Cheaper fares should be just the start
Irecently checked in to a ludicrously overpriced hotel and, feeling a little depressed with my choice, I had a weak moment. That moment when you walk towards the light. The light of the mini bar.
In situations like this, my endorphins gather and, in a choir-like performance, shout: chocolate! It seems to help with happiness, albeit temporarily.
So, I checked the mini bar price list: peanut slab, $ 7.99.
I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I’d checked in to the International Space Station. Surely you could get food into orbit for cheaper than that.
So, my overpriced little box was now putting a 372 per cent markup on what should be a $1.69 moment of weakness.
Thank goodness this hotel isn’t a car dealer, it’d be selling a $22,000 Suzuki Swift for $103,000.
Air New Zealand’s recent media release, announcing a big cut in domestic fares, had an interesting line that seems to have gone unnoticed. Chief Executive Christopher Luxon had a very gentle swipe at the tourism sector, saying ‘‘we have shrunk our lowest fares by up to $45 in a move we believe will further supercharge domestic tourism, and we’d love to see hotels, rental car companies and tourist experience operators follow our lead’’.
Luxon, you have a point. How often have you seen the Hilton having a $39 special? Auckland hotel prices, like many other tourist centres, are outrageous. Rental cars can be eyewateringly expensive, and cost more than the flights. Zip-lining in Rotorua costs $699 for a family.
Yes, having cheaper fares is a start, but what good is that if you’re charged the Earth the moment you get off the plane? This week, I explore New Plymouth, where I found most of the best things to do are free. You can read more about that on page 4.