MattAus

I've booked an upcoming domestic flight with Air New Zealand and entered my United MileagePlus number (I have United/Star Gold status). Previously, when doing this the Air New Zealand website would give access to the frequent flyer seating at the front of the plane. However, all of these seats are blocked. It looks like the website is not recognising my status.

I'm assuming I'll probably need to call to get this fixed, but does anyone know what the issue is?

nzkarit

Need to ring

The issue is it's not a *A requirement so it is no longer available on the site.

Thai-Kiwi

Ring or message. As TG*G AirNZ has been very accommodating on seat selection - never any push back. The website was upgraded to remove this functionality sometime in 2019. Can still select FF seating at the kiosk during check-in if you can wait.

Rant. However, AirNZ are most stingy regarding other *G benefits. Example; if holding no status with NZ and looking to accrue to NZ (ie build status), and holding *G elsewhere, NZ will not allow lounge access by showing your *G card despite this being the Star Alliance protocol. NZ insists that accrual must be to the program that status is held. However, when I queried this they noted that this applies only to AirPoints and it would be acceptable to accrue to say SQ (no status), and show TG*G for lounge access.
/Rant.

sbiddle

As pointed out preferred seating is not a *G / *A benefit. While Air NZ do still offer this if you call and ask nicely they're under no obligation to do this.

MattAus

Thanks everyone. I've submitted an online form and will see if/how Air NZ responds.

That's really annoying. I've also run into this problem previously when I redeemed SQ miles for an NZ award ticket, but wanted to have my UA frequent flyer number in the booking to receive *G benefits. Because I'd booked using SQ miles, the SQ number was attached to the booking and I couldn't remove it online. Air NZ also refused to change the FF number when I contacted their customer service. They were able to do it at the airport though.

I note that in one of their responses to you Thai-Kiwi, Air NZ quoted the Airpoints terms & conditions. I'm not sure how the Airpoints terms & conditions come into it when I'm not even a member of the Airpoints program!

Thai-Kiwi

The AirPoints T&C essentially state that only one ff program can be allocated for accrual, and that *A benefits from only that ff program can be accessed.

This latter aspect is the killer. Most other *A airlines have no issue with lounge access by showing one’s Gold card and accruing elsewhere. Especially given that accessing *A benefits is eventually charged back to the relevant program, so NZ isn’t bearing the costs. I really can’t agree with NZ’s stingy approach.

Anyway, I am now NZ*G so the issue is now moot for a couple of years.

Thai-Kiwi

Don’t forget that the ff/preferred seatmap is also opened up for *Gs when checking in at the kiosk. That must be a remnant glitch….

MattAus

This kind of nonsense (and the generally poor value) is the reason why I have never bothered to join Airpoints and don't go out of my way to fly NZ!

Antonio8069

I called and had no issue selecting seats YVR-AKL.

Thai-Kiwi

Yes, as others have already noted upthread. But is a pity this glitch was closed off.

plammm

Apparently free seat selection of any kind is no longer available to *G (I have AC*G and no NZ status). I sent a WhatsApp message and they wrote "Star Alliance Gold members do not have the benefit to be seated in the complimentary frequent flyer seating in front." I'm sure it has been a benefit on the website in the past.

trooper

Does UA give preferred seating to NZ Gold? If they do not, and my understanding is that they don't these days, (not before check in anyway, like NZ) why would you expect NZ to provide it to UA Golds?

sbiddle

Access to preferred seating hasn't been a published *G benefit for many many many years. Air NZ seemed to still offer it but I don't think any other *A carriers did.

LyingFlat

In September 2019 I had a domestic flight on Poland on LOT in Y (they don't seem to sell J domestically) and I got 'preferred' seats as NZ*G. Interestingly, my two companions (neither of whom had any status) received it as well as we were all on the same PNR.

Ellice

Thanks Thai kiwi for your advice and info. Just wondering, as an NZ Elite with several banked years, am I still allowed into the NZ lounge if I haven’t credited the booking to NZ airpoints or would I get turned away? I don’t see the point in crediting the earn to NZ airpoints program anymore. Especially with the Recognition upgrade system just being basically a lottery now, as has been discussed on here. Also doesn’t seem to be a lot of priority when ringing the call centre as an NZ Elite either.