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Before we fly anywhere, we make sandwiches with lunchmeat and French bread. We are then prepared for flights that have no food, if there is too little food, or food that we don't like. We are also prepared for waiting at the airports and are not dependent on overpriced and sometimes lousy quality food at airport terminals. It's all about preparing for the flight, which you apparently did not do. Sometimes we don't eat all of the sandwiches by the time the flight is over, and we eat the sandwiches later.
Next time, prepare for the flight by making sandwiches, and you won't be starving during you next trip.
And I can answer that last one: Air New Zealand is a government owned monopoly. They make no secret of their business model which is to lower prices on routes with competition just enough to encourage the competition to stop competing. It's downright un-American, I tell you.
Air New Zealand is probably not at all fazed by your calling them "un-American."
I just bought tickets from Honolulu to Auckland, New Zealand on Air New Zealand. It's a nine+ hour direct flight. We have Economy seats and their website clearly states that we get a meal, so now I'm confused by the OP's post.
That being said, I ALWAYS take food with me when I fly because I NEVER expect the airlines to provide anything beyond a soda and a bag of peanuts.
I just bought tickets from Honolulu to Auckland, New Zealand on Air New Zealand. It's a nine+ hour direct flight. We have Economy seats and their website clearly states that we get a meal, so now I'm confused by the OP's post.
I noticed something interesting when I went to the ANZ site to check flight details. When I started a reservation search the site was keyed to an American traveler with US dollars, recognizing my US location. But as soon as I typed in to start the flight from Auckland, it switched to the New Zealand viewpoint and NZD pricing. Not only that, but it offered 5 or 6 different ticket options at different price points, including the three I mentioned previously... Seat (only, no bag, no meal), Seat + Bag (something like $20 NZD more), or Seat + Bag + Meal ($50 NZD more, so $30 for the meal service?)... and a couple of premium choices.
So, as Burger King used to say, you can have it your way.
Try wait, try wait... there's more!
When I logged into the site again and started a reservation for Honolulu to New Zealand, however, it stayed on the American oriented site, which gave different Economy ticket options... Lowest Price (non-refundable, non changeable), Economy Flexi (changeable) and Premium.
Different markets? Or different governing laws? I have no idea, but the choices were quite different depending on the direction of travel, or possibly site being used, or both.
I noticed something interesting when I went to the ANZ site to check flight details. When I started a reservation search the site was keyed to an American traveler with US dollars, recognizing my US location. But as soon as I typed in to start the flight from Auckland, it switched to the New Zealand viewpoint and NZD pricing. Not only that, but it offered 5 or 6 different ticket options at different price points, including the three I mentioned previously... Seat (only, no bag, no meal), Seat + Bag (something like $20 NZD more), or Seat + Bag + Meal ($50 NZD more, so $30 for the meal service?)... and a couple of premium choices.
So, as Burger King used to say, you can have it your way.
Try wait, try wait... there's more!
When I logged into the site again and started a reservation for Honolulu to New Zealand, however, it stayed on the American oriented site, which gave different Economy ticket options... Lowest Price (non-refundable, non changeable), Economy Flexi (changeable) and Premium.
Different markets? Or different governing laws? I have no idea, but the choices were quite different depending on the direction of travel, or possibly site being used, or both.
Air New Zealand is owned by the New Zealand government (though it is a publicly traded company, the government owns >51%). In addition to turning a profit, one of their goals is to promote New Zealand tourism. As such, it is usually much cheaper to get to New Zealand (providing you are buying a round trip ticket) that it is to originate your trip from New Zealand. This is especially true right now (during our winter). Aside from a few hard core skiers, there are few tourists coming to New Zealand in July and August. You would think the planes would be empty (and therefore cheaper). Not true; Air New Zealand knows this is when Kiwis want to travel (to enjoy Northern Hemisphere Summer). They cut back their flights (since the 4 million people here cannot fill very many planes) and raise the prices. But I digress. Anyway, you cannot buy a ticket originating in Auckland on airnewzealand.com, and you cannot buy a ticket originating in Honolulu or Los Angeles on airnewzealand.co.nz. Believe me, I have tried. Sometimes you can get as far as entering all your info and hitting confirm before you are transferred to the "correct" site. The prices between the two sites are rarely similar. Note: 1 way flights from New Zealand cost half as much as a round trip. Trying to do it the other way is an expensive venture. I have no idea why.
RE $30 for food: You are reading it wrong. To get on tomorrow's flight to Honolulu will cost you $569 with a carry on bag, $599 with a checked bag, and $649 with meals (and drinks and movies)...$949 gets you premium economy. These prices are actually remarkably cheap for 24 hours notice, but that's because it's winter. There are no tourists returning to the US...strictly Kiwis who can afford to escape winter.
PS: I haven't flown yet. This was a complaint in advance.
PPS: I am one of the few people on this forum who will arrive in Hawaii and not be shocked and/or complain about how expensive everything is. I think that allows me to complain about being nickle and dimed by and airline.
PPPS: Did I mention that it is more expensive to fly my 2 year old daughter (weighing in at 13 kg) than it is to fly myself? I am not making this up.
RE $30 for food: You are reading it wrong. To get on tomorrow's flight to Honolulu will cost you $569 with a carry on bag, $599 with a checked bag, and $649 with meals (and drinks and movies)...$949 gets you premium economy. These prices are actually remarkably cheap for 24 hours notice, but that's because it's winter. There are no tourists returning to the US...strictly Kiwis who can afford to escape winter.
May have done. I can't remember what date that was for. But I did it again, for July 24, and found even more details than I remembered. I don't know how they could be any clearer about the available choices.
Seat - $529 - *7kg carry on, *tea, water and coffee (no meal), *buy from onboard menu.
Seat + Bag - $559 - *Seat Option plus: *1 check bag 23kg, *Please note meal not included.
The Works - $609 - *Seat + Bag + *Meal and Drinks, *Movies
Quote:
Originally Posted by 72andsunny
PS: I haven't flown yet. This was a complaint in advance.
Quote:
PPS: I am one of the few people on this forum who will arrive in Hawaii and not be shocked and/or complain about how expensive everything is. I think that allows me to complain about being nickle and dimed by and airline.
Now why would you think that?
Handling bags has a cost. Serving meals and drinks has a cost. Not that long ago you would not have had the choices they offer now. They would have just had a single Economy fare of $609 (in this case) and you would have paid for the meal and drinks and movie and suitcase handling whether you wanted them or not.
Breaking out these charges allows the airlines to quote a lower basic fare, giving passengers a choice. You chose a lower price, but now you're complaining that it doesn't include what they very clearly stated it doesn't include. You didn't buy the meal and drinks, you don't get the meal and drinks. Obviously. Buy from tthe onboard menu if you wish, or don't, your choice.
Quote:
PPPS: Did I mention that it is more expensive to fly my 2 year old daughter (weighing in at 13 kg) than it is to fly myself? I am not making this up.
I didn't find that to be true, if you are talking about your daughter accompanying you on the same flight. I tried several combinations and found the cost of tickets for an adult plus child to be be the same as two adults. Two seats = two seats, same price, just as I'd expect. I didn't check to see if a ticket for an unaccompanied minor had any extra cost associated with it.
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. It's a nine+ hour direct flight. We have Economy seats and their website clearly states that we get a meal, so now I'm confused by the OP's post. 
