Air NZ defends main trunk fares

Air New Zealand is defending its prices against criticism of Auckland-Wellington fares hitting $400 each way.

Travellers on Twitter this week have complained of some “outrageous” fares between Auckland and Wellington, the busiest route for business and government passengers.

“Pricing is strongly influenced by supply and demand, however, we regularly monitor fares and routes to make sure our fares remain affordable. Naturally, demand is higher for travel at certain times of the day . . . and particularly at this time of year,” said a spokeswoman.

A check of websites yesterday for Air New Zealand and Jetstar showed a big contrast in fares for carry-on luggage only.

Booked two weeks out, Auckland-Wellington fares on Air NZ for Monday, December 14 at typical times for commuters ranged from $159 to $189. Evening return flights ranged from $219 to $304.

Jetstar offers fewer flights, but early-morning Auckland to Wellington fares ranged from $65 to $75 and the evening return from $75 to $85.

The Air NZ spokeswoman said demand was far more variable since Covid-19 hit. Flights have regularly departed half full, or bookings were made very late and sold out.

“In response to strong late bookings, our first priority has been to add capacity wherever possible which makes more seats available at lower fares.”

Last month it added more than 26,000 seats to the network — many on the Auckland-Wellington route — for travel in the same month.

The airline had released more than 550,000 sub-$100 fares for travel between December and February.

While business travellers often book late and need to travel at peak times, Air NZ said if they were flexible, they could save on fares. “Naturally our cheaper fares tend to sell out fastest, which is why we encourage customers to book early,” said the spokeswoman.

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy said consumers were suspicious of “price discrimination”, and more transparency was needed in setting fares.