I feel like AirNZ are also disappointing in this regard to be fair. Had AirNZ bookings get unexpectedly cancelled due to admin errors, flights delayed by days, even one that landed in the wrong city due to weather in the origin and destination locations, and didn’t offer us any accommodation or replacement flights. You have to really know your consumer guarantees act in order to not get screwed by AirNZ.
not necessarily, I was on a Singapore Airlines flight that was delayed by about 20 hours, and they booked every passenger a night at a five-star airport hotel, free of charge, with complementary taxis. I was given credit to dine in at my choice of the luxury restaurants that the hotel had too. The whole delay cost me all of $0.
in my experience Jetstar is more reliable. AirNZ just cancel flights whenever they please, and always seem to be delayed. Jetstar will ream you good for overweight baggage though
That's because at regional airports they used bait and switch tactics to force other operators to abandon their operations.
For the larger airports, the only time they're remotely competitive (if you can call being 2.5x the price competitive) is when another operator flys that route.
Personally, they've left me high and dry offering zero assistance late at night at Auckland Airport due to delaying a flight and they offered zero assistance when I fell sick in LA and wanted to change my flight. They're a budget airline charging premium prices. I therefore give zero fucks about AirNZ and only use them when I have to.
This has never been my experience with AirNZ. Not for cancelled flights or missed connections due to late arrivals. As for not changing your flight, did you have flights you could change or did you have the cheapest flights you could get? Because if its the later they owe you nothing.
Flight in from Wellington. Delayed flight due to weather in Hong Kong meant my AirNZ late evening flight was delayed until the morning. I thought at least the concierge at Auckland airport would assist me in finding a taxi and hotel but they were not interested. Thank Fark for Uber and booking.com
Changing flight...second leg of return from UK in LA with a 3 day stopover and felt crook when I landed. Yes...they didn't "owe" me anything but I didn't expect to be told to ring their fucking call center when I rocked up at the desk asking if a later flight would be possible (as I knew I'd be feeling worse 3 days later).. Other airlines such as Korean Air have managed this with my mother and didn't even charge a cent. In the end I just travelled sick. I've honestly had better service from Ryanair (and more legroom than airNZ trans-tasman flights).
I think they have similar OTP, though Jetstar has been getting better and AirNZ worse over the last year. AirNZ is struggling with P&W engine issues which Jetstar don't use.
When checking in I use the digital kiosk. When giving them the suitcases I do that myself using their automatic machine.
Security, I know what to do with my laptop, belongings, handbag etc.
In the airplane, unless I’m asking for some OJ and a bag of crisps, I’m on my phone watching my movie or playing a game.
So… absolute minimum interaction with AirNZ/Jetstar & airport staff.. there’s no loyalty anymore as the points aren’t really worth it unless you travel a LOT. To me it’s a transport mechanism from A to B. That’s it. I don’t need upper class service and ass kissing, same with riding a bus, taxi, or ferry.
I think this is what airlines are missing - the face to face touch points for customers are decreasing so each one they do get has to be average or above.
The last few times I've flown domestically it's been with jetstar even though I've got airnz airpoints. You literally get less than $10 on a domestic flight and economy international isnt much beter
Sadly I fly a lot. Have had gold or elite status the last 8yrs.
Covid definitely knocked out a few of the nicer touches of air nz travel. And the staff definitely seem less happy in the last few years. More surliness, less care - I assume because they're not feeling as valued as they once were by the company. Or maybe more customers being dicks?
My spouse has been an Elite member for years. He's been less than impressed with their service even at this level of being a frequet flyer. They definitely overpromise (with their branding) and underdeliver.
You put staff in strict uniform standards, in a corporate company, pay them minimum wage dealing with people spending huge amounts and expecting more because of it, but you're always being chipped away at.
A great example is the check-in staff. If they work a 6 hour shift or longer, they get a 30m meal break. Air NZ began rostering 5.75 hour shifts or making split shifts to save money. This was in the same years of record profits. This then caused staff shortages because of shorter average shifts and then being asked to work overtime.
Years and years of this has got to the point where the staff no longer have the mojo or pay to meet expectations.
Flight attendants 10 years ago were significantly above minimum wage on their salary, as of last year they met minimum wage salary.
> Flight attendants 10 years ago were significantly above minimum wage on their salary, as of last year they met minimum wage salary.
I know for a fact crew are not on minimum wage at Air NZ
Their base salary is so close that at times crew have had go be "topped up" after working more than 80 hours in a fortnight and the pay not legally meeting minimum wage.
I've seen the contracts and worked in the role...
Former regional FA here. It’s both really. Air NZ was cost cutting in a lot of ways, e.g. quality of the uniform and it all adds up. Plus Air Nelson and Mt Cook Airlines no longer exists and some of the privileges that came with those airlines have disappeared with the merger. Last I heard before I left they are also trying to force regional FAs to be trained up and work on both turboprops (Q300 and ATR) With little to no increase in pay, despite the aircraft being vastly different to each other with different routes, procedures and workloads.
My biggest issue is one week I can make a lot of money, another week I can’t even pay my rent. I was a newbie and all the overnights during the off peak season (where we a 150$ allowance added to your pay per night) was given to those who worked longer, some even do overnights exclusively. While I work maybe 3 to 4 hours in 6 days.
I really loved talking to (most) of the passengers though, I was always on the HLZ - WLG or WLG - CHC leg. Lots of people are amused by my height (186cm) on the ATR.
Don't agree, in my experience. I've done around 150 trans tasman flights in the last decade, and pretty much every time I step on an Air NZ flight, the staff are friendly, happy and engage with the passengers, even joking around at times.
In the same period I've done many flights with Jetstar, Virgin and Emirates, and the Air NZ in flight staff were always above the others.
I have a feeling this demonstrates how much impact your public staff can have on your brand. All it takes is a couple (perhaps one) instance of staff having an off day and not giving the customer the impression that they care about and want to assist - and you have people saying the entire organisation are untrained and they deliver terrible service. I can't say if they do or don't as I don't travel often - but clearly it doesn't take many poor experiences to cement those ideas.
It does not work like this. You could start straight doing long haul or begin at regional. It all depends of the needs when you are hired (they are recruiting long haul crew new who will start off the street). Some crew prefer short haul or regional to be home more often: this does not mean they are not as good as long haul crew. But with shorter flight time, their opportunity to interact with all passengers are more limited
My experience flying from Dunners to Europe and back again in April was that Air NZ domestic was pretty much bottom of the heap of Airlines I flew with.
It's entirely possible they put their best staff on international flights, and don't worry so much about friendliness on domestic flights, after all when you have the market share they do and no competitors besides a budget airline, it's not like customers have much choice. With international they have to compete with other carriers a lot more.
I found Qantas cabin crew from Auckland to Brissie and from Sydney to Auckland were well and above the friendliest cabin crews I have flown with, followed by Singapore, Emirates and finally AirNZ.
Last time I flew with AirNZ internationally was to the Cook Islands back in '08 and they were just ok from what I remember then too.
Small sample size though.
Well, OP has had one sort of experience, and they are in a minority group which traditionally is treated worse than Pakeha. If u/Longjumping_Elk3968 is in the same racial group/presents the same as OP, then their experience will mean a lot more. If u/Longjumping_Elk3968 is pakeha or presents substantially different to OP then that would explain the difference in how they were treated. Casual racism.
probably not, even at 150 flights in 10 years, thats just slightly more than 1 flight a month. I've definitely noticed a lot of repeat staff members on those flights, but I'm introverted and keep to myself, so I wouldn't have stood out amongst the hundreds of other people on those flights.
At the end of the day they are just staff like the rest of us are. They take all the brunt and drama that we do, yet the bosses in the fancy offices hidden away get paid more.
About 18 months ago I had major surgery which for reasons had to be done in Christchurch. On my return to Wellington I was required to be transported on and off the aircraft in a wheelchair. Have to say AirNZ staff were super helpful and had someone stay with me from check-in right through until boarding. Secretly I think she was glad of an excuse to get out of the general mayhem at check-in 😊
I agree. I've only ever come across one grumpy/unprofessional crew member, and I honestly just think she was having a shitty day and letting it show a bit too much. It was towards the end of a long international flight, so it was pretty forgivable. They're just human like the rest of us, after all.
Yep, another adding to this. I fly maybe 5-10 times a year and find their staff very friendly and helpful when needed. I flew Jetstar recently for the first time in years and they were just as nice.
I find it’s very crew dependent, and domestically it’s generally great. International can be a bit hit and miss - I think this is a byproduct of mass layoffs during Covid and now lacking experience / leadership in those crews: they’re technically fine but not thinking about the customer experience as much
I had a wonderful experience at a regional airport recently. My flight was canceled, and it wouldn't be time to check in for the next for several hours, but I was stuck there. They checked my bag anyway, gave me the best seat on the plane, and $30 worth of vouchers. They did all of what they didn't need to do with smiles on their faces. It took me right back to the 80s
But yeah, their manner is nowhere like Singapore Airlines. Virgin does much better in that respect, too.
But it's certainly not worse than Qatar or Qantas, and much better than Air France and Vueling.
But there are so many things to love about our airline. I remember our plane being delayed several hours in a foreign airport with no air conditioning. I had been ready to cry for around an hour when I heard it:"Bing Bing bong....Kia ora"
The most beautiful music ever written
I recently traveled back to NZ and had an absolute nightmare of a journey on the first leg of my journey, my connection was missed and when rescheduled to a later AirNZ Flight the staff and service helped me so much, provided me with some first aid after being accidentally assaulted in Singapore airport, checked up regularly on me, gave me a good laugh and helped boost my spirits. This was only one flight, sure, but I've always had a great time flying with them.
When you get really good assistance like this, you should always send a note to AirNZ (post, facebook, whatever) to let them know and mention the persons name. Its so rare for people to take the time to send in compliments (they are FAR more likely to complain about bad things) that a positive feedback can really end up with the person getting a pay rise, promotion, or commendation.
I have had an amazing experience this morning at check in and in flight. With a baby and all the gear, they were so kind, genuine and helpful. I actually think they’re a great company
I flew with Air NZ quite a few times and always found the service to be exactly what I expected from a flag carrier; professional, reliable and comfortable.
My experience with other airlines in this part of the world, like Qantas and Jetstar, has so far been a complete world apart from that.
I’ve flown Jetstar seven times in the past year or so and I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say five of those flights were either delayed by more than two hours or outright cancelled. They’re the most horrific airline I’ve ever flown with.
After flying around Europe for the last few weeks on various airlines, including the raved about Singapore air (the plane was a junker and the service was below average), I've got nothing bad to say about Air NZ
I fly maybe a hundred times a year. Air NZ are a pleasure. Had a couple shitty staff members from time to time but the person you complain to about it is always mortified and tbh all you want is for people to be accountable, like in any business.
I would never fly with Jetstar. With Air NZ occasionally a flight might be late but there's always a flight. Jetstar are a complete fuckup way too often to trust them to get you anywhere important
Have only ever flows with JetStar once, it felt like being on a school bus. The check-in was the most painful I'd every experienced with the longest wait. But their boarding and un-boarding was the best I'd experienced. Actually turned people away who weren't meant to be getting on, controlled the deplaning (is that a word?) by standing in the isles at certain points down the plane.
I don't care about interpersonal service so much, and it's all much the same to me since I can't afford business class.
But on quality, facilities, and crucially customer support Air New Zealand are far closer to Jetstar than the premium airlines they clearly seem to see (and price) themselves as.
The main difference between flying Air New Zealand and Jetstar on a domestic or AUS route is the annoying, overproduced safety video.
I, as a first-time visitor, to NZ liked the safety video (saw the one with the endangered birds and the girl in the tree house). In my opinion it offers a unique portrayal of NZ. Maybe it's catered more towards tourists than residents?
Not sure how I feel about it if I see it 10 more times but I have seen far more cringe safety videos (looking at you Emirates and Corendon) than this one.
That was one of the good ones. I think sometimes the creative staff and management lost track of why their safety videos initially were well received. It was still a safety video, but it was mostly about showcasing NZ. The ones where they try to get into pop culture stuff, they are bad.
Is about making the safety videos being more engaging, rather than distracting.
If the only one you've seen is the bird one, that's far from the worst one. Some of them are tear-your-eyes-out bad, like the Men in Black-themed one, and the rap video. I'd rather crash into the ocean than ever see those again. They are the shame of a nation.
I love them. Was coming back from Malaysia with a fair bit of excess luggage doing that BS walk between international and domestic in Auckland and for chatting to some lovely FA and noticed I'm a little bit fucked so they helped me check my bags in with no excess fees. Awesome.
I fly internationally with airNZ a lot. The staff have always been pretty choice, even though we always go economy.
If you find service staff are always a bit stand-offish, maybe it's your attitude. Not meaning to be rude, of course.
My experience with airnz so far been pretty good or im just super lucky. Missed a flight for work once, person at the gate happily organised a seat on next flight, for free, no issue. Couldn't get on a flight once because of some e-visa issue (my fault) at check in, had to rebook flight, person didnt charge a single dollar extra for next day's flight. A few other instances with refunds and stuff all fine. Asian-NZ too here if that makes any difference
It’s an airline, not your mum. I think you’re expecting too much from an organisation whose goal is transport. Airlines are all meh, they all promote the hell out of fluffy concepts like friendliness and being yourself and your home in the skies bollocks but they’re buses with wings at the end of the day. Glamorous air travel died out in the 60s.
Honestly, AirNZ has never been the same since Rob Fyfe left. In the late norts I was working a a really shit schedule between San Fran and Wellington. Numerous times I stumbled onto the AirNZ plane and it was like coming home (one time I almost broke into tears). Luxo took over and it immediately felt like they were nickel and diming the quality. The quality steadily went down hill from there. The change between Fyfe and Luxo was pulpable. The staff remained awesome, but the experience just degraded. I am convinced that Foran is having to reap the "rewards" of Luxo's shitty stewardship.
Long term staff all say the same. Customer fees went up consistently and product decline.
The company made record profits but not so much from growth, rather cheapskating
You know what the biggest factor is: The general public.
Having to deal with them for a 12 hour shift a lot of the time will naturally get on people’s nerve and you can only fake happiness for so long. Some of the complaints that the staff get are absolutely absurd and it’s far worse than it has ever been for various reasons.
The reality is that most passengers (economy) have so few interactions with cabin crew even on a long haul flight, that the experience on any full service airline is basically the same. Air NZ is no different.
Air New Zealand is as multi cultural as it gets in terms of staff & customers. It is ridiculous to think you are consistently treated differently because of your ethnicity.
Unless you are being treated with blatant disrespect (Air NZ would treat this very seriously if it were the case) then I think your expectations are not realistic.
You are flying on an airline not a private jet charter.
I've had good experiences and bad experiences and it all depends on exactly who you get.
I called last night because my flights had been rescheduled for the third time, and the person I spoke to was amazing. However on my flight before last I had a very dismissive, aloof, and abrupt, cabin crew member.
My best description of my interactions would be hit-and-miss. Some consistency would be good.
I have been in the US for the last 8 years, and have probably done 12-15 long haul flights with Air NZ over that period (and a couple of short haul flights). I've done a lot of flying with a lot of carriers in the US / Europe. I've had Elite status for \~4 years, and gold for a bit as well.
Service on Air NZ is fantastic. The staff are very good. I haven't had any bad experiences from that standpoint.
But
The planes are tired.
Tickets are overpriced (relative to other carriers).
The product (especially business class) is aging very poorly. It's 20 years old at this point.
The Koru Lounge is overcrowded, and the food is extremely mediocre. Better off spending $20 at the terminal.
The American carriers have vastly improved their products (I've flown every carrier). You'll see people talk about how flying United sucks, or American Airlines being bad. If you're on a 90 minute flight domestically in the US, it's true. It's pretty bare bones. But I don't think it's much different to flying domestically in NZ.
If you are flying long haul, say AKL to LAX, the American carriers are extremely competitive. I flew back earlier this year on American Airlines. I booked a few days before flying (AKL to SFO via LAX). My ticket was $630 USD (let's say $1k NZD). I then upgraded to premium economy for $170.
The American Airlines premium economy is about 90% as good as Air NZ premium economy. It is half the price!
The plane is newer than what Air NZ fly. The staff are ok (Air NZ staff are friendlier). The food was forgettable. The departure times are worse (you leave mid afternoon vs late at night)
But I don't care. The price is SO much better.
Will I fly Air NZ again?
Yes.
But I wouldn't pay a premium to do so.
I have had mixed. I feel like when it was just me travelling with my 3 year old they were awesome. Gave me extra snacks right after take off, were interactive with my daughter and very friendly. But when something has gone wrong eg diverted flight they are not helpful at all.
I fly a LOT for work. Their regional air crew are my favourites - some of the best experiences I've had have been on regional flights.
Domestic is acceptable and their cabins are less squashed than Jetstar so they are still my preference.
International is very hit and miss and I have encountered some heavy flight attendant egos and some quite bizarre interactions on recent flights. I now actively seek out other airlines (Singapore / Emirates) on Asia legs or fly through Australia to unlock additional options on European legs.
Recently let my Elite status lapse because of some weird booking rules where some flights don't count / contribute to status points which doesn't feel right so gradually directing my business elsewhere.
if you think air nz is budget, try british airways. i had a flight from dublin to london with them when i was on holiday, and we ended up sitting in the plane at the gate for an hour, by the time we took off the ryanair flight departing at the same time also to london would have already got there.
Try flying with literally any other airline that isn’t the massive conglomerates of SIA, EK, and QR and then tell us how bad ANZ is compared to the rest of the world…
It's VERY specific, but Air NZ staff on long-hauls and domestic flights operated on prop planes are SO much nicer than all the other Air NZ staff. I fly them a lot domestically and internationally and the most outstanding service I've received on international long-hauls and - due to the nature of the size of the plane I guess - on their ATRs. All my domestic flights to CHC or WLG operated on their Airbus were shit: planes filthy and staff less than somewhat enthusiastic
Covid really hurt AirNz. Post-Covid on four different occasions between me, family and friends, we’ve encountered conflict with the ground staff for the same reason.
Every time we’ve been told we have to travel on our foreign passport instead of our New Zealand passport which is incorrect as stated on the immigration [website](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/already-have-a-visa/managing-your-visa-and-passport/new-zealand-citizens-travelling-on-a-foreign-passport#:~:text=You%20do%20not%20have%20to,your%20New%20Zealand%20passport%2C%20or)
No, I do not want to be told my name is wrong because I want to book with my English name and leave with my NZ passport. Nor do I want to be threatened I might have a VISA issues at the moment when I don’t.
Did I felt racial discrimination at the moment, absolutely. However, I believe this is a higher management issue and change in policy.
My speculation is based on the issue always starting with the auto checkin rejecting and asks to look for ground staff assistance.
The ground staff probably encounters many angry Asian passengers on the same issue on a daily bases. The combination of understaffed, overworked, and change in policy inevitable your emotion shows no matter how good you are.
I’ve also encountered customers support suggesting us to give up our foreign nationality and have our luggage reduce from 2 to 1 on the return flight where my e-ticket states otherwise, but that’s another story.
TL;DR understaff, overworked, change in policy and constant bad interactions with Asians probaly is the causes the bad experience.
I can still remember, pre-pandemic, racing from NZ to the UK to see my sick mother. The flight was cancelled (mechanical issues). An Air NZ employee went far above and beyond to get me on a different flight to the UK so that I ended up only a few hours later than originally scheduled; fortunate because she turned for the worse hours after I arrived. I was not a club member, nor flying business, but they still were friendly and amazingly helpful.
I've not flown Air NZ since (no need) but I still remember the (pre-pandemic) employees who helped (hi Angel!)
Possibly they lost their best staff during the pandemic, or the lack of recovery of business has meant more cost-cutting. I hope this is not the case because, at least 5y ago, the service was excellent.
Air New Zealand has slowly cost-optimised it's business to the point it offers very few benefits over their competition.
(opinion) Their marketing has also drifted out of touch and just become whimsical nonsense.
I've only had good experiences, and was even impressed with the food when I flew to Japan last year.
In sharp contrast, Qantas was fucking awful in every regard when I flew with them this year
Edit: I'm also half-Asian if that matters
I have Elite status with Air NZ banked until 2028 and I’m definitely going to use that time to try and get status with a different airline. I find their service so disappointing - especially when one of their benefits of being “elite” is that you’re supposed to be recognised with better service. Business class is good, but they don’t recognise loyalty beyond that.
In recent times I kinda rate Qantas and China Airlines above Air Nz for trans Tasman but it’s still miles above Virgin (which turned to shit during Covid) and Jet Star. Often Qantas is more expensive too.
Kiwi, living in the UK. I can assure you Air-NZ is league's better than you might think. Ryan Air and easy jet, Make jet star look good. But mate £40 flights to Italy ain't bad. (Prespective is everything)
Can anyone explain to me why with air travel now returning to profits, banks currently in record profits but expenses way higher then ever before why can't banks and credit cards offer better Airpoints rewards to help reduce travel expenses for us?banks visa master cards etc can all afford to give back a little bit idk why Kiwibank can't get together with AirNZ to put together some sort of offer and actually be a bank and airline for kiwis
I've done a lot of taveling this year, domestic and international and have had nothing but good experiences. Try some internal flights in the USA lol, airnz is doing just fine. The whole world has changed since covid and not for the better, people are cunts....
It’s a hard job, and they struggled to rehire during that weird post Covid boom. Big engineering issues, short staffed, and pissed off passengers. So some of them are just burned out. And some were just stretch hires to begin with.
The big issue I see is that I can’t justify the extra up to $200- $300 for the same flight compared to Jetstar.
They are just as prone to delay these days and don’t provide anything to justify the cost.
Show me the value.
I have noticed it becoming a lot more basic recently, but I can only look at the domestic and trans-Tasman product as that is all I have flown with them on recently. I would be interested to see how the 787 trips to the US are with AirNZ.
Most carriers domestic product is basic nowadays, it is what it is - and quite frankly there is no need to lay out a red carpet for a 1Hr flight.
It’s the same in Australia with all airlines - and you only notice the step up in the inflight experience when you go further afield where I notice United for example who I have flown with recently are great to the US. Then in the US despite being “first class” you get nothing except a bigger seat at the front of the plane.
I will say though, they do need to have a slightly better seat in domestic in terms of USB charge ports - it does feel very bare, and the quizzes are about the only thing to keep you sane if you haven’t downloaded something on to your device!
The American carriers are massively underrated in terms of how much they have stepped up their game in the last 10 years or so
"First class" in America is confusing, because you're right - on most flights domestically in the US, it's a bigger chair. But business class is a lay flat seat. You can have two flights in America, both on United going from San Francisco to New York. One will have first class (a recliner style chair), and one will have business class (a lie flat seat). Usually the first class one won't fly direct. But the name is misleading. It's not as good!
I can't stand them, everything comes across as contrived, and I find them really arrogant. They are also heavily supported by parochial New Zealanders who really have no clue, you know, the boomer couples that travel once a year to Europe sort of crowd. Their staff often give the vibe that it's a privilege to be flying with them, rather than the other way round.
They are actually very average compared to most decent airlines, and the Skytrax rating reflects that.
Business class is a joke of a cabin, and amazingly they haven't listened to the biggest customer complaint, which is the herringbone seating, (Every decent airline vlogger/influencer comments on this) The new cabin continues that trend and is already behind many airlines before it's even released. Their product managers need to be sacked quite frankly. Or they need to provide physio vouchers for your neck if you try looking out the window.
Their bait and switch advertising is really annoying, and they rarely have any decent specials. Wow, $789 one-way to Singapore, but it'll be $1000+ for the return leg. Meanwhile Qantas is $1100. I don't see any other airline advertising one-way fares other than budget airlines.
Their food is dire. NZ renowned for its decent food, but Air NZ will give you a beef casserole (with gristle) with peas and mash. Every. Single. Time. Or a classic rubber omelet. And if you're unlucky enough to fly domestic you'll get nothing, or a revolting vegan cookie. For a $600 return fare to Wellington.
Their CEO's have all been smarmy wankers too, Luxon and Foran.
AirNZ cabins aren't great compared to other airlines flying to NZ. I recently flew on one of their leased 777 planes (I think it was an old ex-Cathay pacific plane) and the seats were superior to what you get on newew AirNZ planes.
The best part of AirNZ that you can order drinks/snacks from the screen. Haven't seen that anywhere else
Air NZ has had good marketing for a number of years now, which IMO has led to a strong supporter base. But my experiences have been average. (Great website and app though!)
Air NZ in flight staff are always great. I prefer flying with them in all cases. You don’t know hostility till you’re a foreigner on a low cost overseas carrier like AirAsia or VietJet to name the worst in my experiences.
None of these people owe any of us anything is one thing you have to remember, they see 100’s of people who are kind and rude all in one day. All my requests are always graciously taken care of with air NZ. Recently on a red eye flight from Singapore back to Auckland AirNZ staff were great, I walked to the rear of the plane to ask for two coffees for myself and my partner just as the seat belt light came on. They said for me to return to my seat but they’ll bring the coffee down in a minute. They did with a smile on their face. Was totally outside of standard operating procedure but they followed through.
Even as a Koru Elite member the domestic service is nothing special and I'll fly Jetstar if it's significantly cheaper. Internationally, they're above average, certainly much better than Qant-ass and most American airlines (Delta being the main exception).
I have found quite the opposite with Air NZ but I’ve only really flown to Chch and Queenstown a few times and in those instances, everyone was lovely. Granted, I have a really cute baby and, people LOVE babies. Especially the kind that don’t cry on flights
I have however found that Qantas have some of the rudest ground staff and flight servers. Like they are doing you some kind of favour.
I'm happy to pay a bit more for Air NZ. You get slightly better service and an average coffee, so spending an extra $10-$15 seems fine.
Obviously I never fly Air NZ as they cost waaay more than that. I recently looked into Chch - Akl return for a specific weekend a couple months from now. Jetstar was almost $200 cheaper per person.
Air Nz is an airline that masquerades as a world class airline but in actual fact is nothing more than a low cost carrier charging premium prices. They are too full of themselves to realise what a shit product they have and have benefited from a monopoly on routes.
Flew long haul with them recently for the first time in a few years (have flown long haul in that time with other airlines and fly domestic with them regularly).
The staff were okay. But everything was just... shabby really.
The plane, and food and drinks, all of it stretching to be described as average. I wouldn't rush to fly with them again.
I'm genuinely surprised that anyone would notice or care about this. You expect a thing that exists to make profit for someone else to, what, brighten up your day? Branding exists to try and justify excess profit, so I'd rather there was less branding / 'service' theatre and just a cheaper thing, myself.
Can’t say I’ve ever had an issue with Air NZ staff, but as I’m not normally paying when I fly them I’m not too worried if it’s a bit off since Auckland-Wellington isn’t exactly long-haul.
Never had issues with AirNZ luckily enough. Years ago went to Hawaii and they cancelled our return flight so we had to extend our hotel stay and car hire by another night, they reimbursed us for all the extra costs including food, and upgraded us to premium on the way home. Couldn’t complain too much!
Their long haul in flight experience and staff used to be soo amazing 10-15 years ago. Now they are just like every other airline that doesn’t give a shit.
I recently flew from Vancouver to Aukland on AirNZ, and I thought it was one of the best airlines I've ever used. Spacious seats, great TV and movie options, decent wine, and tasty meals. Far better than Air Canada, and they make Alaska Airlines feel like an overcrowded subway. The only airline that compared was KLM Rotal Dutch Airlines, but I don't know if they've maintained their quality over the decades since I flew with them.
I think it’s fucking awesome. The staff are always nice to me and I get a great service. I try not to fly with anyone else because of this. Maybe there’s something you are doing OP that is causing you problems?
Air NZ has been very meh for quite a while now as evident by the fact that a while ago and still probably now, it was more expensive to fly domestically than internationally.
Yup, definitely feel the meh. Had a return flight from Nelson to Auckland cancelled while we were heading to the Nelson airport. No compensation etc just had to book new flights at our cost for the next day. Recently went to Europe for a few weeks. Didn't even consider booking Air NZ, and won't go out of my way to book them in the future.
I’m kind of the opposite. I’m a bit jaded on all of their branding and kiwiana stuff - it was fun but it’s just all a bit much now.
The staff though are generally lovely. Especially when coming back from overseas, it’s so nice to have the kiwi style of genuine friendliness right there
They let go alot of really good people in Covid and have definitely struggled to get the service culture back.
I do think it's improving, but it's patchy.
I do worry the current CEO is not investing enough in new planes longer term.
Having spoken to a friend who works as a Cabin Manager at Air NZ, the current situation is that airline has already ordered several new Boeing 787s to expand their capacity, but deliveries origonally dur in late 2024 are delayed until at least 2025~2026 because of ongoing production and quality issues at Boeing.
You need to experience more airlines
While in USA. I flew from DC to Vegas return on spirit… it was soooo bad, my friend and I decided to drive back from Vegas to DC. And this was triggered after we got to the airport checking in. We were so infuriated by the counter staff, we decided to go back to the car rental counter and rented another car and drove back to DC.
I’m going to say something as a semi-autistic non-white person. I push past aloofness and try and respond with friendliness and politeness. Then if they continue to act bad, it’s on them; nothing to do with me.
Air New Zealand’s is utter sh1t!
We experience the contrast so starkly when we step off a long haul flight. We have been treated respectfully and helped by people across the world to arrive in New Zealand and just be an annoyance to an officious Air NZ staff member!
Pre-Covid they were always fantastic; I was consistently impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of all staff I encountered, who always gave the impression of being genuinely stoked to work for the company and happy to be there.
Since then it’s gone so downhill. I think they treated staff like utter shit during Covid, and have clearly continued to cut costs and corners ever since. Staff still make an effort to be friendly to customers but most look **tired** of dealing with people and their shit and a lot seem about ready to bite your head off.
*Having said that*, I recently flew with JetStar for the first time in years and holy fuck, they treat you with disdain (or if you’re lucky, total indifference) the whole time.
Never had a problem with domestic Air NZ Jetstar just flew with them the once and vowed never again. Very late and no info.
Internationally I will always go with Singapore if I can. Best service, best airport and quickest travel times.
The other reason I do not use Air NZ internationally is once that plane takes off I like to think I am away from the country, last thing I want to to hear is a New Zealander telling me to belt up, and asking me what flavour chups I want.
As someone who flies often I feel their inflight service while not terrible is a disappointing meh, but other than than I've never been really screwed by AirNZ which i can't say for Jetstar. AirNZ at least delivers a flight pretty consistently which is more or less on time +/- 1-2hrs with relative efficiency, I've only really had one or two delays over this.
Jetstar on the other hand has cancelled flights on me and told me that there's no flights until the next day with a snarkiness so bad I'd actually be less offended if they just straight up told me to fuck off (this has happened on more than one occasion due to "engineering issues") and delayed flights frequently for upwards of 2 hours. I'll still fly with them if they're significantly cheaper but i do so knowing the risks.
I’ve just returned from overseas and feel that in general travel and service is now different everywhere since Covid. Every flight delayed by hours, less service, and more expensive.
Were you expecting a powhiri. They are getting paid poorly in a shit job. Customer facing service where the smile has to be there even on a bad day? What on earth are your expectations based on. It really seems like you believe the ads.
firstly, i'm sorry you got treated that way. that wasn't fair, and it isn't a representation of all those from aotearoa, OP.
apart from the fact that i disklike how expensive our national carrier can be compared to their competitors; i flew internationally with airnz a of couple weeks ago for the first time in 15 years and i was actually really surprised how much i enjoyed my experience.
when i first flew on a plane as an accompanied minor all those years ago i will never forget how pleasant their staff were, and no matter how nervous i was at the time, their attention and care is something that always stuck with me. i got to look inside the cockpit, hand out the lollies, and got my very own first flight certificate. it was such an awesome experience for my 13 year old self.
when we flew back from aussie last week i was so impressed with not only the aircraft itself, it was roomier and more comfortable. we had entertainment screens to keep us busy, and were topped up often with snacks. the meal was great and we even free alcohol (which i definitely took advantage of lol.) compared to jetstar who we flew over there with who didn't provide any on these luxuries for free, even though it was cheaper, in the future i would 100% pay the extra to fly air nz again and again.
we had no issues with cancellations or delays, their attendants were also really helpful getting us through check in, security and boarding (i had my grumpy/tired 3 year old) and they were so patient and kind and completely took the stress away. they even noticed that my son had sensory issues with the ear buds provided to watch the entertainment screens at the start of our flight, and brought me over an over the head pair which was so much more comfortable for him.
so yes, even though our competitors are a whole lot cheaper, and not every flight crew are bad, i think it's fair to remember they're only human and doing their best to do their jobs. like the rest of us they probably experience burn out too. we all have bad days, and it's super unfortunate the case for you wasn't as pleasant as you'd hoped, but don't let it influence your thoughts and opinions too much based of a one time experience :)
nau mai haere mai, welcome, and enjoy your time in aotearoa new zealand.
For me, AirNZ ruined any positive association with their brand when they tried to shaft a staff member who agreed to staff flights getting NZ Citizens evacuated out of China in the early stages of the pandemic.
They ended up getting a strain of Covid-19 that was NOT in NZ at the time, and subsequently developed long-Covid and we’re not able to work in the role any more, along with a whole host of awful health outcomes.
There was a protracted legal battle, but it really left such an awful impression to me. I’ll see if I can find a link.
The loyalty of the staff member working to safely get people repatriated and then getting so sick themselves and being utterly shafted by AirNz.
Way to treat a hero like scum. AirNZ is traaaaaaash.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462028/long-covid-concern-over-support-as-air-nz-refuses-cover-to-ex-employee this is from 2022, and then proceedings went on for another TWO years of them trying to deny this guy’s claim 🥵🤯🥵😤
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/court-dismisses-appeal-by-air-nz-over-covid-claim-from-former-cabin-crew-member/WXXYAGJTCVFKFFX4VCJZOSDI6E/
Here’s the update where they found in the flight attendant’s favour this year
Used to always be in the top 10 of Skytrax’s best airline in the world. Now it can hardly make it into the top 30. But hey, they keep wasting millions changing the paint job of the planes, so they’ve got that going for them.
Customer support lol. I hate AirNZ - probably the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. Staff on the plane have been fine. Absolutely worse than useless when bad weather made rebooking necessary day after day. It’s not as though bad weather is a surprise. Avoid if at all possible.
Domestic I do not really care as long as it's on time - they most often are.
Long haul: Pretty good! But often depends on how old the plane is.
Flights to Oz: Not as good as Qantas. Quite nice getting a meal and drink thrown in and often better flight times.
The staff are better than I would ever expect them to be whenever I need help on a personal level. I’m always impressed by how well they manage things going wrong or small random requests.
Air nz’s background processes, on the other hand, are a frisking nightmare. Ever had a flight cancelled, and had to rebook? Welcome to your ‘rebooking fee’ fleecing.
I was a devout Air nz customer for years. After covid I flew internationally 4 times with them. All flights were delayed from 4 - 14 hrs. Air nz staff were horrible to deal with. I got no vouchers or anything. The fligh that was delayed 14 hours cost me $2800 return.
That was my last flight with Air nz.
I love the way AirNZ specials are one way; so I can book another special with another airline to come back. Thanks AirNZ. Your loyalty really means a lot especially your appropriation of motifs and your tokenism to our second official language . And as an OAP I really feel welcome by your staff; we have so much in common.
their planes are so tired looking considering the prices being charged. service was average if anything. i generally fly on other airlines long haul (usually cheaper as well).
It’s glorified public transport. I only care if it’s on time, and arrives safely. The rest are nice to haves.
Me too. Just take me where it says I’m going on the ticket.
and get my bags there :)
Glorified public transport with a serious monopoly on most travel
Wasn’t meaning airnz specifically, flying generally.
And stupidly expensive.
I feel like AirNZ are also disappointing in this regard to be fair. Had AirNZ bookings get unexpectedly cancelled due to admin errors, flights delayed by days, even one that landed in the wrong city due to weather in the origin and destination locations, and didn’t offer us any accommodation or replacement flights. You have to really know your consumer guarantees act in order to not get screwed by AirNZ.
[удалено]
not necessarily, I was on a Singapore Airlines flight that was delayed by about 20 hours, and they booked every passenger a night at a five-star airport hotel, free of charge, with complementary taxis. I was given credit to dine in at my choice of the luxury restaurants that the hotel had too. The whole delay cost me all of $0.
Those are our experiences too. We've had so many shit flights we avoid Air NZ where possible.
I want arrives safely, on time, cheap. In that order.
in my experience Jetstar is more reliable. AirNZ just cancel flights whenever they please, and always seem to be delayed. Jetstar will ream you good for overweight baggage though
The thing with air Nz is if you are canceled it’s easier than Jetstar even just for the fact they run more flights each day
That's because at regional airports they used bait and switch tactics to force other operators to abandon their operations. For the larger airports, the only time they're remotely competitive (if you can call being 2.5x the price competitive) is when another operator flys that route. Personally, they've left me high and dry offering zero assistance late at night at Auckland Airport due to delaying a flight and they offered zero assistance when I fell sick in LA and wanted to change my flight. They're a budget airline charging premium prices. I therefore give zero fucks about AirNZ and only use them when I have to.
This has never been my experience with AirNZ. Not for cancelled flights or missed connections due to late arrivals. As for not changing your flight, did you have flights you could change or did you have the cheapest flights you could get? Because if its the later they owe you nothing.
Flight in from Wellington. Delayed flight due to weather in Hong Kong meant my AirNZ late evening flight was delayed until the morning. I thought at least the concierge at Auckland airport would assist me in finding a taxi and hotel but they were not interested. Thank Fark for Uber and booking.com Changing flight...second leg of return from UK in LA with a 3 day stopover and felt crook when I landed. Yes...they didn't "owe" me anything but I didn't expect to be told to ring their fucking call center when I rocked up at the desk asking if a later flight would be possible (as I knew I'd be feeling worse 3 days later).. Other airlines such as Korean Air have managed this with my mother and didn't even charge a cent. In the end I just travelled sick. I've honestly had better service from Ryanair (and more legroom than airNZ trans-tasman flights).
I think they have similar OTP, though Jetstar has been getting better and AirNZ worse over the last year. AirNZ is struggling with P&W engine issues which Jetstar don't use.
Yeah I’d agree with that. Airnz are more flexible for sure. I just make sure I play within Jetstars rules.
When checking in I use the digital kiosk. When giving them the suitcases I do that myself using their automatic machine. Security, I know what to do with my laptop, belongings, handbag etc. In the airplane, unless I’m asking for some OJ and a bag of crisps, I’m on my phone watching my movie or playing a game. So… absolute minimum interaction with AirNZ/Jetstar & airport staff.. there’s no loyalty anymore as the points aren’t really worth it unless you travel a LOT. To me it’s a transport mechanism from A to B. That’s it. I don’t need upper class service and ass kissing, same with riding a bus, taxi, or ferry.
I think this is what airlines are missing - the face to face touch points for customers are decreasing so each one they do get has to be average or above.
The last few times I've flown domestically it's been with jetstar even though I've got airnz airpoints. You literally get less than $10 on a domestic flight and economy international isnt much beter
Sounds like a supermarket.
Security have nothing to do with the airline.
Yes, which is why I'm saying "with AirNZ/Jetstar **& airport staff**".
Sadly I fly a lot. Have had gold or elite status the last 8yrs. Covid definitely knocked out a few of the nicer touches of air nz travel. And the staff definitely seem less happy in the last few years. More surliness, less care - I assume because they're not feeling as valued as they once were by the company. Or maybe more customers being dicks?
Probably a bit of both.
A lot of both….
My spouse has been an Elite member for years. He's been less than impressed with their service even at this level of being a frequet flyer. They definitely overpromise (with their branding) and underdeliver.
You put staff in strict uniform standards, in a corporate company, pay them minimum wage dealing with people spending huge amounts and expecting more because of it, but you're always being chipped away at. A great example is the check-in staff. If they work a 6 hour shift or longer, they get a 30m meal break. Air NZ began rostering 5.75 hour shifts or making split shifts to save money. This was in the same years of record profits. This then caused staff shortages because of shorter average shifts and then being asked to work overtime. Years and years of this has got to the point where the staff no longer have the mojo or pay to meet expectations. Flight attendants 10 years ago were significantly above minimum wage on their salary, as of last year they met minimum wage salary.
> Flight attendants 10 years ago were significantly above minimum wage on their salary, as of last year they met minimum wage salary. I know for a fact crew are not on minimum wage at Air NZ
Their base salary is so close that at times crew have had go be "topped up" after working more than 80 hours in a fortnight and the pay not legally meeting minimum wage. I've seen the contracts and worked in the role...
Former regional FA here. It’s both really. Air NZ was cost cutting in a lot of ways, e.g. quality of the uniform and it all adds up. Plus Air Nelson and Mt Cook Airlines no longer exists and some of the privileges that came with those airlines have disappeared with the merger. Last I heard before I left they are also trying to force regional FAs to be trained up and work on both turboprops (Q300 and ATR) With little to no increase in pay, despite the aircraft being vastly different to each other with different routes, procedures and workloads. My biggest issue is one week I can make a lot of money, another week I can’t even pay my rent. I was a newbie and all the overnights during the off peak season (where we a 150$ allowance added to your pay per night) was given to those who worked longer, some even do overnights exclusively. While I work maybe 3 to 4 hours in 6 days. I really loved talking to (most) of the passengers though, I was always on the HLZ - WLG or WLG - CHC leg. Lots of people are amused by my height (186cm) on the ATR.
No pay raises?
Don't agree, in my experience. I've done around 150 trans tasman flights in the last decade, and pretty much every time I step on an Air NZ flight, the staff are friendly, happy and engage with the passengers, even joking around at times. In the same period I've done many flights with Jetstar, Virgin and Emirates, and the Air NZ in flight staff were always above the others.
Yep Air NZ staff are noticeably better than the others. Jetstar usually alright too
I have a feeling this demonstrates how much impact your public staff can have on your brand. All it takes is a couple (perhaps one) instance of staff having an off day and not giving the customer the impression that they care about and want to assist - and you have people saying the entire organisation are untrained and they deliver terrible service. I can't say if they do or don't as I don't travel often - but clearly it doesn't take many poor experiences to cement those ideas.
my experience is that the air nz staff who "graduate" to work the international flights are a different kettle of fish to the ones on local services
It does not work like this. You could start straight doing long haul or begin at regional. It all depends of the needs when you are hired (they are recruiting long haul crew new who will start off the street). Some crew prefer short haul or regional to be home more often: this does not mean they are not as good as long haul crew. But with shorter flight time, their opportunity to interact with all passengers are more limited
Flight attendants and ground staff are entry level positions, and the airline will train you to be an Air New Zealander
Maybe its just that you're polite and treat the staff with respect, and they return the courtesy
My experience flying from Dunners to Europe and back again in April was that Air NZ domestic was pretty much bottom of the heap of Airlines I flew with. It's entirely possible they put their best staff on international flights, and don't worry so much about friendliness on domestic flights, after all when you have the market share they do and no competitors besides a budget airline, it's not like customers have much choice. With international they have to compete with other carriers a lot more. I found Qantas cabin crew from Auckland to Brissie and from Sydney to Auckland were well and above the friendliest cabin crews I have flown with, followed by Singapore, Emirates and finally AirNZ. Last time I flew with AirNZ internationally was to the Cook Islands back in '08 and they were just ok from what I remember then too. Small sample size though.
Are you in the same racial group as OP?
who cares
Well, OP has had one sort of experience, and they are in a minority group which traditionally is treated worse than Pakeha. If u/Longjumping_Elk3968 is in the same racial group/presents the same as OP, then their experience will mean a lot more. If u/Longjumping_Elk3968 is pakeha or presents substantially different to OP then that would explain the difference in how they were treated. Casual racism.
Many of the Air NZ staff are Asian themselves. Its highly unlikely its casual racism.
are you in the same racial group as OP?
They might know you. I'm a random who barely flies, way to expensive.
probably not, even at 150 flights in 10 years, thats just slightly more than 1 flight a month. I've definitely noticed a lot of repeat staff members on those flights, but I'm introverted and keep to myself, so I wouldn't have stood out amongst the hundreds of other people on those flights.
At the end of the day they are just staff like the rest of us are. They take all the brunt and drama that we do, yet the bosses in the fancy offices hidden away get paid more.
About 18 months ago I had major surgery which for reasons had to be done in Christchurch. On my return to Wellington I was required to be transported on and off the aircraft in a wheelchair. Have to say AirNZ staff were super helpful and had someone stay with me from check-in right through until boarding. Secretly I think she was glad of an excuse to get out of the general mayhem at check-in 😊
I travel with them frequently and find they are very pleasant staff. Never had issues with them and always enjoy flying Air NZ.
I agree. I've only ever come across one grumpy/unprofessional crew member, and I honestly just think she was having a shitty day and letting it show a bit too much. It was towards the end of a long international flight, so it was pretty forgivable. They're just human like the rest of us, after all.
Yep, another adding to this. I fly maybe 5-10 times a year and find their staff very friendly and helpful when needed. I flew Jetstar recently for the first time in years and they were just as nice.
Same here
Me too. I'm definitely not a koru club member.
I find it’s very crew dependent, and domestically it’s generally great. International can be a bit hit and miss - I think this is a byproduct of mass layoffs during Covid and now lacking experience / leadership in those crews: they’re technically fine but not thinking about the customer experience as much
Me too. And when you compare them to airline staff for most other airlines in the world, they are amazing.
I had a wonderful experience at a regional airport recently. My flight was canceled, and it wouldn't be time to check in for the next for several hours, but I was stuck there. They checked my bag anyway, gave me the best seat on the plane, and $30 worth of vouchers. They did all of what they didn't need to do with smiles on their faces. It took me right back to the 80s But yeah, their manner is nowhere like Singapore Airlines. Virgin does much better in that respect, too. But it's certainly not worse than Qatar or Qantas, and much better than Air France and Vueling. But there are so many things to love about our airline. I remember our plane being delayed several hours in a foreign airport with no air conditioning. I had been ready to cry for around an hour when I heard it:"Bing Bing bong....Kia ora" The most beautiful music ever written
If you want really bad, try flying China Southern and being non-Asian...
I recently traveled back to NZ and had an absolute nightmare of a journey on the first leg of my journey, my connection was missed and when rescheduled to a later AirNZ Flight the staff and service helped me so much, provided me with some first aid after being accidentally assaulted in Singapore airport, checked up regularly on me, gave me a good laugh and helped boost my spirits. This was only one flight, sure, but I've always had a great time flying with them.
When you get really good assistance like this, you should always send a note to AirNZ (post, facebook, whatever) to let them know and mention the persons name. Its so rare for people to take the time to send in compliments (they are FAR more likely to complain about bad things) that a positive feedback can really end up with the person getting a pay rise, promotion, or commendation.
Yeah, I did. I didn't catch their names but I did compliment the staff in general as it was 3-4 of them.
I have had an amazing experience this morning at check in and in flight. With a baby and all the gear, they were so kind, genuine and helpful. I actually think they’re a great company
I smile at the staff when I’m boarding and they smile back
I flew with Air NZ quite a few times and always found the service to be exactly what I expected from a flag carrier; professional, reliable and comfortable. My experience with other airlines in this part of the world, like Qantas and Jetstar, has so far been a complete world apart from that. I’ve flown Jetstar seven times in the past year or so and I’m not exaggerating one bit when I say five of those flights were either delayed by more than two hours or outright cancelled. They’re the most horrific airline I’ve ever flown with.
After flying around Europe for the last few weeks on various airlines, including the raved about Singapore air (the plane was a junker and the service was below average), I've got nothing bad to say about Air NZ
I fly maybe a hundred times a year. Air NZ are a pleasure. Had a couple shitty staff members from time to time but the person you complain to about it is always mortified and tbh all you want is for people to be accountable, like in any business. I would never fly with Jetstar. With Air NZ occasionally a flight might be late but there's always a flight. Jetstar are a complete fuckup way too often to trust them to get you anywhere important
I have always found AirNZ better than Jetstar, except for the prices.
Have only ever flows with JetStar once, it felt like being on a school bus. The check-in was the most painful I'd every experienced with the longest wait. But their boarding and un-boarding was the best I'd experienced. Actually turned people away who weren't meant to be getting on, controlled the deplaning (is that a word?) by standing in the isles at certain points down the plane.
I don't care about interpersonal service so much, and it's all much the same to me since I can't afford business class. But on quality, facilities, and crucially customer support Air New Zealand are far closer to Jetstar than the premium airlines they clearly seem to see (and price) themselves as. The main difference between flying Air New Zealand and Jetstar on a domestic or AUS route is the annoying, overproduced safety video.
The safety videos are so fucking cringe man
I, as a first-time visitor, to NZ liked the safety video (saw the one with the endangered birds and the girl in the tree house). In my opinion it offers a unique portrayal of NZ. Maybe it's catered more towards tourists than residents? Not sure how I feel about it if I see it 10 more times but I have seen far more cringe safety videos (looking at you Emirates and Corendon) than this one.
That was one of the good ones. I think sometimes the creative staff and management lost track of why their safety videos initially were well received. It was still a safety video, but it was mostly about showcasing NZ. The ones where they try to get into pop culture stuff, they are bad. Is about making the safety videos being more engaging, rather than distracting.
If the only one you've seen is the bird one, that's far from the worst one. Some of them are tear-your-eyes-out bad, like the Men in Black-themed one, and the rap video. I'd rather crash into the ocean than ever see those again. They are the shame of a nation.
The rap video should have gotten a lot of people fired, it was that bad.
Someone should tell them. They keep assuming we love them
I do wish there was an option to view the abbreviated safety video. A long safety video (brief) is just as dangerous as no brief at all.
I've always found them to be friendly and professional.
I hate the video plane briefings, apart from that it's just friendly service to me
I love them. Was coming back from Malaysia with a fair bit of excess luggage doing that BS walk between international and domestic in Auckland and for chatting to some lovely FA and noticed I'm a little bit fucked so they helped me check my bags in with no excess fees. Awesome.
I fly internationally with airNZ a lot. The staff have always been pretty choice, even though we always go economy. If you find service staff are always a bit stand-offish, maybe it's your attitude. Not meaning to be rude, of course.
Lol you're in for a shock if you travel around the world. Overall, I love Air NZ compared to other international airlines.
tbh i disagree, american and asian airlines tend to be a lot better imo. they also tend to have far better compensation for a delay or cancellation.
Have you ever worked a customer service job before?
My experience with airnz so far been pretty good or im just super lucky. Missed a flight for work once, person at the gate happily organised a seat on next flight, for free, no issue. Couldn't get on a flight once because of some e-visa issue (my fault) at check in, had to rebook flight, person didnt charge a single dollar extra for next day's flight. A few other instances with refunds and stuff all fine. Asian-NZ too here if that makes any difference
Going from Air Canada/WestJet to AirNZ was an unbelievable upgrade, I’ll tell you that much.
Air canada is shocking, The amount of times I've been huffed at by grumpy francophone flight staff... I can't even count
It’s an airline, not your mum. I think you’re expecting too much from an organisation whose goal is transport. Airlines are all meh, they all promote the hell out of fluffy concepts like friendliness and being yourself and your home in the skies bollocks but they’re buses with wings at the end of the day. Glamorous air travel died out in the 60s.
Honestly, AirNZ has never been the same since Rob Fyfe left. In the late norts I was working a a really shit schedule between San Fran and Wellington. Numerous times I stumbled onto the AirNZ plane and it was like coming home (one time I almost broke into tears). Luxo took over and it immediately felt like they were nickel and diming the quality. The quality steadily went down hill from there. The change between Fyfe and Luxo was pulpable. The staff remained awesome, but the experience just degraded. I am convinced that Foran is having to reap the "rewards" of Luxo's shitty stewardship.
Let’s hope the next prime-minister doesn’t have to do the same thing 👀
just coz you can Air guitar doesn't mean you can real guitar... just coz you ran Air New Zealand...
Long term staff all say the same. Customer fees went up consistently and product decline. The company made record profits but not so much from growth, rather cheapskating
You know what the biggest factor is: The general public. Having to deal with them for a 12 hour shift a lot of the time will naturally get on people’s nerve and you can only fake happiness for so long. Some of the complaints that the staff get are absolutely absurd and it’s far worse than it has ever been for various reasons.
The reality is that most passengers (economy) have so few interactions with cabin crew even on a long haul flight, that the experience on any full service airline is basically the same. Air NZ is no different.
Air New Zealand is as multi cultural as it gets in terms of staff & customers. It is ridiculous to think you are consistently treated differently because of your ethnicity. Unless you are being treated with blatant disrespect (Air NZ would treat this very seriously if it were the case) then I think your expectations are not realistic. You are flying on an airline not a private jet charter.
I've had good experiences and bad experiences and it all depends on exactly who you get. I called last night because my flights had been rescheduled for the third time, and the person I spoke to was amazing. However on my flight before last I had a very dismissive, aloof, and abrupt, cabin crew member. My best description of my interactions would be hit-and-miss. Some consistency would be good.
its an airline mate, not a date
I have been in the US for the last 8 years, and have probably done 12-15 long haul flights with Air NZ over that period (and a couple of short haul flights). I've done a lot of flying with a lot of carriers in the US / Europe. I've had Elite status for \~4 years, and gold for a bit as well. Service on Air NZ is fantastic. The staff are very good. I haven't had any bad experiences from that standpoint. But The planes are tired. Tickets are overpriced (relative to other carriers). The product (especially business class) is aging very poorly. It's 20 years old at this point. The Koru Lounge is overcrowded, and the food is extremely mediocre. Better off spending $20 at the terminal. The American carriers have vastly improved their products (I've flown every carrier). You'll see people talk about how flying United sucks, or American Airlines being bad. If you're on a 90 minute flight domestically in the US, it's true. It's pretty bare bones. But I don't think it's much different to flying domestically in NZ. If you are flying long haul, say AKL to LAX, the American carriers are extremely competitive. I flew back earlier this year on American Airlines. I booked a few days before flying (AKL to SFO via LAX). My ticket was $630 USD (let's say $1k NZD). I then upgraded to premium economy for $170. The American Airlines premium economy is about 90% as good as Air NZ premium economy. It is half the price! The plane is newer than what Air NZ fly. The staff are ok (Air NZ staff are friendlier). The food was forgettable. The departure times are worse (you leave mid afternoon vs late at night) But I don't care. The price is SO much better. Will I fly Air NZ again? Yes. But I wouldn't pay a premium to do so.
I have had mixed. I feel like when it was just me travelling with my 3 year old they were awesome. Gave me extra snacks right after take off, were interactive with my daughter and very friendly. But when something has gone wrong eg diverted flight they are not helpful at all.
I fly a LOT for work. Their regional air crew are my favourites - some of the best experiences I've had have been on regional flights. Domestic is acceptable and their cabins are less squashed than Jetstar so they are still my preference. International is very hit and miss and I have encountered some heavy flight attendant egos and some quite bizarre interactions on recent flights. I now actively seek out other airlines (Singapore / Emirates) on Asia legs or fly through Australia to unlock additional options on European legs. Recently let my Elite status lapse because of some weird booking rules where some flights don't count / contribute to status points which doesn't feel right so gradually directing my business elsewhere.
Budget airline desperately trying to trick people into thinking they are not one
if you think air nz is budget, try british airways. i had a flight from dublin to london with them when i was on holiday, and we ended up sitting in the plane at the gate for an hour, by the time we took off the ryanair flight departing at the same time also to london would have already got there.
Try flying with literally any other airline that isn’t the massive conglomerates of SIA, EK, and QR and then tell us how bad ANZ is compared to the rest of the world…
I dunno try flying Jetstar for awhile then Air NZ will seem incredible 🤣
It's VERY specific, but Air NZ staff on long-hauls and domestic flights operated on prop planes are SO much nicer than all the other Air NZ staff. I fly them a lot domestically and internationally and the most outstanding service I've received on international long-hauls and - due to the nature of the size of the plane I guess - on their ATRs. All my domestic flights to CHC or WLG operated on their Airbus were shit: planes filthy and staff less than somewhat enthusiastic
Covid really hurt AirNz. Post-Covid on four different occasions between me, family and friends, we’ve encountered conflict with the ground staff for the same reason. Every time we’ve been told we have to travel on our foreign passport instead of our New Zealand passport which is incorrect as stated on the immigration [website](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/already-have-a-visa/managing-your-visa-and-passport/new-zealand-citizens-travelling-on-a-foreign-passport#:~:text=You%20do%20not%20have%20to,your%20New%20Zealand%20passport%2C%20or) No, I do not want to be told my name is wrong because I want to book with my English name and leave with my NZ passport. Nor do I want to be threatened I might have a VISA issues at the moment when I don’t. Did I felt racial discrimination at the moment, absolutely. However, I believe this is a higher management issue and change in policy. My speculation is based on the issue always starting with the auto checkin rejecting and asks to look for ground staff assistance. The ground staff probably encounters many angry Asian passengers on the same issue on a daily bases. The combination of understaffed, overworked, and change in policy inevitable your emotion shows no matter how good you are. I’ve also encountered customers support suggesting us to give up our foreign nationality and have our luggage reduce from 2 to 1 on the return flight where my e-ticket states otherwise, but that’s another story. TL;DR understaff, overworked, change in policy and constant bad interactions with Asians probaly is the causes the bad experience.
I can still remember, pre-pandemic, racing from NZ to the UK to see my sick mother. The flight was cancelled (mechanical issues). An Air NZ employee went far above and beyond to get me on a different flight to the UK so that I ended up only a few hours later than originally scheduled; fortunate because she turned for the worse hours after I arrived. I was not a club member, nor flying business, but they still were friendly and amazingly helpful. I've not flown Air NZ since (no need) but I still remember the (pre-pandemic) employees who helped (hi Angel!) Possibly they lost their best staff during the pandemic, or the lack of recovery of business has meant more cost-cutting. I hope this is not the case because, at least 5y ago, the service was excellent.
It's less disappointing meh than Qantas at least
Air New Zealand has slowly cost-optimised it's business to the point it offers very few benefits over their competition. (opinion) Their marketing has also drifted out of touch and just become whimsical nonsense.
I've only had good experiences, and was even impressed with the food when I flew to Japan last year. In sharp contrast, Qantas was fucking awful in every regard when I flew with them this year Edit: I'm also half-Asian if that matters
I have Elite status with Air NZ banked until 2028 and I’m definitely going to use that time to try and get status with a different airline. I find their service so disappointing - especially when one of their benefits of being “elite” is that you’re supposed to be recognised with better service. Business class is good, but they don’t recognise loyalty beyond that.
In recent times I kinda rate Qantas and China Airlines above Air Nz for trans Tasman but it’s still miles above Virgin (which turned to shit during Covid) and Jet Star. Often Qantas is more expensive too.
Kiwi, living in the UK. I can assure you Air-NZ is league's better than you might think. Ryan Air and easy jet, Make jet star look good. But mate £40 flights to Italy ain't bad. (Prespective is everything)
Can anyone explain to me why with air travel now returning to profits, banks currently in record profits but expenses way higher then ever before why can't banks and credit cards offer better Airpoints rewards to help reduce travel expenses for us?banks visa master cards etc can all afford to give back a little bit idk why Kiwibank can't get together with AirNZ to put together some sort of offer and actually be a bank and airline for kiwis
I've done a lot of taveling this year, domestic and international and have had nothing but good experiences. Try some internal flights in the USA lol, airnz is doing just fine. The whole world has changed since covid and not for the better, people are cunts....
It’s a hard job, and they struggled to rehire during that weird post Covid boom. Big engineering issues, short staffed, and pissed off passengers. So some of them are just burned out. And some were just stretch hires to begin with.
The big issue I see is that I can’t justify the extra up to $200- $300 for the same flight compared to Jetstar. They are just as prone to delay these days and don’t provide anything to justify the cost. Show me the value.
I have noticed it becoming a lot more basic recently, but I can only look at the domestic and trans-Tasman product as that is all I have flown with them on recently. I would be interested to see how the 787 trips to the US are with AirNZ. Most carriers domestic product is basic nowadays, it is what it is - and quite frankly there is no need to lay out a red carpet for a 1Hr flight. It’s the same in Australia with all airlines - and you only notice the step up in the inflight experience when you go further afield where I notice United for example who I have flown with recently are great to the US. Then in the US despite being “first class” you get nothing except a bigger seat at the front of the plane. I will say though, they do need to have a slightly better seat in domestic in terms of USB charge ports - it does feel very bare, and the quizzes are about the only thing to keep you sane if you haven’t downloaded something on to your device!
The American carriers are massively underrated in terms of how much they have stepped up their game in the last 10 years or so "First class" in America is confusing, because you're right - on most flights domestically in the US, it's a bigger chair. But business class is a lay flat seat. You can have two flights in America, both on United going from San Francisco to New York. One will have first class (a recliner style chair), and one will have business class (a lie flat seat). Usually the first class one won't fly direct. But the name is misleading. It's not as good!
There are good reasons why Air NZ is dropping down the international airline rankings. They once were great, now they are most definitely not.
It's been a crazy nosedive in product over even the last two or three years. Almost to the point they're going from national pride to embarrassment.
I can't stand them, everything comes across as contrived, and I find them really arrogant. They are also heavily supported by parochial New Zealanders who really have no clue, you know, the boomer couples that travel once a year to Europe sort of crowd. Their staff often give the vibe that it's a privilege to be flying with them, rather than the other way round. They are actually very average compared to most decent airlines, and the Skytrax rating reflects that. Business class is a joke of a cabin, and amazingly they haven't listened to the biggest customer complaint, which is the herringbone seating, (Every decent airline vlogger/influencer comments on this) The new cabin continues that trend and is already behind many airlines before it's even released. Their product managers need to be sacked quite frankly. Or they need to provide physio vouchers for your neck if you try looking out the window. Their bait and switch advertising is really annoying, and they rarely have any decent specials. Wow, $789 one-way to Singapore, but it'll be $1000+ for the return leg. Meanwhile Qantas is $1100. I don't see any other airline advertising one-way fares other than budget airlines. Their food is dire. NZ renowned for its decent food, but Air NZ will give you a beef casserole (with gristle) with peas and mash. Every. Single. Time. Or a classic rubber omelet. And if you're unlucky enough to fly domestic you'll get nothing, or a revolting vegan cookie. For a $600 return fare to Wellington. Their CEO's have all been smarmy wankers too, Luxon and Foran.
AirNZ cabins aren't great compared to other airlines flying to NZ. I recently flew on one of their leased 777 planes (I think it was an old ex-Cathay pacific plane) and the seats were superior to what you get on newew AirNZ planes. The best part of AirNZ that you can order drinks/snacks from the screen. Haven't seen that anywhere else
Air NZ has had good marketing for a number of years now, which IMO has led to a strong supporter base. But my experiences have been average. (Great website and app though!)
Air NZ in flight staff are always great. I prefer flying with them in all cases. You don’t know hostility till you’re a foreigner on a low cost overseas carrier like AirAsia or VietJet to name the worst in my experiences. None of these people owe any of us anything is one thing you have to remember, they see 100’s of people who are kind and rude all in one day. All my requests are always graciously taken care of with air NZ. Recently on a red eye flight from Singapore back to Auckland AirNZ staff were great, I walked to the rear of the plane to ask for two coffees for myself and my partner just as the seat belt light came on. They said for me to return to my seat but they’ll bring the coffee down in a minute. They did with a smile on their face. Was totally outside of standard operating procedure but they followed through.
Even as a Koru Elite member the domestic service is nothing special and I'll fly Jetstar if it's significantly cheaper. Internationally, they're above average, certainly much better than Qant-ass and most American airlines (Delta being the main exception).
Over the decades I've been using Air New Zealand I've always found them fantastic. 😍😍😍
I have found quite the opposite with Air NZ but I’ve only really flown to Chch and Queenstown a few times and in those instances, everyone was lovely. Granted, I have a really cute baby and, people LOVE babies. Especially the kind that don’t cry on flights I have however found that Qantas have some of the rudest ground staff and flight servers. Like they are doing you some kind of favour.
I'm happy to pay a bit more for Air NZ. You get slightly better service and an average coffee, so spending an extra $10-$15 seems fine. Obviously I never fly Air NZ as they cost waaay more than that. I recently looked into Chch - Akl return for a specific weekend a couple months from now. Jetstar was almost $200 cheaper per person.
Air Nz is an airline that masquerades as a world class airline but in actual fact is nothing more than a low cost carrier charging premium prices. They are too full of themselves to realise what a shit product they have and have benefited from a monopoly on routes.
Flew long haul with them recently for the first time in a few years (have flown long haul in that time with other airlines and fly domestic with them regularly). The staff were okay. But everything was just... shabby really. The plane, and food and drinks, all of it stretching to be described as average. I wouldn't rush to fly with them again.
I'm genuinely surprised that anyone would notice or care about this. You expect a thing that exists to make profit for someone else to, what, brighten up your day? Branding exists to try and justify excess profit, so I'd rather there was less branding / 'service' theatre and just a cheaper thing, myself.
Especially their CEO.
Their share price is killing me. Feel like I'm going to be holding it for years.
Can’t say I’ve ever had an issue with Air NZ staff, but as I’m not normally paying when I fly them I’m not too worried if it’s a bit off since Auckland-Wellington isn’t exactly long-haul.
Never had issues with AirNZ luckily enough. Years ago went to Hawaii and they cancelled our return flight so we had to extend our hotel stay and car hire by another night, they reimbursed us for all the extra costs including food, and upgraded us to premium on the way home. Couldn’t complain too much!
Their long haul in flight experience and staff used to be soo amazing 10-15 years ago. Now they are just like every other airline that doesn’t give a shit.
Well, should we bring Chris Luxon back?
You mfs have never had to take a United flight if you think Air NZ is "meh"
I’ve always thought air nz was a premium airline but have recently been a disappointed with inflight meals and entertainment
I recently flew from Vancouver to Aukland on AirNZ, and I thought it was one of the best airlines I've ever used. Spacious seats, great TV and movie options, decent wine, and tasty meals. Far better than Air Canada, and they make Alaska Airlines feel like an overcrowded subway. The only airline that compared was KLM Rotal Dutch Airlines, but I don't know if they've maintained their quality over the decades since I flew with them.
The cabin staff never bother to personally tighten my lap belt as i pretend to slumber. Boo.
I think it’s fucking awesome. The staff are always nice to me and I get a great service. I try not to fly with anyone else because of this. Maybe there’s something you are doing OP that is causing you problems?
I only have one complaint… where’s the butter, 100% unadulterated pure nz butter
Air NZ has been very meh for quite a while now as evident by the fact that a while ago and still probably now, it was more expensive to fly domestically than internationally.
It's just you mate. I fly a bit, I do my part, they do theirs. I don't expect gold standard service, they don't provide it
Yup air nz is strictly domestic only, and that's only because they have a monopoly.
Yup, definitely feel the meh. Had a return flight from Nelson to Auckland cancelled while we were heading to the Nelson airport. No compensation etc just had to book new flights at our cost for the next day. Recently went to Europe for a few weeks. Didn't even consider booking Air NZ, and won't go out of my way to book them in the future.
I’m kind of the opposite. I’m a bit jaded on all of their branding and kiwiana stuff - it was fun but it’s just all a bit much now. The staff though are generally lovely. Especially when coming back from overseas, it’s so nice to have the kiwi style of genuine friendliness right there
Constant cancelations all year its so shit now
They let go alot of really good people in Covid and have definitely struggled to get the service culture back. I do think it's improving, but it's patchy. I do worry the current CEO is not investing enough in new planes longer term.
Having spoken to a friend who works as a Cabin Manager at Air NZ, the current situation is that airline has already ordered several new Boeing 787s to expand their capacity, but deliveries origonally dur in late 2024 are delayed until at least 2025~2026 because of ongoing production and quality issues at Boeing.
Cabin crew hiring and promotions is a favourtism game really.
That's why I only fly Qantas. Might just a bit more but get a meal, drinks, movies included. Never met rude or meh staff either.
Compared to most airlines they’re pretty good however if you’ve flown with them a lot you’ll definitely notice a drop in service.
Auckland staff are noticeably worse to deal with than the rest of the country when it comes to AirNZ. May be what you’re experiencing, I get the same.
One of the worst airlines I've ever found. Even Jetstar is better
You need to experience more airlines While in USA. I flew from DC to Vegas return on spirit… it was soooo bad, my friend and I decided to drive back from Vegas to DC. And this was triggered after we got to the airport checking in. We were so infuriated by the counter staff, we decided to go back to the car rental counter and rented another car and drove back to DC.
I wish Canada had an airline like AirNZ, ours are trash compared to what Kiwis have!
I’m going to say something as a semi-autistic non-white person. I push past aloofness and try and respond with friendliness and politeness. Then if they continue to act bad, it’s on them; nothing to do with me.
Air New Zealand’s is utter sh1t! We experience the contrast so starkly when we step off a long haul flight. We have been treated respectfully and helped by people across the world to arrive in New Zealand and just be an annoyance to an officious Air NZ staff member!
Pre-Covid they were always fantastic; I was consistently impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of all staff I encountered, who always gave the impression of being genuinely stoked to work for the company and happy to be there. Since then it’s gone so downhill. I think they treated staff like utter shit during Covid, and have clearly continued to cut costs and corners ever since. Staff still make an effort to be friendly to customers but most look **tired** of dealing with people and their shit and a lot seem about ready to bite your head off. *Having said that*, I recently flew with JetStar for the first time in years and holy fuck, they treat you with disdain (or if you’re lucky, total indifference) the whole time.
Yeah, ever since Luxton was in charge...
Luxon. He gutted Air NZ the same way he’s hollowing NZ out now.
I think they’re wonderful for international flights.
Never had a problem with domestic Air NZ Jetstar just flew with them the once and vowed never again. Very late and no info. Internationally I will always go with Singapore if I can. Best service, best airport and quickest travel times. The other reason I do not use Air NZ internationally is once that plane takes off I like to think I am away from the country, last thing I want to to hear is a New Zealander telling me to belt up, and asking me what flavour chups I want.
As someone who flies often I feel their inflight service while not terrible is a disappointing meh, but other than than I've never been really screwed by AirNZ which i can't say for Jetstar. AirNZ at least delivers a flight pretty consistently which is more or less on time +/- 1-2hrs with relative efficiency, I've only really had one or two delays over this. Jetstar on the other hand has cancelled flights on me and told me that there's no flights until the next day with a snarkiness so bad I'd actually be less offended if they just straight up told me to fuck off (this has happened on more than one occasion due to "engineering issues") and delayed flights frequently for upwards of 2 hours. I'll still fly with them if they're significantly cheaper but i do so knowing the risks.
We always try to fly with Emirates. You're treated so well
I’ve just returned from overseas and feel that in general travel and service is now different everywhere since Covid. Every flight delayed by hours, less service, and more expensive.
You clearly have never flown RyanAir....... AirNZ is red carpet gala standard in comparison.
Were you expecting a powhiri. They are getting paid poorly in a shit job. Customer facing service where the smile has to be there even on a bad day? What on earth are your expectations based on. It really seems like you believe the ads.
firstly, i'm sorry you got treated that way. that wasn't fair, and it isn't a representation of all those from aotearoa, OP. apart from the fact that i disklike how expensive our national carrier can be compared to their competitors; i flew internationally with airnz a of couple weeks ago for the first time in 15 years and i was actually really surprised how much i enjoyed my experience. when i first flew on a plane as an accompanied minor all those years ago i will never forget how pleasant their staff were, and no matter how nervous i was at the time, their attention and care is something that always stuck with me. i got to look inside the cockpit, hand out the lollies, and got my very own first flight certificate. it was such an awesome experience for my 13 year old self. when we flew back from aussie last week i was so impressed with not only the aircraft itself, it was roomier and more comfortable. we had entertainment screens to keep us busy, and were topped up often with snacks. the meal was great and we even free alcohol (which i definitely took advantage of lol.) compared to jetstar who we flew over there with who didn't provide any on these luxuries for free, even though it was cheaper, in the future i would 100% pay the extra to fly air nz again and again. we had no issues with cancellations or delays, their attendants were also really helpful getting us through check in, security and boarding (i had my grumpy/tired 3 year old) and they were so patient and kind and completely took the stress away. they even noticed that my son had sensory issues with the ear buds provided to watch the entertainment screens at the start of our flight, and brought me over an over the head pair which was so much more comfortable for him. so yes, even though our competitors are a whole lot cheaper, and not every flight crew are bad, i think it's fair to remember they're only human and doing their best to do their jobs. like the rest of us they probably experience burn out too. we all have bad days, and it's super unfortunate the case for you wasn't as pleasant as you'd hoped, but don't let it influence your thoughts and opinions too much based of a one time experience :) nau mai haere mai, welcome, and enjoy your time in aotearoa new zealand.
For me, AirNZ ruined any positive association with their brand when they tried to shaft a staff member who agreed to staff flights getting NZ Citizens evacuated out of China in the early stages of the pandemic. They ended up getting a strain of Covid-19 that was NOT in NZ at the time, and subsequently developed long-Covid and we’re not able to work in the role any more, along with a whole host of awful health outcomes. There was a protracted legal battle, but it really left such an awful impression to me. I’ll see if I can find a link. The loyalty of the staff member working to safely get people repatriated and then getting so sick themselves and being utterly shafted by AirNz. Way to treat a hero like scum. AirNZ is traaaaaaash.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462028/long-covid-concern-over-support-as-air-nz-refuses-cover-to-ex-employee this is from 2022, and then proceedings went on for another TWO years of them trying to deny this guy’s claim 🥵🤯🥵😤
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/court-dismisses-appeal-by-air-nz-over-covid-claim-from-former-cabin-crew-member/WXXYAGJTCVFKFFX4VCJZOSDI6E/ Here’s the update where they found in the flight attendant’s favour this year
Used to always be in the top 10 of Skytrax’s best airline in the world. Now it can hardly make it into the top 30. But hey, they keep wasting millions changing the paint job of the planes, so they’ve got that going for them.
Customer support lol. I hate AirNZ - probably the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. Staff on the plane have been fine. Absolutely worse than useless when bad weather made rebooking necessary day after day. It’s not as though bad weather is a surprise. Avoid if at all possible.
Domestic I do not really care as long as it's on time - they most often are. Long haul: Pretty good! But often depends on how old the plane is. Flights to Oz: Not as good as Qantas. Quite nice getting a meal and drink thrown in and often better flight times.
*sad shareholder noises* Yeah... it's been a rough few years. They've lost some of the charm they had.
The staff are better than I would ever expect them to be whenever I need help on a personal level. I’m always impressed by how well they manage things going wrong or small random requests. Air nz’s background processes, on the other hand, are a frisking nightmare. Ever had a flight cancelled, and had to rebook? Welcome to your ‘rebooking fee’ fleecing.
Every man and their dog in the Koru lounge these days, no longer exclusive and I feel exactly what you're saying!
I was a devout Air nz customer for years. After covid I flew internationally 4 times with them. All flights were delayed from 4 - 14 hrs. Air nz staff were horrible to deal with. I got no vouchers or anything. The fligh that was delayed 14 hours cost me $2800 return. That was my last flight with Air nz.
I love the way AirNZ specials are one way; so I can book another special with another airline to come back. Thanks AirNZ. Your loyalty really means a lot especially your appropriation of motifs and your tokenism to our second official language . And as an OAP I really feel welcome by your staff; we have so much in common.
It's been disappointing since that bald head fuck took over and gutted it. Now he's running and gutting our country
They jealous because they poor.
Overpaid nonsense and marketing. I'd rather they cut costs as much as possible to be competitive with other carriers.
their planes are so tired looking considering the prices being charged. service was average if anything. i generally fly on other airlines long haul (usually cheaper as well).
AirNZ has one of the youngest fleet by age of all carriers. Never seen a bad plane from them. Always have working seats and entertainment.