{"id":57613,"date":"2024-02-28T11:40:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T06:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=57613"},"modified":"2024-06-18T11:28:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T05:58:17","slug":"air-new-zealand-apologise-for-charging-passengers-13000-for-flight-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/28\/air-new-zealand-apologise-for-charging-passengers-13000-for-flight-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Air New Zealand Apologise for Charging US Passengers $13,000 for Flight Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AUCKLAND-<\/strong> Air New Zealand (NZ) <\/a>has acknowledged an error in attempting to charge Todd and Patricia Kerekes, two U.S. tourists, $13,000 to modify their flights after Patricia received a serious medical diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple, who initially flew business class from New York (JFK)<\/a> to Auckland (AKL) in January at a cost of $37,500 for return tickets intending to stay until April, faced a situation where Patricia was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer six weeks into their visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=94938206<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Air New Zealand Flight Change Blunder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Urged by their surgeon to return immediately, Todd reached out to Air NZ to reschedule their flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“On the initial call, I immediately informed them of my wife’s critical illness, explaining that we were on vacation and needed to return home,” the 60-year-old recounted to Checkpoint<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And there were numerous prolonged pauses, and I couldn’t discern whether they were consulting with colleagues, working on it via computer, or something else. However, I experienced a series of 15- to 30-minute waiting periods, and occasionally, the representatives would return with the news I wasn’t anticipating, such as being informed it would cost me NZ$13,000 to alter my flight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd was astonished, stating that the updated seats were only approximately $100 more expensive than his initial payment. “The sum was so substantial that it didn’t seem plausible that the flight costs could have surged by that amount. They were billing me four times the hike in the flight costs,” he remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In his persistent four-hour attempt to secure a more reasonable price, Todd recounted being disconnected three times, never presented with compassionate alternatives, and not once asked for any documentation or verification of his wife’s diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Air New Zealand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not Rude but Not Helpful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

“They weren’t impolite or unkind, but their stance was essentially, ‘This is the situation, and there’s nothing we can do about it.’ I found it surprising that they couldn’t offer more assistance when I needed it,” he expressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What struck him the most was that everyone he encountered in New Zealand had been exceptionally kind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I grew up in New York, just outside New York City, and New Yorkers are not known for being overly friendly. We tend to be straightforward. However, Kiwis are genuinely friendly, to the extent that people debated with us that individuals aren’t as nice as we thought they were… It’s unacceptable by any standards, and certainly not by Kiwi standards.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Air NZ Official Remarks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Air NZ General Manager Customer Care Alisha Armstrong concurred. She emphasized that Air NZ “takes pride in the care and consideration we extend to our customers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is evident that we did not meet expectations, and our compassionate care policy was not adhered to in this instance. We have contacted the Kerekes to apologize and issue a complete refund for the additional expenses of changing their original flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our compassionate fare policy is designed to assist our customers during unexpected medical emergencies or bereavement, allowing them to book last-minute flights or make changes to existing bookings easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Once again, we apologize for the mishandling of this case, and our sympathies are with Mrs. Kerekes during this time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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