Little for traveller in Air N.Z’s new fares

Press, 31 January 1979, Page 1

Little for traveller in Air N.Z’s new fares

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

The average traveller will gain little from the new North Pacific fares proposed by Air New Zealand yesterday. In fact, for six months of the year it will cost substantially more to make the round-trip journey from New Zealand to the United States than it does at present on the cheapest available budget rate. Also, the new “drastically reduced” return fare of $458 between Auckland and Los Angeles will be of no use to travellers planning to be away for less than six weeks. The fare is restricted to off-peak traffic in both directions. To qualify. New Zealanders must fly north in the southern off-season months of October, November, and between midJanuary and mid-Februarv. and not return until the northern off-season months of April, May, and August. Return travel outside these months will cost $751 for a budget ticket, an increase of $lO5 or 16 per cent. The cost of an apex (formerly epic) ticket will in the same period be 11 per cent more — $9Ol instead of $Bl2. (The aoex rate entitles the traveller to a confirmed booking, provided it is paid for at least 35 days in advance. A budget ticket has to be bought at least 21 days in advance, but the airline nominates the actual day of travel. There is a 25 per cent cancellation fee on an apex ticket and a 50 per

cent fee on a budget ticket.)

The best New Zealanders can expect from the airline’s new deal will be a saving of $42 on a seasonal combination budget fare of $604. But to qualify, one leg of the journey must fall within either the northern or southern offpeak seasons. Air New Zealand is also planning to increase by 23 per cent its one-way budget fare between Auckland and Los Angeles from $323 to $398. It will be available all the year round.

The airline has advised travel agencies that the new fares will become effective, subject to Government approval, on February 15 — the day the first northbound, off-peak season expires.

This means, therefore, that the earliest anvone can fully benefit from the “drastically reduced” return rate of $458 will be in April 1980.

The agents have also been told that tickets already issued for travel after March 16 will be subject to the new rates. South Islanders will be slightly better off than before as the airline has proposed building into the new fares a lower rate for connecting flights between Christchurch and Auckland. This will in effect reduce the existing domestic fare bv about $4O for in s international passengers. Continued on Page 6.