Sky-high Air NZ ticket prices a bit rich for Kiwi traveller

Big demand in late January has pushed the price of an Air New Zealand seat from Singapore to Wellington to nearly $8000.

Wellington bar, restaurant and hotel owner Sean Golding found the ticket price a bit rich when he went to book the homeward leg of an overseas business trip.

On the Air NZ website yesterday, the flight for January 23 from Singapore was S$6706 (NZ$7884) for one adult.

‘‘Just don’t put the flight on because that’s just such poor PR from Air New Zealand, if you put that up, it just seems crazy. Why are they doing a flight at $7000?’’ Golding said.

The only seat available was Business Premier, although business class was from Singapore to Christchurch, then economy to Wellington following a three-hour transit, according to Expedia.

There were no seats available on the route on 11 flights between January 15 and 29, according to Air NZ’s website.

Between January 6 and February 5, the cheapest one-way flight from Singapore to Wellington was S$5237 (NZ$6155) and the most expensive S$6707.

A month later, the price was a lot lower at S$1837 (NZ$2158).

It was also significantly cheaper flying from Wellington to Singapore, at NZ$1305 on January 23. Qantas, which had economy fares available, was flying for S$2300 on the same date. Singapore Airlines had no seats on January 23 but was selling fares for S$2203 via Melbourne the following day.

An Air NZ spokesperson said the flights were very full, with people coming from Europe to New Zealand via Singapore, and the price was for a Business Premier ticket.

Cheaper one-way seats to New Zealand were available on many other international flights. According to the Air NZ website, the cheapest seat flying London to Wellington on January 23 would cost £2093 (NZ$4044) per adult.

New York to Wellington was US$2360 (NZ$3828), and Tokyo to the capital was ¥236,050 (NZ$2708), although it would cost €6564 (NZ$10,985) to fly from Berlin.

Flying the other way was cheaper, with the cheapest oneway adult seat costing $1340 from Wellington to London, $2360 to New York, $793 to Tokyo, and $1920 to Berlin.

Golding, an Air NZ Gold Elite member, flew a lot and said prices were ‘‘ludicrous’’ compared with pre-Covid travel.

‘‘My parents were coming up to see me a couple of weeks ago from Christchurch, and they couldn’t come because return it was $1400 for both of them. I mean, it’s just out of control.’’

‘‘I mean, it’s just out of control.’’

Sean Golding Disgruntled air traveller