T.E.A.L. Fares

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29107, 20 January 1960, Page 3

T.E.A.L. Fares

Sir, —The district manager for T.E.A.L. betrays a distinct irritation towards the inquiries and comments of an anonymous correspondent. In this, he is far from being unique as I have noticed it quite often in the reluctant replies of those in authority. What really matters are the facts and it does not matter if letters are written by John Smith. Mary Jones or ‘‘Father of Six.” As a frequent patron of T.E.A.L. I can testify to the high standard of courtesy and service provided; but the old adage, competition is the life ot trade, is still very true. True to the Welfare State tradition this concern is “feather bedded” but the airline business is intensely competitive in Australia, and this is the key to the riddle.—Yours, NO MORE PAMPERING. January 13, 1960.

[“The same comments on our fares have been fully answered in the correspondence columns of ‘The Press’ on many occasions,’’ said Mr F. G. Hill, district manager in Christchurch for Tasman Empire Airways, when this letter was referred to him. “It is not therefore a question of withholding the facts, but of knowing who is making the comment, and, more particularly, why. A genuine inquirer should not need to use the correspondence columns of a newspaper. Fares for the trans-Tasman services are costed on the same basis as for our Auckland to Nandi services,

The T.E.A.L. fare for the latter flight is the same as other airlines on the same route and the conditions under which it is operated are similar for our services to Australia. It does not therefore necessarily follow that competition on the Tasman would bring about a reduction in fares."!