dannews

Hi there, I'm a journalist so I'll say that up front, but I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on the recognition upgrades being excluded from the extension. Do you think this is fair and have similar decisions been made with other airlines.
If you are okay with your rely being used as an anonymous quote in a story, then please mention this in your comment. Regardless, am keen to know what the community thinks!

It won't let me post a URL, but the story is at Newshub.co.nz forward slash travel

nzjay

I'm totally fine with it - I understand that I wouldn't have travelled this year anyway, and see it more of a pause rather than an extension. Very happy with Air NZ extending for another year and look forward to flying again soon.

You can quote me how you like.

Xiaotung

1. Most airlines don't offer free upgrades nowadays.
2. The extended status year will come with new upgrades. They could always extend your existing upgrades by another 12 momths but now give out new ones for the extended year, which would work out the same.
3. If you book your flight well into the future and apply your upgrades before they expire, potentially that's a bonus.

samjnz

I’m also happy with them expiring — otherwise they’ll end up worthless anyway when the borders reopen and bookings are flooded with upgrade requests that will be competing with each other to clear.

NZbutterfly

I’ve already Replied on social media but I’ll just add....

Qantas gave a status extension. I had 45sc to acquire. So that’s basically all it gave me. My year ticked over and they’ve given us a status credit boost but there’s no way I’ll be able to fly to platinum (I think) despite the reduced threshold. No rumors about them extending status again at this point.

VA gave us a few status credits per month for a short while. No status extension mentioned. They are undergoing administration so loyalty probably not their first priority right now. Even if I drop status there I’m just happy Oz keeps another major carrier.

Neither of those 2 programs have separate RUs. I don’t think many other programs have separate upgrades? I think at least one of the US programs does. Usually just use your points accumulated for upgrades.

I think I heard BA did a status extension and had lowered their threshold for requalification.

For Air NZ, to requalify on domestic or even short haul is pretty tough for the majority. That’s not going to change unless they decide to move the goalposts. The status extension is incredibly generous this far out. I mean we just had one less than 6 months ago. We can only use the RUs on the 789s as the 777s are in/going to the desert. A320/1 are economy only. The Tasman and pacific islands sectors are of a length where economy is fine anyway. I don’t think Air NZ will want lots of extended RUs on their books as when they do start long haul for passengers, they’ll want cash paying customers. Some will be able to use the RUs on the Tasman when that opens up, and realistically we only have to apply them to a booking before 12 months is up, so can actually book them for another year out so you sort of get 2 yrs to use them anyway.

COVID’s been brutal on airlines. I just wanted Air NZ at minimum to survive so I view the status & RUs as pretty small in the overall scheme of things. NZ is pretty remote so how else are we getting around and overseas?? Can’t change geography. I’m happy leaving my flight credits with them and will use in a booking late next year when they’re more on their feet.

Anyway, I don’t have any gripes about it at all. They’ve actually moved pretty early with a 2nd status extension.

WLGNZ

Very generous on AirNZ's part.
Thank you.
QF by comparison offered an extension, which was no use to me as I had already re-qualified. From QF have effectively got nothing.

sbiddle

Unless you're some sort of DYKWIA type I couldn't see any reason in the world why anybody would have a complaint about RU's not rolling over. Air NZ's offer of a 2nd banked year is beyond generous. Many people will now have status into Q1 2023 any we should hopefully have a pretty normal world well before then. At this point in time I still expect to be visiting the US this time next year.

Having rollover RU's would be a true nightmare - imagine the issues in 2022ish when everybody has either 6x or 9x RU's and Air NZ are still flying 789's on most of their routes. Getting upgrades clear would be near impossible. RU's also in effect have a 23 month validity because they can be lodged for forward travel before they expire, and with Elite RU's being able to be gifted I'm sure many people who aren't traveling would be kind and just gift them to people they know who are.

Tom Mould

Disappointed to not see anything further for Koru members, but I guess I’m an outlier, in that between my international travel being cancelled, and my work travel being non existent due to gathering restrictions, I’m not
making use of it like I thought I would. Great decision to buy that in March...

c3rn

I know I'll be in the minority here but I'm a little aggrieved they didn't include Koru members in the extension. We've paid for something that we haven't been able to use as much as we could of given the lock downs and social distancing.

edmm

I think it is very generous of them to extend the status again. I seldom use the RU's anyway, but it would be entirely impractical for them to let people accumulate them, and they would have been impossible to use as others have stated.

SFO_FT

I don’t have a problem with NZ maintaining the existing expiry dates of current RUs as the carrier as indicated that new RUs will be provided when one’s free year commences, same as they did with the current extension. In March, American Airlines and United Airlines provided one year extensions to status but only a 6 month extension to existing upgrades. Additional upgrades are not provided as a result of the status extensions.

The article mentions that status is being extended to 2023. I don’t believe that’s correct because if a member was to drop status in mid-2020, then the 2 extensions would lead to a mid-2022 expiry of status. Some members might have extended status to 2023, but not all.

mmonster

oh, that is a surprise and am reading at surface value - so they are keeping current status until 2023? Is there any details on this positive news? thank you

kiwicyclo

Koru got 6 month extensions. Mine was due to renew in July this year. Now extended to January 2021. I still get to use the lounge domestically so no biggie. Further extensions may come yet.

gambda

Not at all concerned about expiring RUs.

In Feb - March this year, I had planned "status runs" from AKL- SIN - ICN return / AKL - SIN - BKK return just before my requal. date. but decided not to go ahead with it due to what was happening in Asia at that time which meant I would have soft landed to Gold.
But then in late March I got the status update email from the airline stating that I will retain my current status for the next 12 months through to March 2021 - for which I'm very grateful (snip of the email below).





And then yesterday's announcement to further extend the status for 12 months - I have nothing to complain about.

sbiddle

They're not extending it till 2023, they've now giving 2 years extensions so this could be up until end end of March 2023 for members. It depends on your anniversary.

As to sources for this news apart from here is also on the Air NZ website and eveybody got emailed yesterday.