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Inaccessible fare flexibility/rerouting during disruption...

Inaccessible fare flexibility/rerouting during disruption...

Old Jan 27, 2023, 6:14 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 113
Inaccessible fare flexibility/rerouting during disruption...

Posted in the AKL airport closure thread but more of an Air NZ specific question...

Was scheduled on MEL-AKL this afternoon. Got the cancellation first thing this morning. No option in the app to do anything other than get a credit. Hours wait on the call centre already, not wanting to wait for everything to sell out - so got the credit, booked AKL-WLG for today and WLG-HLZ tomorrow (Sunday), family pickup from there. Had to use the credit and pay extra.

Wouldn't Air NZ have rebooked/rerouted for free if I were to get through to the call centre? Underlying question, is the extra $$ now a travel insurance issue or do I chase Air NZ as they couldn't reroute me but I could? I know I took the credit but would be in a worse situation if I left the selling out options for NZ to deal with hours later...

They published fare flexibility but absolutely no way to access that on the app or website so pointless...
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Old Jan 27, 2023, 6:52 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
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I have done similar in the past and then hashed it out with the contact centre later. If youre able to furnish the cash in the meantime Id recommend to flick the contact centre an email. If you have no excess then could be worth the travel insurance route but this may be more expense and take even longer.
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Old Jan 27, 2023, 7:18 pm
  #3  
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....
Was scheduled on MEL-AKL this afternoon. Got the cancellation first thing this morning. No option in the app to do anything other than get a credit. Hours wait on the call centre already, not wanting to wait for everything to sell out - so got the credit, booked AKL-WLG.for today and WLG-HLZ tomorrow (Sunday)..
...
They published fare flexibility but absolutely no way to access that on the app or website so pointless....
New booking MEL-WLG or AKL-WLG?

Will be 100's of people trying to phone the airlines.

If say a 200 seat aircraft has 190 sold (95%) and 10 unsold, it will take 19 flights @ 10 each to clear the backlog if other aircraft have the same 95% pax load.
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Old Jan 27, 2023, 9:25 pm
  #4  
 
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NZs online system isnt flexible enough when something goes wrong. It doesnt seem
to have the ability to offer your nearby ground alternatives.

The call centre is usually really good if you get the right person, and tell them the replacement flights you want to take.

E.g I have a 12hr delay on AKL-OOL before, a 1am call to the call centre got me rebooked via SYD and there only 2hrs later than planned.
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Old Jan 28, 2023, 3:25 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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The app was hopeless today. I had a flexi refund ticket AKL to CHC, but no online ability to cancel it, or even to take a credit. Instead, I was told to call the 0800 number. No thanks. I ended up changing the dates (and even that took ages with the app crashing, (presumably due to demand). My PA will have to sort out cancellation later. I dont get why they sell a refundable ticket then do t allow a self-selected refund option. Sigh.
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Old Jan 28, 2023, 3:38 am
  #6  
 
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Don't people have manage my booking in app. Then scroll a long way down to cancel in th be web view?

Is it the app crashing or the web view? As the app actually did very little. Most of it handed off to a web view, so they don't need to deal with people who don't update their apps. Update the web site and everyone gets it straight away.


I only seem to get the phone number if booked via a TA or there has been a change to booking by contact centre or schedule change at some point (though once accept change normally is manageable in app or web app again). As the human interaction seems to set a flag or something that's means it is a human booking so needs to be handled manually.
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Last edited by nzkarit; Jan 28, 2023 at 3:45 am
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Old Jan 28, 2023, 4:24 am
  #7  
 
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Yeah, my PA booked the flight so thats the issue. Both the app and the website referred me to the call centre.
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Old Jan 28, 2023, 3:37 pm
  #8  
 
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Brothers flights cancelled, all easy to rebook via the app with no fees.
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Old Jan 28, 2023, 4:01 pm
  #9  
 
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Not to justify the shambles of trying to rebook, but it looks like NZ have put temporary fare ceilings in place until 6 Feb (domestic) and 13 Feb (international), in line with the dates of increased fare flexibility.

A seat only fare for AKL-CHC until 6 Feb is capped out at $188, and AKL-SYD at $415.

Appreciate people that booked ahead may have paid a lot less than this, but there will be some that will be able to take the credit and rebook for the same or less than their original fare without needing to go through the call centre.

I recall that NZ have used fare ceilings in the past (chc earthquakes etc), but often after pressure from public backlash. I can also respect that this in itself isnt going to be a solution for everyone, but hopefully this saves at least some people the headaches of queuing in the call centre for half a day!
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 3:49 am
  #10  
 
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I find NZ very inconsistent regarding ability to cancel flexi bookings in app/online. I find ~50% of the time processing the cancellation in app/online works as expected and the other ~50% it does not work and refers me to the 0800 number. I suspect it's not entirely a booking channel issue, since I've had this issue several times on tickets I have personally booked via the NZ website directly (I never use an agent etc). One issue I know of is that if you are already checked in, then you are required to phone in so the phone agent can find a supervisor to manually offload you and then process the cancellation--fustrating if you check in the day before and on the day of travel it turns out you do not need to (or can't) travel. Took me two and a half hours on the phone (including 25mins on hold just for the offload to be done) to them to sort out a cancellation I had recently (pre-flooding). I can't imagine how bad the phone queues must be now all because their own app/website does not make this easy. Interestingly enough I've had much better success with canelling flights online with JQ (including one where I had checked in and their website was able to offload me and process the cancellation) with only one cancellation I've had to contact JQ to sort out manually.

Self-service has never been a strength of NZ but they really need to improve this.

Thank you gratn for the idea to simply change your flghts and deal with the cancellation later when the call centre is quieter. Will try that next time.
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 12:37 pm
  #11  
 
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You need to speak to someone with authority.

If you fare is high enough, flaunt it. I was not shy about it.

Once of my flights into AKL was delayed ( international business premier) , and the domestic connection, ( booked to full fare Y) was then rebooked to the next day. Because that was the next availability.

I held my ground and insisted, that they bump someone who bought a cheap fare off the next flight, which they did. The Star Gold check in at the domestic terminal. The girl had to call in for approval to do it.

I don't feel sorry person who lost his / her / their seat.


There were other passengers who were similarly disrupted who were put on standby. Given that my fare and booking class was indeed the highest you could buy - I insisted that I be confirmed, which they did. Other passengers were put on standby.
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 1:26 pm
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by OpenSky
You need to speak to someone with authority.

If you fare is high enough, flaunt it. I was not shy about it.

Once of my flights into AKL was delayed ( international business premier) , and the domestic connection, ( booked to full fare Y) was then rebooked to the next day. Because that was the next availability.

I held my ground and insisted, that they bump someone who bought a cheap fare off the next flight, which they did. The Star Gold check in at the domestic terminal. The girl had to call in for approval to do it.

I don't feel sorry person who lost his / her / their seat.


There were other passengers who were similarly disrupted who were put on standby. Given that my fare and booking class was indeed the highest you could buy - I insisted that I be confirmed, which they did. Other passengers were put on standby.
wow, just wow
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 1:49 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
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Originally Posted by OpenSky
You need to speak to someone with authority.

If you fare is high enough, flaunt it. I was not shy about it.

Once of my flights into AKL was delayed ( international business premier) , and the domestic connection, ( booked to full fare Y) was then rebooked to the next day. Because that was the next availability.

I held my ground and insisted, that they bump someone who bought a cheap fare off the next flight, which they did. The Star Gold check in at the domestic terminal. The girl had to call in for approval to do it.

I don't feel sorry person who lost his / her / their seat.


There were other passengers who were similarly disrupted who were put on standby. Given that my fare and booking class was indeed the highest you could buy - I insisted that I be confirmed, which they did. Other passengers were put on standby.
Aren't all domestic connections Y? So isnt that special.

But having no care for other people is an interesting position to take.

Sure going to top of standby list is one thing but demanding other people get offloaded from their actual flight is something else.
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 3:31 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
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Originally Posted by OpenSky
You need to speak to someone with authority.

If you fare is high enough, flaunt it. I was not shy about it.

Once of my flights into AKL was delayed ( international business premier) , and the domestic connection, ( booked to full fare Y) was then rebooked to the next day. Because that was the next availability.

I held my ground and insisted, that they bump someone who bought a cheap fare off the next flight, which they did. The Star Gold check in at the domestic terminal. The girl had to call in for approval to do it.

I don't feel sorry person who lost his / her / their seat.


There were other passengers who were similarly disrupted who were put on standby. Given that my fare and booking class was indeed the highest you could buy - I insisted that I be confirmed, which they did. Other passengers were put on standby.
Do we know who you are?
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Old Jan 30, 2023, 3:36 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by OpenSky
I don't feel sorry person who lost his / her / their seat.
you sound lovely
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