Air NZ Slashes business fares
Air NZ Slashes business fares
Oct 16 (BusinessWire) - Business travelers will be able to change flights without cost on the same day under a new, lower airfares announced by Air New Zealand today.
A standard Auckland-Wellington sector currently priced at $319 will fall 38% to $199 and current restrictions on flight class changes and rebooking fees will no longer be applied in a move intended to woo budget-conscious business travelers back to the national carrier.
"Business travelers
say their plans regularly change,," said Bruce Parton, group
general manager, short haul. "They need a fare with ultimate
flexibility."
Running late or finishing early will
no longer be a problem for ticket changes on the booked day,
as long as the flight is not full, says the airline, which
also revealed forthcoming changes to the hotly debated snack
menu on domestic routes to allow low carb and high protein
options.
The airline also revealed that its new
in-house cabin design agency, Altitude, will unveil a
completely new approach to cabin layout in its new Boeing
777-300 long haul jets, which would differentiate Air New
Zealand from every other long-haul carrier.
The new
business airfares will allow two 25kg bags and will be
accompanied by a "fast bag" system which the airline says
should cut down the time of the "travel experience" by
75%.
The entry of JetStar and ongoing competition
from Pacific Blue on domestic routes has prompted Air New
Zealand to capitalise on what ceo Rob Fyfe believes is signs
of recovery by making highly competitive offers early in the
hoped for resurgence.
Airfare structures are being
simplified from three to two tiers, and substantial cuts are
being applied to regional air routes, where some fares will
drop as much as 23%, Fyfe announced.
The company
published a detailed investor presentation on the NZX today,
although it contained no update on earnings expectations.
(BusinessWire)