Airnewzealand Reviews 

Air New Zealand might be the most useless airline ever. They are consistently late with terrible communication. When they lost my bag while travelling overseas, they were not helpful in the slightest. It was as if I had done something wrong. And the Customer Service was the rudest people I have ever interacted with. If they weren’t the lead in airline in NZ I would never fly with them again

I would give it zero star if I could , however .
I’ve never had any issue with this flight before until recent flights experience, sits getting narrower for long haul flights , down graded flight food, no more on demand snacks and drink services . On top of that, I have found out that they have broke two of my checked in luggages and I have to pay for it first for them to review in order to get a petty compensation (about 25% of its original value) and another one still on going with them while I am travelling.
I would not recommend to fly with them in the future, surely there’s lots of better flight companies to choose from .
And their compensation process is such a Pain.

On April 19th, 2026, at 7:10 a.m., I flew with Air New Zealand from Sydney to Auckland. During breakfast service, the flight attendant was very rude. While everyone else received their breakfast, she looked directly at me and just walked away, leaving me out. In addition, the flight attendants overall were not friendly; they seemed rushed and inattentive. This was the first time in all my years of travel that I experienced such poor service. I am extremely disappointed and hope the airline takes this upon themselves to improve

This airline really is a mickey mouse operation we have now been subject to cancellation of both our outward flight from LAX to Auckland and our return journey- and the excuses they come up with are complete Disney of course you don’t really have any real opportunity to challenge or choice in alternative options. They are free to claim whatever and put you on whatever works in their best interest not yours, but makes you wonder what kind of investment they are putting into their aircraft and how safe it is with constant cancellations due to technical issues. I would recommend choosing a different airline if you can - the ground staff are generally unhelpful and just advise you to go on-line you can’t speak to anyone face to face it’s really a backward facing airline in this day and age- come on Air New Zealand do better for your customers and but them before profit!

I can see why Air New Zealand has such a bad reputation now - their customer service and price gouging is horrendous.

All I wanted to do was try and get an earlier flight from Auckland to Dunedin, as the connection wait off the Singapore leg was 7 1/2 hours (and there is an earlier flight at 12.20pm) - I paid an economy full fare return to Singapore, over $3.1K nowadays. The cost to change from a 3.40pm flight to the earlier 12.20pm flight was a whopping $750 - extortionate.

I was told it was the difference between my original fare and the new fare. If I booked the same Auckland to Dunedin 3.40pm flight tonight - $571. So my original flight must have been a refund!!!

JetStar return Dunedin to Auckland in May is just $300 - Air New Zealand nearly $1000, which makes me not want to fly Air New Zealand anymore for domestic.

They don't care - the best they could do was a $60 refund of the rebooking fee. Hopeless. I have been a loyal Air New Zealand customer for over 30 years. Sad to see them fall so low - very disappointed.

I understand the weather is outside their control but to not provide a refund when they cancel a flight and cannot provide an alternative is not acceptable, they did not provide a service that was paid for. We spent an extra $700 getting back to Auckland by hire car to catch an international flight after being mislead by their online chat that we could claim compensation, now the trip is complete they are refusing to admit I was mislead, refusing to provide any compensation and refusing to refund. Credit is no good to a non NZ resident and frankly NZ locals shouldn't have to settle for it either. Poor customer service and poor overall response to a weather crisis.

Flew from Bali to Auckland.
Once in Auckland took us 30 hrs to get to our regional town of residence.
Air Nz is in tatters. They cancel flights without notice and reason or blatantly lie about it.
Leave ground staff to deal with the carnage and fall out.
2.9 billion in debt and consistently running at an annual loss.
I can't understand how this Airline as a national carrier has got so bad.
They have passengers in tears delayed for 2 days plus.
Totally unacceptable.
I have traveled extensively throughout the world and unfortunately 2nd rate airlines in a 3rd world country do a better job.
I would avoid if necessary, but unfortunately the only national carrier that is consistency bailed out by a 51% share Government holding.

We have had to change flights to Europe twice and they have been more than fair in their charges One issue is that they should not really offer the Auckland Frankfurt service with the 4 hour change over in Tokyo to travel from Narita to Haneda it is too tight and potentially stressful. It would be better to encourage passengers to overnight in Japan.

Very expensive !! Thought we got a alright deal on flights, only to pay a extra $120 on bags!! Not to mention no meals included , couldn't even get a complimentary can of coke. Qantas offers as many drinks as you want during flight. Service was just... ok. Nothing spectacular. Would choose qantas in future

When “Manaaki” Falls Short: A Disappointing Experience on Air New Zealand Flight NZ281

Flying with Air New Zealand is often associated with warmth, hospitality, and its well-known value of Manaaki — a promise of care that goes beyond expectations. However, my experience on Flight NZ281 on 9 April Singapore to Auckland sector told a very different story.

From the outset, the service lacked the attentiveness and courtesy one would expect from a full-service airline. What stood out most was not just inefficiency, but a pattern of dismissive behaviour that, at times, felt uncomfortable and targeted.

During the flight, a cabin crew member addressed a passenger — an Indian flyer — with the remark, “Patience sir, keep patience, I’m coming there.” While the words themselves may seem harmless, the tone conveyed impatience and a lack of respect, creating an uneasy atmosphere. Professional service is not just about what is said, but how it is said — and in this case, it fell short.

The situation worsened when another crew member (mid-aged short haired Indian woman), accidentally spilled water on me while serving another passenger. Mistakes can happen, but what defines good service is the response. Unfortunately, the apology was minimal, and when I requested napkins, they were never brought. Instead, the crew member continued serving others and appeared to forget entirely. I was left waiting for around 10 minutes before I could get assistance again.

Equally frustrating was the lack of basic service when it came to drinking water — a fundamental necessity on any flight. After being assured I would receive water “very shortly,” I waited nearly 30 minutes with no follow-up. I had also requested my water bottle to be refilled; the crew member said she would return after completing the drinks trolley but never did. Eventually, I had to call another hostess to resolve something that should have been handled promptly.

Taken together, these incidents painted a picture of neglect and poor service coordination, not only with me but with other passengers as well. Rather than the attentive and caring experience promised, it felt closer to that of a low-cost carrier where service is secondary.

For an airline that prides itself on Manaaki – taking care further than any other airline, this experience was deeply disappointing. Service is not defined by branding or slogans, but by consistent actions and respectful interactions with passengers — regardless of their background.

This is not just feedback, but a call for reflection. Every passenger deserves to feel acknowledged, respected, and cared for. Unfortunately, on this journey, that standard was not met.

We have been loyal Air NZ travellers using them several times a year. Constantly we have been let down by them with delays and disruptions. Latest flight they have now changed the day, the time and we can't even sit together. Very disappointed with their poor service and lack of care for their customers.

If there is 0 Star, I will choose it for New Zealand Airlines. We took Business Class NZ78 from Taipei to Auckland direct flight on April 07, 2026. The service is horrible with worst attitude from the moment we entered the 787 Air Craft to the time we got off.
The flight attendant threw the menu to you and ask what do you like to order without any explaination..I didn't have my reading glasses with me and asked for explaining the menu for for the dinner choices... The flight attendant showed bad attitude and threw out a few options... and I ordered quickly under the bad impatient attitude .... after the horrible service dinner, the cable clothes, drink cups was left and not collected through the flight... when I pressed the service button, Zero Response... till I stood up and went to ask her to come to clean up... both my wife and I have been traveling around the world that Africa, Central, South America, India, Sri Lanka,.... This is the worst we have ever experienced....

This is the worst airline I have experienced in my entire life. The overall service was extremely disappointing from start to finish. The cabin crew appeared unprofessional and inattentive, and customer service standards were far below what is expected from an international airline.

The food service was unacceptable—the meals were poorly presented, served on low-quality disposable dishes, and the utensils were visibly dirty, which raises serious hygiene concerns.

The aircraft itself felt very outdated and poorly maintained. It did not inspire confidence in terms of comfort or safety, and the overall condition made for an unpleasant journey.

Additionally, the cabin attendants are over 60 years old (Milf) and attitude toward passengers was concerning. There appeared to be a lack of respect and fairness in how customers were treated, especially toward international travelers, which made the experience even more uncomfortable.

I would strongly advise others to avoid this airline unless absolutely necessary.

Paid for an online booking using POLi. AirNZ took my money but did not actually book the flights. Spent literally hours on the phone and chat trying to arrange a refund. Finally told they would not refund for "at least ten working days". No actual date when I can expect a refund. Not even an apology. Terrible.

We had tickets for two flights on Air New Zealand. First was auckland to rotorua, no problem. Then we were supposed to fly rotorua to wellington and connect to Nelson. The first leg was a mechancal cancellation. the airport staff arranged a bus, but it would not get to Wellington to make our Nelson flight. So we rented a car. I paid $689 for the two flights. Today I got a refund of $10, new zealand currency or $6 usa. what a joke.

I will never try to fly air nz again. I had originally booked my flights to Ireland with emirates but due to the conflict in the Middle East I needed to change so booked with air nz. On 29/3/2026 I checked in and went through security. Then the flight to Auckland was cancelled. I joined a queue for nearlyn2 hours to rebook. The reason for cancellation was given as weather even though I heard a member of staff tell someone that the crew had gone over their hours ! It was the only flight cancelled that afternoon . Air nz rebooked me with emirates which was a lower cost due to the conflict. When I went to check in with emirates I was told that I would need to pay for my second case $433 for the privilege of that. I now have to try and claim the balance that I paid air nz for my ticket and the stress this has caused me . I travel to nz from Ireland at least once as year as do other members of my family. I will never travel with air nz again .

Air New Zealand is a shadow of its former self, their system are dysfunctional, they have multi-hour wait times on phone calling and their auto chat bot provides no meaningful assistance. Hideous service if you need actual assistance but not bad once you actually get on a plane.

On way from Christchurch to Auckland, then Sydney. Flight delayed because of fog, then hours later, cancelled at short notice. Air NZ simply said “pick up your bags and leave”. The poor staff at two counters were overwhelmed and unable to help. Spent 4 hours online and holding on phone for two hours - no contact. Chat bot useless and timed out twice when I reached head of queue. Stuck in in NZ, dont know whether to book another night and no info whatsoever out of Air NZ. Wont ever use them again - great as long as there are no problems.

Air NewZealand premium economy cabin service with excellent food and quality New Zealand wines on the Auckland / Hong Kong route is the exemplar for the rest of the industry to aspire toward. Pity they reach so few destinations in the Northern Hemisphere

SeeNever again.

Cancelled flight. Used AI/ algorithm to manipulate their site into trying to convince everybody that there were no seats available in other flights.

So had to ring CS. What a joke. The management have brain washed the staff into a dialogue that manipulates the customers into accepting either a crap seats or no seat and another flight.

Meanwhile I had found better seats ,(After clearing cookies) and when I told the guy on the phone he admitted to the deception and gave us the seats we wanted and originally booked (extra leg room).

Then we had to re book our connecting flight the day before inorder to connect with the cancelled and changed flight... And they would not pay for accommodation.. why? .. cos we didn't book the a Air NZ flights in one booking. ,

Air NZ are so expensive and their services are so reduced THEY WILL DISAPPEAR UP THEIR OWN GRINGO VERY SOON.
Bye bye💪

EVERYBODY I talk to drives between nz destinations now.

Air NZ are responsible for NZ roads being overloaded.
By the way the next day the Whangarei to Auckland flight was priced at $800 per person...

Yip 800 smackers!!! FFS you can get a taxi, a night in Auckland and a slap up meal for that... Why fly in the sky and potentially die with Air " screw the Kiwi owners/ tax payer"

The Government needs to step up and kick their profit model to touch.