Airlines r a great public service, endorsed by Skol.

[Skol]

They can always go on Grabaseat for example and buy $1 fares which turn up from time-to-time. Being in the industry I get a pretty good deal, but not that good. Flying's never been cheaper, but you almost always get what you pay for. Try Jetstar, see how that one turns out.

tricha complains that if you have a family emergency, you're screwed. Welcome to the real world, should the airlines subsidise those with family problems? Hard to believe a comment like that on a capitalist website, you just have to pay the money. tricha probably thinks AIR should subsidise the provinces and main trunk pax pay more.

[BIRMANBOY]

Totally agree. Every business (even Air NZ ) is entitled to make a profit...if they dont and still exist year after year then obviously some entity is propping them up for political or other reasons. Its a free market economy..if people dont like the prices or service they get then they can stop using the product or service. If the regional service is less than generous its because its probably a loser in the profit dept and has to be trimmed to maximize efficiency. People choosing to live in areas that dont get served well by infrastructure or services need to accomodate to whats available and be thankful they have some service as opposed to none.

Based on AIR's last profit guidance of $0 for the 6 months to June - it is hardly gauging customers. Any arguments to the contrary are communist crap and unfair against AIR when they are one of few large companies in NZ not earning their cost of capital.

The problem is everyone wants to fly for $50 anywhere in NZ or $150 each way across the tasman - while taking no account of millions of dollars of costs incurred by airlines in providing this essential service... Planes, pilots, cabin crew head office fuel etc etc.

Rational pricing means you will have to pay $100 on average to fly Auckland to Wellington ($300 if late subsidising cheaper pax). And on smaller turbojets where the cost per seat is higher you might pay $150 one way ($400 if late subsidising cheaper pax). Just cos you got a cheap seat once doesn't mean you should expect it.

Someone complained Christchurch to wellington has gone for $49 to $59 for the lead in fares... obviously a plane full of $59 fare payers makes a loss so you are actually being subsidised by higher yielding pax. And if you consider the cook straight ferry is $69 one way pax only - Air Travel is very competitively priced.

Its amazing on a sharetrader website we have people complaining companies are rip-offs and making too much money - if you want to bitch and moan go to the consumer forums

[macduffy]

I'm a bit surprised that modandm quoted my post in his/her reply above.

Just for the record, I wasn't "bitching and moaning" about AIR, merely pointing out that their servicing of regional routes - not the main trunk - is a virtual monopoly and that they will naturally take advantage of that in setting fare levels. There's probably a bit of cross-subsidisation from regionals to main trunk, but that's beside the point as far as this discussion is concerned.

[modandm]

Air is a dog of a company, state owned and they screwed Origin Pacific, now we, that fly from provinical centres are screwed,
There is no competion, I used to be able to rock up at Nelson airport on the day and fly to Ch Ch for $100, try it now.
The sad thing is if u have a family emergency, u r well and truely screwed. Shame on them.

apologies McDuff - probabally because this gem of an opinion was on the prior page.

Nonetheless calling for domestic air travel to be regulated is equally to be condemned. However perhaps you were being ironic with regard to TEL.

No hard feelings

[Skol]

Even though I've been in the airline industry for 42 years if I want to go somewhere, I have connections and I need to get there for vacation I pay just what you guys do. Normally I buy business class fares on Emirates or Thai or whoever has the best deal going.

I can get some pretty cheap fares, but they don't guarantee I'll get there when I want to.

[Skol]

AIR are quite innovative, they've got spare time on their 747's at the moment so Grabaseat are doing a couple of flights direct from AKL to Las Vegas including accomodation.
They did one last year.

[tricha]

They can always go on Grabaseat for example and buy $1 fares which turn up from time-to-time. Being in the industry I get a pretty good deal, but not that good. Flying's never been cheaper, but you almost always get what you pay for. Try Jetstar, see how that one turns out.

tricha complains that if you have a family emergency, you're screwed. Welcome to the real world, should the airlines subsidise those with family problems? Hard to believe a comment like that on a capitalist website, you just have to pay the money. tricha probably thinks AIR should subsidise the provinces and main trunk pax pay more.

Like I said we had competion here with Origin Pacific, u could turn up on the day and if there was a spare seat, u could get a flight for $100

Air New Zealand which was bailed out by the govt screwed Origin by reducing fares on their flight paths, so low, they could not compete.

So this communist bailed Airline shoud have been left to rot.

Bailed out by us tax payers and we get screwed twice. From memory they took over Ansett and screwed them to the wall as well.

Air New Zealnd is a bit of joke. They will probably go broke again and the govt will then give them more money.

[Skol]

Like I said we had competion here with Origin Pacific, u could turn up on the day and if there was a spare seat, u could get a flight for $100

Air New Zealand which was bailed out by the govt screwed Origin by reducing fares on their flight paths, so low, they could not compete.

So this communist bailed Airline shoud have been left to rot.

Bailed out by us tax payers and we get screwed twice. From memory they took over Ansett and screwed them to the wall as well.

Air New Zealnd is a bit of joke. They will probably go broke again and the govt will then give them more money.

You've been hanging out with your Cuban mates again tricha, I suppose you think AIR should run subsidised flights to the boondocks and have spare seats just waiting for you.
You've got a bee in your bonnet about AIR and I really think you're a closet commy.

You should think yourself lucky, you could be flying Cubana.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._and_incidents

You're a curmudgeon tricha, give the missus a treat and buy a couple of those seats to Vegas. You could even have some fun, maybe.

[Skol]

Should've bought yourself a few VBA tricha. Up 16% today, not bad. Looks as if Tiger might be grounded for longer than initially thought, maybe out of the market altogether.

[Skol]

Hey tricha, got your VBA's yet?

Up 23% in 4 days, hard to beat at the moment.