Fares a win for Canty

Air New Zealand’s new airfare pricing is a win for Christchurch, with a ‘‘marked increase’’ in domestic visitors expected, the city’s tourism agency says.

Yesterday Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the airline was immediately cutting entry level airfares by up to 50 per cent on 41 domestic routes in what he described as the airline’s biggest pricing shake-up in more than 10 years.

The result would be more than 750,000 seats a year available for less than $50, he said. The new fares are available to buy now for travel from March 25.

Main trunk route airfares were cut with ChristchurchWellington now starting at $39 one-way and AucklandChristchurch and AucklandWellington from $49.

By comparison Air New Zealand flights between Christchurch and Wellington in early March range from $39 to $149.

Regional New Zealand was one of the biggest winners out of the announcement, with seat-only fares for one-way flights between:

❚ Christchurch and Queenstown, Dunedin, Hokitika and Nelson for

$39.

❚ Christchurch and Invercargill, New Plymouth, Napier and Palmerston North for $49.

❚ Christchurch and Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga for $59.

Luxon said Air New Zealand believed the low fares would ‘‘supercharge’’ domestic tourism. ‘‘We’d love to see hotels, rental car companies and tourist experience operators follow our lead,’’ he said.

ChristchurchNZ destination and attraction general manager Loren Heaphy hoped the lower airfares would result in a ‘‘marked increase’’ in people visiting Christchurch from across the country, particularly Auckland. It might also encourage people who were yet to visit the city because it was a more ‘‘attractive price point’’.

‘‘We’re so close to so many exciting things in the South Island . . . so I think we’re actually really going to benefit with people coming down exploring what we’ve got to offer.’’

Christchurch property developer Richard Peebles hoped the new fares would prompt people to travel around the country rather than head offshore. Christchurch was ‘‘starting to get a bit of momentum’’ and was now a more attractive option for getaways, he said.

‘‘There’s all these things opening and I think people will want to come and have a look . . . we’ve got a lot to show off now and people haven’t seen it.’’

Travellers at Marlborough Airport terminal in Blenheim were eagerly waiting to see how their region would be affected.

The national carrier canned direct flights between Blenheim and Christchurch in 2016.

Retiree Rob Leask said his children lived in Wellington so they flew a few times a year.

‘‘We never pay full price because it’s a fortune for my wife and I who are pensioners.’’

Snap Rentals owner Jamie Bennett expected the cheaper flights to be great for the car rental industry, particularly from locals travelling in winter for concerts and events.

Bennett predicted a particular boost for his Queenstown branch, as the cheaper flights went from all three main centres.

House of Travel commercial director Brent Thomas said time would tell whether this would lower the average cost of airfares across the board or benefit only customers who had flexibility in what time and days they travelled.

Flights were near capacity on many domestic routes already, so Air New Zealand would need to make top-end fares more expensive to make up for the new, discounted fares, he said.

‘‘What we don’t know is if this is a revenue neutral position or a true haircut for airfares.’’

Flight Centre NZ product general manager Victoria Courtney said the reduction in fares was on entry-level fares, so she advised travellers to book as far in advance as possible, before the cheaper fares sold out.