Travel bargain for Americans

Press, 7 August 1982, Page 6

Travel bargain for Americans

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

Air New Zealand is offering Americans seven nights accommodation and a rental car in London for the giveaway price of SUS 39 (SNZS3) in a bid to whip-up support in Honolulu and Los Angeles for its new. service to Gatwick which begins on August 25. ~ The same cheap deal will not, however, be available to New Zealanders, who, the airline argued last evening had already been offered a favourable introductory fare ($1650 from Auckland) to London.

Information received yesterday shows that Air NewZealand is publishing large, advertisements in several newspapers in Los Angeles and Hawaii announcing the $39 deal. “A week in London for $39,” was the bold, scm deep

headline of the “Honolulu Advertiser.”

"And if that’s not good enough we'll throw in a car, too,” Air New Zealand promises readers. “Just book on one of our new round-trip Super Apex fares for $1123 and then give us an extra $39. “For a total of $1162 we’ll give you one of the last great vacation bargains in the United Kingdom. ... ’ “You’ll get your pick of over 500. hotels, 29 in London. You’ll get. seven nights accommodation with private bath. You’ll get seven mornings of , full English breakfasts. . '.

“You’ll get seven days’ use of .a rental car (which you can conveniently pick up and drop off at the airport). You’ll even get unlimited mileage. “And if you want more you can" have. it. Extra hotel nights and car days are

available at extra cost,” the advertisement continues. "Of course, when an offer is this good most people start looking for the catch. Stop looking. ...” Air New Zealand explains in the advertisement’s small print that the offer is valid only until October 31, and that the $39 price is based on double occupancy of a room, and two persons sharing a car. Asked if the airline could afford to offer such a cheap

deal - and, also, whether it could justify offering it to Americans but not New Zealanders, a public affairs spokesman conceded at first that the situation was an “embarrassing” one. Later he called back to say that “in the judgment of our marketing people” New Zealanders had been given a better offer in the form of the special introductory fare of $1650 (from Auckland;

from Christchurch it is $1842) for the much longer flight to London. (The Super Apex fare of $1123 quoted in the airline’s advertisement in Honolulu converts to about SNZIS44. The comparative fare from Los Angeles to London’ is being advertised at $930,

which is about SNZI279. A Super Apex fare from Auckland to London next month will cost about $2124 return.) The spokesman said that the airline believed that the new low-cost promotional fares would prove more popular to New Zealanders than the cheap accommodation deal being offered Americans, because the majority of New Zealanders who normally travelled to London at this, time of the year were "V.F.R. traffic” (visiting friends and relations) who would have no need for hotel accommoda-

The New Zealand promotional fare would also be available for a month longer than the United States deal, be said. Asked how the airline could afford to subsidise such a cheap deal at a time when it was trying to economise, the spokesman said that a number of hotels and rental car firms in the United Kingdom were keen to seek the airline’s business and were, therefore, • prepared to offer favourable introductory rates. Air New Zealand’s $39 offer could save Americans as much as $lOOO. Touristclass accommodation (with bath and breakfasts) for seven days would cost a minimum of 1 $6OO. A medium-sized rental car (Americans would almost certainly expect an automatic model) would be an additional $5OO.