrr

I get the meal is overpriced and not good but its not $100 more, fairly certain Works is $40 more.

Peak flight CHC-MEL was $100 last week, plus another $140 for Works de luxe.