A Wellington couple were left disappointed after Air New Zealand refused to change the name on a no-longer-needed ticket despite appealing to them on compassionate grounds.
George MacLeod-Whiting said his wife Lesa had booked a ticket to Auckland to take their 10-week-old daughter to visit her great grandmother today.
However, due to the measles outbreak in Auckland, which has escalated quickly in the past few weeks, the warnings from health officials about visiting Auckland if you are not immunised, and the fact that their daughter is still too young to be immunised, Lesa decided it was best not to go.
It comes as 300 pupils were sent home from a South Auckland high school due to an outbreak.
George then called the airline and asked what would be involved in claiming the now-empty seat, as he wanted to visit a close friend and mother figure in Auckland who was suffering from aggressive lymphoma and starting chemotherapy this week.
"You would think there would be some way for me to use that seat on that flight to see someone I love before they go in for such a difficult treatment - apparently not," he said.
"Air NZ is strict on their policy no matter the circumstance or what you might think is a morally right thing to do.
"Well Air NZ you have our money - I can't afford to see a woman I love before she starts treatment and that seat will stay empty."
Air New Zealand refused to transfer the ticket, which is in line with their Terms of Carriage, and offered to re-book him on another flight.
"They basically found the nearest available flights and offered me those, so with transfer fees it was going to be about $370 return," he said.
"I wouldn't normally be so upset, but given the situation I figure there would be at least one lever for exceptional circumstances."
A spokesperson for Air New Zealand confirmed that they do not offer passengers the ability to transfer a ticket into someone else's name.
"Air tickets are essentially a contract between the customer and the airline, based on the fare type purchased and the conditions attached to that fare," the spokesperson said.
"Should a different person wish to travel, a new ticket will need to be purchased."
The spokesperson suggested that passengers who want flexibility should purchase a more-expensive "Flexi" fare - but name changes on those tickets are also not allowed.
Other airlines, such as Jetstar, allow name changes on tickets for a fee of between $55-$85.
Air New Zealand representatives declined to answer questions on the rationale behind refusing to allow name changes, simply referring to the company's Terms of Carriage.
After being contacted by 1 NEWS, Air New Zealand responded to George and offered a credit amount for Lesa equal to the initial fare amount valid for a period of twelve months.
Air New Zealand is majority owned by the Government and is also one of New Zealand's most profitable businesses - it made about $270 million in the 2019 financial year.
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