Kiwi Flyer

About half the time was spent waiting for someone in the back office to retrieve my file, to check why I'd been flagged. If I had gone to secondary it would have taken longer (saved the search and less questions).

MrSydney

NZ has had these two very dreary dishes for the last few years. Do they ever change them?

Kiwi Flyer

They change the longhaul breakfast a few times a year (other meals tend to change a bit more often than the breakfasts). If you check out my earlier trip reports, or the sticky all airline menu thread here in Trip Reports forum, you'll see they are different (even on the same route).

dannyr

How's the rest of that report coming Kiwi?

Kiwi Flyer

Hopefully soon.

Kiwi Flyer

Apologies for the delay. I had intended posting the next instalment now. Unfortunately, there is a 2-for-1 sale calling my name and instead of writing up the next bit I'm playing around to find the best option. Sorry.

Kiwi Flyer

AUCKLAND to CHRISTCHURCH (AKL-CHC) on Air New Zealand 737-300 in economy space+

I'd received my RFID tag a couple of weeks prior and after a few days grounded was looking forward to getting in the air again, as well as checking out the new systems. Air NZ has made some significant changes to check in processes for domestic flights, and today is my first chance to try it out.

Kiwi Flyer

With no bags to check I could go straight to the lounge. However, I wanted to check out the new quick-check machines to see what had changed from the old quick-check machines.

I tried my tag on the machine. It didn't work through my wallet, so I took it out. It still didn't work so I resorted to using my FF card instead. That worked, but seemed a bit slower than in the past.

Since online check in and seat selection at time of booking was enabled for domestic flights, I have consistently had difficulty in getting middle seat blocked on lightly loaded flights. So I was surprised that the middle seat was empty and hadn't yet been nabbed. It was, however, not blocked so could be claimed between now and departure.

The airport check in process is rather different. Take a look at the website explanation. There are no check in desks or check in agents per se. Instead everyone must use a quick-check machine, and if you have bags you get them tagged at the machine and deposit them yourself onto the baggage belt. There were plenty of staff roaming to explain the new system and help out. I wonder how many will remain once the system is bedded in? I also wonder what will happen the first time someone's bag or clothing gets caught up in the belt?

As I couldn't improve on my previously selected seats no boarding passes were spat out from the machine. I think these are unchanged from the old little stubs (ie still too small to attach baggage receipts properly).

There was a line at security, but at this hour of the morning most passengers are seasoned regulars with just the odd holiday-maker or infrequent passenger. So I am quickly through and up to the lounge.

At the lounge entrance there is a scanner where you place the tag if you have one, or the barcode from your boarding pass. This is supposed to check you in if you are not already checked in, and give a green light if you have lounge access. Of course a lounge agent still needs to man the machine so other than as a method to quickly check in, there is no saving in getting passengers to do more work. I wonder what happens if for example a non-NZ *G status or paid club membership is not correctly linked to the booking?

Anyway, for me the tag again did not work even taking it out of my wallet. By now I'm distinctly underwhelmed by it all. It looks like there is a risk I'll lose it due to not being able to attach it to my phone and there being no hole to attach to a keyring or lanyard. Furthermore, it is yet to do anything to assist processing me. Fortunately the agent recognises me and trusts that I'm flying today, so I'm waved inside without the need to pull out my card and for her to look up my flights.

Kiwi Flyer

I grabbed a coffee and went to the business centre to catch up on some messages. I noticed the first flight to Christchurch had just been cancelled and investigated why so as to be prepared to change my plans if necessary. A fog had drifted inland off the sea in Christchurch this morning.

From experience, I knew that it could clear very quickly or linger for many hours. I hoped it would be the former, as I have onward flights to make. I checked alternate routings and found there was just one that I could take, and I'd need to decide to switch within 30 minutes to make that option. There was a large queue at the service desk as other flights started being effected. I decided not to add to the queue and sit tight.

The next Christchurch flight was also cancelled. I thought about switching to the other routing. This would free up a seat to Christchurch that would enable someone else to get there an hour earlier than otherwise. However, to make a change I'd have to jump ahead of everyone else in the long line straight away and hope there was a seat left that was not a middle seat (I'd already checked the alternate flight was not sold out although was looking rather full, but unfortunately I couldn't see the seat map). I decided against it.

Shortly after the flight was called. At the gate my tag finally worked (but not without first having to take it out of the wallet). I got a receipt-like boarding pass ("gate pass") which had my name, gate number, flight number, destination and seat. (ntddevsys if you are reading this destination is indeed printed on the pass.) No status info though.

With the 2 earlier full flights both being cancelled I knew there was no chance of an empty middle seat. Indeed rebookings were flowing on for the next 4 flights at least. The passenger next to me had no status and was moaning about being lied to, and having to insist to get on this flight instead of the next one. In these circumstances, agents have a difficult job and availability changes rapidly. It is not necessarily a lie if there are no seats available when you ask, and they become available 20 minutes later when you go back to insist on it. Besides which, when the spillover from the earlier cancellations snowballs across most of the day (most flights being full or nearly so), they have to prioritise some how. Prioritising based on status doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

Boarding was slow as a number of passengers failed to turn up at the gate when called. Eventually they boarded to glares from everyone else and we left a bit late, but pretty good in the circumstances.

Meal service was muesli or muffin, plus tea, coffee, juice or water.

I read some reports.

There was a decent view of the North Island, but much of the South Island plains and valleys were blanketed in fog. Although the skies were indeed crystal clear at Christchurch airport, fog was only several kilometres away.

We landed and got an apron stand. I've been flying into and out of Christchurch for many years. Always the larger domestic aircraft (737 and A320) get an airbridge. Except twice in the past month I've had a stand. Both times I've had onward flights with shortish connection, and it is annoying to get dumped landside and have to join a long queue to get back through security to airside. Oh not worth worrying about as there is nothing I can do about it.

Kiwi Flyer

Some process flaws identified when flights get delayed or cancelled. I'd suggest anyone without bags to check who has enough time to run past the koru club go there and scan into the system. Currently some people who didn't get scanned in and just turn up at the gate "too late" (according to the system based on scheduled departure time) are having problems (bumped off flights for not being checked in).

Hopefully processes are fine-tuned to reduce this problem.

Kiwi Flyer

CHRISTCHURCH to DUNEDIN (CHC-DUD) on Air New Zealand ATR 72-500 in economy class

At the lounge I was advised the tag scanner was down currently, but waved in since they know me so well I had enough time to grab a coffee and do some more messages before the flight was called. In the meantime they got the scanners back going again and tested with my tag. It worked here. I'm not sure why it didn't at the Auckland lounge or quick-check machine.

Downstairs to the gate. Another gate receipt boarding pass. We were held at the edge of the apron for 10 minutes while another aircraft in front of us started up its engines and then slowly moved away. Why did they bother calling our flight when we couldn't get to the aircraft anyway?

This flight was fairly full, but again no seat blocking other than the empty rows at the back. Grrr.

Sustenance in the form of biscuit, coffee, tea or water. The first run through was for water, then for cups. Then biscuits plus milk and sugar. Then the hot drinks, starting from the front. As an elite I'd selected a preferred seat near the back. By the time I got my coffee we had already begun descent on this hour long flight. With the heat of the drink it was a mental tussle between drinking quickly and burning my tongue or slowly and possibly spilling it in bumps on descent, or getting it taken off me after I'd only had a few sips. I chose for quick, with burnt tongue

The views en route were spectacular. Fog patches on the Canterbury Plains. Mountains still glistening with the surprise recent late and heavy snowfall which had not yet melted in the springtime warmth. Beautiful contours and colours of the Otago hills, valleys and ranges. Just near the airport it clouded up so no great views on approach.

However it was warm, much warmer than I expected, walking across the tarmac to the terminal.

Thus was my 100th Air New Zealand flight of the year to date (out of more than 200 flights so far).

flykiwifly

Great detailed trip report. Quick question as I have a couple of long haul trips on AirNZ biz class coming up next year. Only ever been on 747 biz class apart from a 777 TT so was interested to know what seats on the 777 have limited storage/access to the overhead lockers?
Thanks

Kiwi Flyer

1B & 1J have no overhead bin. 2A & 2K have an overhead bin, but shared with supplies and possibily the pax in 1B & 1J. 7A & 7K may also have supplies in their overhead bins.

SFflyer123

I may have missed it, but do you have photos? we would love to see photos of the planes & food!

everywhere

Vastly different: Made out of some kind of flimsy laminate and much larger. And of course baggage receipts are now printed directly onto the boarding pass - not stuck on.

Good that the gate stub tells you were you are going: it would be good if it could tell you what time you will get there!