Air NZ Slashes business fares

Friday 16th October 2009

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.co.nz

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