Concession air fares

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 8

Concession air fares

Sir, —Recently, while staying with our daughter, we received word of a family bereavement. After several toll calls, my husband was told that there was a late cancellation on a flight to Auckland. So he left before daylight and motored 200 miles to Christchurch, but because he had not his pension book with him, he was unable to obtain the concession of one-third of his fare. On his return home, I waited in a long queue hopeful of receiving a refund on production of his pension book and flight tickets, only to be informed politely that the airline does not make any such refund. Surely, in the circumstances, and considering his white hair, he was clearly a senior citizen. He also had his son-in-law to vouch for him. In future we shall carry our pension books everywhere.—Yours, etc., SAD SENIOR CITIZENS. January 11, 1973.

[Mr J. L. Blair, deputy public relations manager of the National Airways Corporation, replies: “All detailed N.A.C. press advertisements concerning the ‘Golden Age’ fare have been specific that it is necessary to produce the appropriate benefit order book at the time of making a reservation or purchasing a ticket in order to establish the passenger’s entitlement to enjoy the discount. Not all elderly passengers are entitled to use the ‘Golden Age’

fare. It is available only to those in receipt of universal superannuation and to those over 60 years of age who receive a number of other benefits. Nationals of some other countries who reside in New Zealand are not entitled to participate in the fare so obviously the concession cannot be allowed simply on . the basis of a person’s appearance. The fare is designed to encourage senior citizens to use N.A.C. services for their travel needs but only at other than peak traffic times. Your correspondent is not specific as to the day or time at which her husband required to travel and we expect that where a senior citizen requires to travel at a peak time, then he or she will travel at full fare. Retrospective refunds are not allowed but should your correspondent or any other senior citizen make a reservation for a flight on which the concession is allowed and then present his or her benefit order book at the time of making the reservation, then the concession will be allowed without question.”]