Air New Zealand has today launched an online credit redemption tool, meaning customers won't have to wait so long to talk to someone on the phone about their flight arrangements.
Thousands of people had purchased flights with the airline prior to Covid-19, and many have struggled to reach the contact centre to change their arrangements and claim their credit after their flight was cancelled.
The company said the tool will enable the more than 300,000 people who hold credit with the airline to manage it themselves.
Air New Zealand chief commercial and customer officer Cam Wallace apologised to those who had found the system difficult.
"We know this hasn’t been quick to resolve, and we would like to thank our customers for their patience. Pre-Covid-19, we didn’t have the systems in place for customers to redeem credits at this scale, so our teams have had to build this long-term solution from scratch.
"Customers now have more flexibility with using their credits, including the ability to use credit from an international flight to book a domestic one and vice versa, and for the credit owner to choose who the credit is used for.
The national carrier has been criticised for not offering full refunds for cancelled flights.
"We’ve also extended the period in which customers can use their credit – they have until 31 December 2021 to book and a further 12 months after booking to travel."
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran apologised to those affected by the long call centre wait times, and said while most people will be able to sort their credits online, some with "complex bookings" may still need to pick up the phone.
The airline came under heavy criticism for its approach to credit, with the Commerce Commission saying it should refund customers if flights were cancelled, instead of offering credit for future bookings.
Air NZ said it couldn't afford to refund everyone, although it has offered some to people on compassionate grounds.
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