just bad service

[TwoSeven]

Been an Air NZ airpoints member for over a decade now. Not so long ago they transferred everything over to a new air dollars scheme. Got a letter today charging me A$30 for NOT using their service. Since I am a student, I havn't flown in the last year. Apparently if you dont fly, they charge a membership fee.

So I logged into the website to quit as one does. There is no facility to do this which I think is incredibly bad service. (Personally I think this practice is illegal in many countries)

Looked up all the phone numbers and called the airpoints number - got put thru to a voice activiated booking system, so called their 'freephone' number, same booking system. 20 numbers later I finally found the option on the koru club system to speak to someone.

They got a very grumpy person wanting to quit.

So hopefully I am no longer a customer of Air NZ.

As far as I am concerned, I hate companies that do this. While I was a member I did get good service and even a free flight or two, but I hate being given the run-around.

[Gremlin]

you realise that they will charge you a disconnection fee?? P/T

[Mooch]

Or when you use the Airpoints for Koro Membership (Cos it's very had to use them on trips or impossible upgrades) and you are told you can't use the lounges , because you've booked a code share flight !

[LB]

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My personal opinion: I intensely dislike airpoints/fly buys or any "loyalty" points system. I think they're a bloody waste of time and I personally would rather they gave everyone cheaper prices instead of loading their prices to pay for the points and the advertising of their loyalty system.
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[Lou Girardin]

We've had some good holidays on Amex airpoints. (the only good thing about Amex)
But they no longer use Air NZ, which suits us fine. Emirates were better in every way.

[Jonty]

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My personal opinion: I intensely dislike airpoints/fly buys or any "loyalty" points system. I think they're a bloody waste of time and I personally would rather they gave everyone cheaper prices instead of loading their prices to pay for the points and the advertising of their loyalty system.
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I agree, with the flybuys scheme for the reason that it is purely a "big brother" scheme. All it is designed to do is know where you shop and how much you spend. It is nothing to do with attracting cutomers just gathering information.

[Gremlin]

yeah, the loyalty programs are annoying, and an uncle-in-law who is partially in marketing really really disagrees with them.

The problem: Its fine not to use them, its your choice. But if you do, you save. If you are buying that already, why not?

But, by using them, you encourage them...

Its a vicious circle

[Biff]

I'm a big fan of air points/miles/loyalty programmes. Currently a member of three schemes (Qantas & BA - One World, Kris - Star Alliance, of with Air NZ is a member). Very useful if you travel on business as your employer pays for your busines flights and you keep the points for travelling to use for personal flights, or upgrades to business flights. IMO not much use to a private traveller though, unless you travel long haul quite often and have deep pockets.

I used to use my Amex card points and transfer them over to Quantas - but the exchange rate ($ per air point) is crap at the moment, as is Qantas, so I now try and fly everywhere with Singapore airlines. IMO, possibly the best airline in the world (a close run thing with Cathay Pacific).

[TwoSeven]

I dont mine the loyalty programs. I am disgruntled because they charged me for not using it, didnt provide an easy opt-out, and their phone support was impossible to use. Hence bad service.

The actual people on the floor at Air-NZ i've found to always be plesant and helpfull, its just the corporate sales strategy that sux.

[Qkchk:Me]

You should of been listening to ZB Talkback yesterday then.. The topic - Bad Customer Service! From Banks to Car Salesmen to Airpoints.... seems youre not the only poor bugger they like to target..

[Badcat]

I agree, with the flybuys scheme for the reason that it is purely a "big brother" scheme. All it is designed to do is know where you shop and how much you spend. It is nothing to do with attracting cutomers just gathering information.

i used to work in that industry, and there is NO WAY i'd have a fly buys.
the amount of purchase history they collect is very scary, and they will sell your info to anyone with the money.\of course if you have flybuys, you agreed to all this in the contract/application form you probably never read.
i'd rather buy my own holidays.

k

[Ghost Lemur]

I'm a big fan of air points/miles/loyalty programmes. Currently a member of three schemes (Qantas & BA - One World, Kris - Star Alliance, of with Air NZ is a member). Very useful if you travel on business as your employer pays for your busines flights and you keep the points for travelling to use for personal flights, or upgrades to business flights. IMO not much use to a private traveller though, unless you travel long haul quite often and have deep pockets.

I used to use my Amex card points and transfer them over to Quantas - but the exchange rate ($ per air point) is crap at the moment, as is Qantas, so I now try and fly everywhere with Singapore airlines. IMO, possibly the best airline in the world (a close run thing with Cathay Pacific).

Unfortunately that doesn't apply in the public service. After a bit of media scare mongering all public depts are now not allowed to use their airpoints accumulated.

Either on a personal level (understandable), or on a professional level. My dad is currently working to try and change it so that the depts can use them, there-by saving the taxpayer some money. Works at IRD HO and the amount of points he accumulates alone is incredible.

Which reminds me of a conversation I had with him last time he was down. Why the hell doesn't the govt (and large private companies for that matter), negotiate better travel deals with the airlines.

For example the goverment could put out a tender saying look we spend about xxxxxxx each year on travel, not looking for bonus/novelty junk, best bang for bucks what's the best deal you'll offer us? Maybe it'd knock 10% or 15% off of the flight costs. Talking large savings. From the airlines point of view their garanteed a minimum of xxxxxx number of dollars for the next , so it'd be a win win. At the moment beside of the nature of business, my Dad which he can often book a cheaper flight for the initial flight inverably(sp?) has to book an expensive return as cirumstances can change. This means it's not uncommon to be spending $500 on a return flight from Wellington to Christchurch.

/tangent

Pop off and email to the commerce commision if you feel so strongly about the lack of opt-out on their site. If NZ has the laws like some do about having to have it easy to find, they'd be the ones to know. Also have you read your T&C to see if it mentions in it that lack of use incurs a membership fee. If it does then sorry but you've got no one to blame but yourself for signing up to something uninformed. If the terms don't mention it, then they are braking laws.

[Back Fire]

Been an Air NZ airpoints member for over a decade now. Not so long ago they transferred everything over to a new air dollars scheme. Got a letter today charging me A$30 for NOT using their service. Since I am a student, I havn't flown in the last year. Apparently if you dont fly, they charge a membership fee.

So I logged into the website to quit as one does. There is no facility to do this which I think is incredibly bad service. (Personally I think this practice is illegal in many countries)

Looked up all the phone numbers and called the airpoints number - got put thru to a voice activiated booking system, so called their 'freephone' number, same booking system. 20 numbers later I finally found the option on the koru club system to speak to someone.

They got a very grumpy person wanting to quit.

So hopefully I am no longer a customer of Air NZ.

As far as I am concerned, I hate companies that do this. While I was a member I did get good service and even a free flight or two, but I hate being given the run-around.

thats what the world is like... people out to others...

[TwoSeven]

Which reminds me of a conversation I had with him last time he was down. Why the hell doesn't the govt (and large private companies for that matter), negotiate better travel deals with the airlines.

I think they might do that. I used to fly several times per week and was never allowed to accumulate air points for some trips. The reason was because the company was using them to get discounted fairs with the travel agent.

[Lou Girardin]

For example the goverment could put out a tender saying look we spend about xxxxxxx each year on travel, not looking for bonus/novelty junk, best bang for bucks what's the best deal you'll offer us? Maybe it'd knock 10% or 15% off of the flight costs. Talking large savings. From the airlines point of view their garanteed a minimum of xxxxxx number of dollars for the next , so it'd be a win win.

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If it was their money they probably would, but it's ours so they don't give a shit.