Just received an email touting change is on the horizon to Airpoints, not too much detail but a few things specifically noted -

- rolling in over coming weeks / months
- Improved online experience
- Aligning tier review and membership year dates

more to come.....watch this space

 

A big one is Australian members are being rolled into the NZD program and that AUD air points will be converted across.

 

https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/airpoints-updates

 

What is the impact of this on NZ members? Anything material?

To me the email was especially underwhelming, nothing of benefit to a frequent flyer I can see.

I suppose we should be thankful its not like their usual "enhancements" gutting the already dismal Airpoints programme even more!

 

Interested to see what changes are coming for Gold and Elite

 

Thanks! this part is especially concerning re the Kiwibank topup (my underline)"Yes, you can. If you'd like to top-up your Airpoints Dollars online, please do this before 16 June 2024.

After this date, you'll need to email us to process your request. The email contact details will be added to this page closer to launch.

You'll need to allow 2-4 days for your request to be processed."

Given I am still waiting for any acknowledgement of emails sent to the Elite email address months on, this does not inspire much confidence, at all

 

No impact on New Zealand members. I have long been able to transfer Aussie card points to my New Zealand based account at an exchange rate set by NZ that changes from time to time.

However, potentially this is bad news to Aussie based members if they were to use the NZ charts going forward. For instance, a full Business fare between SYD and AKL currently earns 71 Aussie APD for Aussie members and 71 NZ APD for NZ based members. If using the same charts, Aussie members will be earning the same 71 NZ APD whereas, using the 1.09 exchange rate, they are currently earning the equivalent of 77.39 NZ APD.

Yep, the whole FAQ page reads like a nothingburger. If there was something more significant coming, they would have said so.

 

In typical Air NZ fashion, it is a nothing sandwich,
The aligning of qualification and effective dates just makes sense.

No ability for non Kiwi residents to earn SPs in a different way or a lower threshold such as Air Canada's Chase Card for non Canadians.
No Shairpoints for non-residents.

Having flown my family of seven back and forth to NZ on NZ since youngest was born 18 years ago and oldest 22 years ago annually, with many in between trips for smaller numbers, last week I spent C$32,000 on AC instead of NZ for our Xmas trip. This sum is insignificant to Air NZ, but when enough of us do it, it adds up.
I fly to NZ at least four times a year now and more of those will on AC as opposed to NZ.

Kate O'Brien is the queen of platitudes and obfuscation.
Having had several emails back and forth with her, it is like asking Chippy for straight answers about Bellis being more welcomed by the Taliban than her own government, no answer.

 

Like what?
Words, empty words, just like revamped business class seats so they are only 10 years out of date and not 20.

What can't Air NZ be offline for a few hours over night like any other app, company? They make it sound like days or weeks.
Maybe the same person that orders seats runs the IT department.

Again, hollow words.
I clicked the link for more information and nothing new.

 

Tangentially is by say the 16 January to retain status. By 23:59 15 January or 23:59 16 January. And is it local time flight departing or NZ time.

 

It took Kate O'Brien almost 3 and a half years to come up with this change since she came into the role in Feb 2020. I miss Mark Street!

 

I'm sure Harvard has an opening for her.

 

Separate lounge with champagne and plated a la carte dining for Elite.

Lifetime tier status.

XP

... I can dream can't I?

 

Well, if this became a soft exit to be able to purchase APD under a sensible (existing) system via Kiwibank etc, that would p*ss a lot of Elites off.

 

Also in the same boat after previously being a big NZ fanboy in years gone past. Now it's one bad thing after another -- the latest thing to grate me is seeing NZ fire sale reward seats to UA members while charging unreasonably high cash fares for their own customers grrr

I really wonder if they've grasped how bad things have gotten -- back in 2015 you would always see NZ mentioned alongside any list of "best airlines" but now the brand is nowhere to be seen.

I'm only holding out at this point to see if they offer some sort of lifetime status, but I suppose that's wishful thinking