What do Kiwi travellers want from Air New Zealand?

Monday, 10 March 2025

Air New Zealand ATR aircraft has replaced some jet services in the regions and domestic capacity has been slashed on some routes this year.

Air New Zealand has begun its search for a new CEO, but what would its customers like from the future executive?

Greg Foran has resigned after five years at the helm and the process is now underway for his replacement.

We asked Stuff readers what they want out of the airline that’s 51% owned by taxpayers.

Cheaper flights for university students

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran will leave the airline in October.

A Wellington-based parent of a student at Otago University, who would like to see their child at home for the midterm break, was surprised to find they could fly from Wellington to Sydney around the same time for less than the cost of the domestic flight.

The cheapest Air NZ fare from Dunedin to Wellington was over $500 each way when searched, they posted on social media.

“I get that Air NZ needs to make a profit, but this is ridiculous”, they said.

Otago’s mid-semester break begins on Good Friday, April 18, so travel over the Easter period comes at a time of high demand but flights to Sydney would also be affected by the holiday period.

Simply put, Air NZ runs a supply and demand-driven pricing system, which means lower fares sell out quickly for peak travel times or around events.

When an airline releases a flight, it will have, say, 10 seats at $100, 10 seats at $150, 10 seats at $200 and so on. The cheapest seats will always sell out first. In peak travel times if you leave it too late you’ll be left to choose from the most expensive seat.

Flexible fares that are actually flexible, no more credit card fees

Kirsten Julian has to travel often and at reasonably short notice for family reasons so she buys Air NZ’s flexichange tickets that allow ‘change flight time or date with no change fee’. However, passengers still need to pay for the difference in fare if they make a change - which can be pricey at the last minute.

“They’re not the full, most expensive flexi refund one, but the next one down that still costs more,” she explained to Stuff. “So you’re paying an extra $20 right away”.

The Wellington woman travels to Auckland and most recently rebooked a ticket for five days ahead. She had to pay more for that new ticket than she did for the original one. It was “something like $150”, she said.

“But I've already paid for a seat on a plane. So they have basically double charged me. Why on Earth are they allowed to charge me even more than this original ticket to transfer my flight?

Julian said she “has a real issue with that”.

“When I have to go on a Friday there are horrendous charges. If I'd gone on the Thursday, the charges would have been lesser. So they're playing with their dynamic pricing.”

She was also annoyed about having to pay the “idiotic” extra credit card charge.

“They don’t make it per transaction, they make it per flight,” the frustrated flyer said.

More direct flights for work

Lesley Perry works in Napier and needs to get to Gisborne for work on occasion. She wants a direct Air NZ flight from Hawke’s Bay Airport.

Her options to get up the coast on Air NZ all involve connecting flights that can take her all over the whole island.

“For one way the plane flew via Wellington back up and the other one was Auckland and back down [to Napier]. That was the option to get to Gisborne, so I now drive.”

The drive time is nearly 3.5 hours on a challenging road but it’s still quicker for Perry to drive when she wants to get to Gisborne at a particular time.

“Plus I can load up my car”.

Affordable regional flights

A person who commented on this Stuff story about how the airline’s new CEO needs to deliver cheaper fares and growth said regional flights are “ridiculously expensive and unaffordable for most”.

Former Warriors star Shaun Johnson and injured winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak served dinner to fans on a Air New Zealand Grabaseat charter flight from Auckland to Las Vegas.

They said they would travel to see family more often if it was cheaper.

“I hope Air NZ finally sit up and notice”.

More international options outside of Auckland

One traveller from Canterbury told Stuff they want more international links.

South Island customers deserve more flights in and out of Christchurch when it comes to international travel, they said, as having to fly to Wellington and Auckland to connect for an international flight is inconvenient and costs more.

“Especially for travel to Australia and the Pacific Islands. One flight a day to these destinations is not enough.

“Sorry Air New Zealand but you need to lift your game,” they said.

Better connectivity to the regions

Auckland International Airport’s chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said Air NZ was facing fleet challenges in the regions, The Post reported last month.

Hurihanganui said there were now 1.5 million fewer seats flying in the domestic network than in 2019, or 29,000 fewer seats per week, and “the regions are bearing the brunt of this through reduced morning and evening services, making day trips impossible for many business travellers, and a shrinking pool of alternative options”.

Air NZ has reduced the number of seats on some Queenstown flights by 100 seats.

In December, Air New Zealand said 6000 customers were being rebooked on services between February and June. It was because the airline has cut another 2% of seats in its domestic and regional schedule.

As of January 19, Air NZ no longer flies its Invercargill to Wellington service. There’s now a transit in Christchurch or Auckland. The airline said engine issues and softened demand were to blame.

Last month the first flights of the morning from Queenstown to Christchurch were reduced by more than 100 seats due to lower demand and daylight operating limits for turboprop aircraft.

The Dunedin to Wellington route was downsized from being serviced by a jet to a turboprop aircraft in January, adding 40 minutes to the one hour 20 flight time.

This year there are three fewer flights a week between Christchurch and New Plymouth. There have also been cuts to the number of flights between Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.

Air New Zealand said it would reduce daily direct flights between Rotorua and Wellington from February to June this year. The airline said flights from Rotorua to the capital would be available later in the day and the evening return service would be rescheduled.

Any more cuts in 2025 will 'depend on how we see the economy going,' Foran told Stuff in December.

Competitors, including Jetstar, had previously served the regions when the economy was strong and pulled out because they couldn’t make money, he said.

Foran recently told The Post that Air NZ had tripled its regional turbo prop fleet from 11 to 31, and 70 to 75 aircraft in the fleet of 108 were concentrated on the domestic network.