Malaysian airline Air Asia X Service Pty Limited (AirAsia) has agreed to end its preselection of checked baggage and change how it discloses its processing fee when selling flight tickets to New Zealand customers online. The Commerce Commission believes that in preselecting luggage at an extra cost to the advertised flight price, and not properly disclosing a mandatory processing fee, AirAsia was likely to have misled consumers over the price of its services. The Commission has issued AirAsia with a formal warning. AirAsia introduced flights from Auckland to the Gold Coast in March 2016. The Commission became aware that, in…

Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines today announced the extension of their alliance to include travel between Wellington and Singapore. From 21 September Air New Zealand will be able to codeshare on Singapore Airlines’ new Wellington-Singapore service and Singapore Airlines on Air New Zealand’s domestic network beyond Wellington. The two carriers first launched an alliance in early 2015, which included the Singapore Airlines’ Singapore-Christchurch service and enabled Air New Zealand to resume operating the Auckland-Singapore route, delivering greater access to Singapore from New Zealand. Air New Zealand Chief Strategy, Networks and Alliances Officer Stephen Jones says the airline is pleased…

NZX-listed online travel booking and expense management company Serko (NZX: SKO) has formed a partnership with online travel and accommodation services provider Helloworld that will enable users of Serko’s online booking tool, Serko Online, to search and book Helloworld hotel inventory. Helloworld brands include AOT Inbound, ATS Pacific, AOT NZ, Sunlover Holidays, Qantas Holidays, Viva! Holidays, Go Holidays, escape.com and travelmate.com.au. The company is an aggregator of urban and regional hotel inventory and provides access to more than 120,000 properties worldwide. It offers ‘instant purchase rates’, and‘on-account’ payment options to its customers. Darrin Grafton, Serko CEO said “Helloworld is an…

Mitre 10, Tower Insurance and Storage King are the latest businesses to join Airpoints™, giving members even more ways to earn their way to their next flight. They follow a number of other new partners announced recently, including Mercury, Z, New World, Liquorland, Henry’s, Gilmours and Trents. Airpoints members can currently earn Airpoints Dollars™ at Mitre 10 and Mitre 10 MEGA stores under Airpoints’ current partnership with Fly Buys. Mitre 10’s decision to partner directly with Airpoints will make it easier for members to understand how to earn Airpoints Dollars in the future and create further opportunities for customers. Storage…

Airpoints and Fly Buys have elected to focus on their own respective loyalty programmes and will no longer offer Airpoints Dollar earning through the Fly Buys network from 17 October. The organisations have worked together since 2010, but both acknowledge the need to offer something new to their respective membership bases. Stephen England-Hall, CEO of Loyalty New Zealand, the company which runs Fly Buys, says both businesses are changing the way they work together. “Fly Buys is enhancing its programme to make it easier for our 2.5 million customers to earn Fly Buys and claim the rewards they want. Air…

A report in American Machinist says that ANA Holdings Inc., the world's largest operator of the 787 Dreamliner, confirmed it will replace or repair all Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners in order to deal with an outbreak of cracks in the medium-pressure turbines caused by excessive vibration. The issue has caused All-Nippon Airways to cancel 18 flights in the past week, and reports indicate up to 300 more flights may have to be canceled in the coming weeks as the issue is addressed. Continue to full article    

Construction is advanced on a new helicopter terminal and hangar at Auckland Airport. The new facility will be built, owned and managed by local helicopter tour operator Helicopter Me, and will cater for the airport’s growing number of affluent and adventure-seeking passengers. Anil Varma, Auckland Airport’s acting general manager – aeronautical operations, says the helicopter terminal is a timely addition to the services provided by Auckland Airport for its customers.“Our international passenger numbers continue to rise, up 8 per cent in the last financial year to just under 9 million. This has led to an increase in the number of…

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today announced eight new generation eGates have been installed at Wellington International Airport and are fully operational for arriving and departing passengers. “Eight new eGates are available to New Zealand, Australian, US, UK, and Canadian ePassport holders arriving and departing in Wellington,” says Ms Wagner. “The next-generation eGates give travellers the option of completing Customs checks using the one-step electronic process,” Ms Wagner says “The new eGates are faster taking around 25 seconds.” “The installation of the new eGates coincides with Wellington International Airport’s wider terminal expansion project, and will help meet the increase in travellers…

Serko Limited (NZX:SKO), a leader in online travel booking and expense management, and Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, today announced a collaboration to develop the next generation of Sabre Online. Sabre Online is Sabre’s corporate online booking tool for small and mid-sized businesses in Australia and New Zealand. The collaboration serves as a launch pad for the next generation of Sabre Online, while simultaneously expanding Serko’s market footprint. The new version of Sabre Online, under the same name, will combine Sabre’s end-to-end offering with Serko’s established cloud-based booking platform. This provides existing…

Air New Zealand is to spend more than $100 million increasing the number of premium seats on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and refurbishing its Boeing 777-300 fleet in response to customer trends. Increasing demand for premium travel means the three Dreamliners scheduled to be delivered from October 2017 will arrive with a fresh new cabin configuration that will increase the number of Business Premier seats from 18 to 27 and Premium Economy seats from 21 to 33. From February 2017, all seven of the airline’s Boeing 777-300s will also progressively complete a refurbishment programme, including the installation of the Panasonic…

Six of New Zealand’s leading independent wine experts have come together to create “The Fine Wines of New Zealand” – a list of the country’s most prestigious wines. Air New Zealand will start to feature wines from the Fine Wines of New Zealand selection in its Business Premier cabins from September. A selection panel comprising Masters of Wine Alastair Maling, Michael Brajkovich, Sam Harrop, Simon Nash and Steve Smith along with Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas has agreed on the list for 2016, which includes 47 wines representing seven varietals. This group of leading New Zealand wine experts met several times…