As a wholesaler of Air New Zealand we are in the fortunate position to have a contract which allows our Airdesk to book tickets directly. What does this mean for our clients?
On the surface:
- You receive the best price possible via our wholesale rates
- Consolidation of International and Domestic tickets reduce the total trip cost
- Visibility into connections can help with rerouting in case of delays
- Benefits from International follow through to the Domestic flights (i.e. baggage allowances, lounge access for the return, etc.)
What people may not understand:
Ultimately travel to New Zealand and through the country is easier if all of the tickets are serviced by a single carrier. Combined with Air New Zealand's award winning service, we are able to provide a smoother experience, as we have relationships down the line with partners who may be affected by the delay.
This blog post was written because of a recent instance in which a client booked their own International ticket with another carrier out of the United States. Unfortunately, as the flight was delayed for a few hours (routed via Australia), they were delayed in making their connecting flight in Auckland to the South Island. Their domestic ticket needed to be altered in New Zealand, a driver at their end destination was waiting to greet them at the time of their original flight and thus had to return to the airport/ charge for the lost time.
Although perhaps not a perfect world, if the International and Domestic ticket were booked and arranged as a single view in Air New Zealand system, our team would have the ability to call the limo driver ahead of time in order to be proactive to the situation. Additionally, Air New Zealand would understand on their own manifest who was delayed and could have figured out an alternative flight.
In the end, we encourage clients to book their Air and land not in piecemeal but as a single custom itinerary. It allows our experts to provide not only advice but ensure that the small details that turn a good trip into a great one are accounted for.