Winter woes? Air New Zealand extends Covid flexibility policy to 31 August 2022
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says over the last week around 57,000 customers have been in touch, with many calling to change travel plans.
"It's not just Covid, it's the winter flu and weather disrupting plans. That's why we've chosen to extend our Covid flexibility policy through to 31 August. Customers can opt into credit or make a change to their booking with change fees waived, whatever the reason. No questions asked.
"This weekend alone we have 130,000 customers travelling domestically and internationally. It's our busiest period in two years and we're all hands-on deck. We've had our office-based staff helping out cleaning aircraft and assisting at our airports in peak times to support customers and our frontline.
"There's no doubt it's a challenging time for everyone. It's been more than two years of hard mahi, and unfortunately, we're not out of the woods yet. Around the world, we're seeing the disruption continue to bite. We've avoided the worst of it here in Aotearoa, and most of our customers are getting to where they need to go. This extra flexibility will give customers a few more options to defer travel to sunnier times."
Customers booked between now and 31 August can hold the value of their fare in credit for 12 months, from the time they requested their credit.
Customers can easily opt into credit via the Air New Zealand app or website in the Manage Booking tab, by selecting request a credit. They can also use the app or website to change their flights to another date and have their change fee waived, though a fare difference may apply.
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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
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About Air New Zealand:
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 98 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 6.7 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. This year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand - 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with 3.5 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.
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