Air New Zealand Reviews 

Long haul flight from Tokyo to Auckland operated by a contracted company without telling passenger. I flew in Premium Economy and the service was very poor, entertainment system didn't work, a very limited number of movies available, furniture wobbling. After an official complain Air New Zealand provided very vague explanation for this very disappointing experience and awarded me 60$ compensation....
Never again

As a traveller who has used AirNZ for over 40 years, I am deeply disappointed by the decline in flying with them. I don't know what the problem is but there's a certain dismissiveness with the crew. Not all have this unfortunate attitude but the few that have certainly degrade the experience. I just flew Business Class to Vancouver and was seated in my seat and noticed there was a little sticker on the fold down table. I never gave it any thought until the dinner service started and discovered that the table wasn't functionable. I was disappointed that they gave me seat with the knowledge that is wasn't operable. They stood there with my meal and wine in hand without any idea what to do. The head steward came and offered to move me to a seat that had a working table or she was authorized to give me sixty dollars. There was a third option but I was so upset that my mind was reeling at the sixty dollar offer and I didn't hear the third option. I asked her why I had to make a choice when I made the choice to fly AirNZ and go business class so there wouldn't be any issues. I was wrong. Sixty dollars for a flight that cost $3,500 above the next level seat and I had to make a decision. It was made plain to me that I had to decide quickly as they were very busy. I formally complained when I returned to NZ and AirNZ offered to raise the amount to $ 120 and it would be added to my airports. I told the nice woman that under the circumstances that they must be in, keep the money.
It'll be my last flight with them as this and the last two flights to North America were so late leaving Auckland that I missed my connecting flights.
Bon Voyage AirNZ!

Domestic flights are horrendous. Almost 50% are delayed. No communication between departments. Has become pretty unreliable in general

Travelled as a disabled/wheelchair passenger NZ to Narita and return. Can't fault them. Kind, considerate, efficient and helpful and with a sense of humour all the way. Good food, and service from all.

Auckland to Houston - NZ28
The staff! Not just the crew, but literally every airport, from check-in, gate counter to airline crew were absolutely flawless.
If we had questions, they were answered immediately. On the aircraft, any concerns were answered. They even drew us a helpful map to show us where to travel across at the arrival airport. They didn't have to, but they did. I was just hoping they had advise. But they really went above and beyond. Amazing people.

They do cost more - no question. BUT their service always excellent and the staff food wine always great. If only they were cheaper….

Air New Zealand is nothing more than a greedy, money-grabbing organisation. Your only focus is on manipulating and ripping people off their hard-earned savings while giving little to nothing in return. Shameful, disgraceful, and utterly disappointing.

Poor communication and inconsistent baggage information

I booked my Auckland–Singapore flight through Singapore Airlines, operated by Air New Zealand. Prior to travel, I contacted both airlines to clarify the baggage allowance. Singapore Airlines directed me to Air New Zealand, and AirNZ’s customer service informed me that excess baggage would be charged per bag.

However, at the airport I was told the charge was per kilogram at $51/kg, which was entirely different from what I had been assured. This inconsistency caused unnecessary stress, wasted time repacking, and ultimately meant I could not bring items I had planned to pay extra for.

The core issue is not just the cost but the lack of clear and consistent communication. As a customer, I did my due diligence by confirming with both airlines in advance, yet I still received conflicting information.

I understand that partner airlines may have different baggage policies, but the customer should not be penalized for this lack of coordination. Unfortunately, this experience was frustrating and disappointing. If alternatives are available, I will avoid flying with Air New Zealand in the future.

Tried to book an extra bag from Canada home to NZ. Booked and paid for the flight with Air NZ but oh no...not possible as they use a partner airline and in the too hard basket to add a bag this way - even though the international part of the trip is with Air NZ...only option to pay at the airport, which will likey be double. When I asked what will your partner airline charge, their response..."oh you will have to contact them" UNBELIVABLE. Yet again Air NZ lets its customers down. In future will try and use any airline BUT Air NZ. Totally inflexible, it's their way or the highway.

Blackmailed to pay additional fees for tickets already bought and paid for.

We bought tickets online, on the ANZ website. Paid and waited for the tickets by email. No tickets came. We coud see that amount was blocked by ANZ on our card, but nothing happened.

After contacting ANZ several times, asking for tickets, we were blackmailed to pay an ADDITIONAL 500 USD to the already paid 13.000 USD, to secure our tickets (4 return).
It was 1 week of nerves . We already had our tickets Europe/SFO-LAX - but final destination NZ was the whole reason for the trip.

We flew LAX-AKL-LAX in Dec24/Jan25

When I asked for them to immediately return the illegally requested payment AFTER the issuing of tickets, I was told that this would be happen when we had concluded the flights. We were also told that we would be receiving some compensation for the whole procedure.

We got the 500 USD back - after me having to remind them, again. Never saw any compensation for my 10 hours to talks, mails and frustration.

And it would have been so simple to rectify this. An upgrade on the leg back to LAX. Would have cost them nothing, and we would have had the impression that they actually cared. No miles, no nothing. Just a big: pffftttt!

We'd booked flights on Air NZ to Rarotonga and I put in an offer for an upgrade to Premium Economy. It was accepted and my credit card was charged the extra amount. We got there okay. The next day I noticed a $2450 charge on my credit card from air nz. I messaged their call centre and they couldn't explain it, though it looked suspiciously like the cost of a full return, premium economy flight. Suggested I contact my bank. I did this and they put a hold on the transaction and also cancelled my card as they thought it may have been compromised. I went back to Airnz and gave them details of the transaction and asked them to cancel it. It disappeared from my account 5 days later. The whole process wasted half a day of my holiday and caused stress and inconvenience. They were unwilling or unable to provide any compensation. To be fair the messaging process, though slow, worked well and the person I dealt with did the best they could, but any company that has such flaky systems that it can randomly issue spurious charges to its customers should be avoided.

Flight from AKL to SIN, 777-300ER economy, forward zone seat on 18.4.2025.

I have to make frequent long-haul journeys around the globe and subconsciously have developed a framework of standards/expectations.
The trainee who checked me in took 30 minutes to do so, and I was not given a baggage tag, and the online chat person was unhelpful.
The seat pitch and the seat amenities are poor. The tray table cannot be folded in half. There was no cup holder. My IFE did not work despite two resets, and as such is not a major issue if handled professionally by staff, but they were rude. The reading light also was not working, so I could not even read. On top, the stewardess splattered a glass of tomato juice on my shirt and another passenger, a glass of Coke! Food choice was zero and quantity miserly.

Staff attitude was universally unprofessional and at times rude.

I have flown other airlines before. Air India, for instance, has a three-star Skytrax rating. Air NZ is mysteriously four-star.

I have another long-haul coming us in a few days and I am dreading it.

My partner and I travelled​ from London to Auckland and back to London on business class. We flew on five airlines as listed, KLM, Thai airways, Malaysian Airlines, Air New Zealand, Swiss International Airlines. Sadly Air New Zealand was very lacking. The other airlines were great and I can highly recommend them. The Air New Zealand aircraft was tired and grubby and seats seemed cramped but not as cramped as British Airways top and tail configuration as if you were sardines. We are vegetarian but they could not offer any vegetarian meals. Gave us some microwaved brocolis. I asked for fish and the option was eel. I've never eaten eel in my life and was not about to start. As to their meat meals I can't comment obviously. The onboard service was standard. Breakfast I can't remember so that must have been alright. The first meal on take off was a let down so I would not recommend it but with Star Alliance there is no choice. The competition out there is fierce so Air New Zealand has to do better...somehow.

If there were an option for zero stars, I would have chosen it—this airline doesn’t even deserve one star. The service was absolutely terrible. I took a flight from Auckland to Singapore (9 hours 50 minutes), and when I asked for water, the cabin crew acted as if I had asked for money. The staff was extremely rude, and one attendant told me to wait until the plane had settled.

Throughout the flight, the crew’s attitude remained unprofessional. It felt like they weren’t being paid on time or simply didn’t care. They eventually provided water, but only when they started serving meals. Additionally, there was an option on the seat to place an order, but the service was unavailable for five hours—what’s the point of having that feature if it doesn’t work?

This was my second terrible experience with this airline, and I will be very careful to book with another airline next time.

It is sad indeed when I have a credit of $1,648 and cannot even use it on a $1,097 flights without paying a further $692
That means a trip to the gold coast if I took Air NZ,s offer would cost me $2,340 when I can buy seats on the same flights right now for $1097.
How any business can do this is beyond me.

I have always respected Air New Zealand for its reputation as a leading airline, but my recent experience with their customer service and refund processes has been deeply disappointing.
Flight Cancellation and Miscommunication
In December 2024, my flight from Auckland to Sydney was canceled due to engineering maintenance—an issue Air New Zealand acknowledges was within their control. Despite the cancellation, I continued to receive conflicting notifications via their app and email, falsely stating the flight was still scheduled. This lack of internal coordination caused significant confusion and stress at an already busy time of year.

Refund and Airpoints Discrepancies
The problems didn’t end there. Refunds for my tickets have been plagued by discrepancies:
• Despite paying the full fare for a return ticket, only a partial refund was received, leaving an unresolved shortfall.
• For another ticket, Airpoints were reinstated incorrectly, leading to further confusion about the remaining amounts.

Customer Service Challenges
Despite my efforts to resolve these issues—providing detailed receipts, screenshots, and transcripts of conversations with their representatives—I have faced delays, inadequate explanations, and no resolution. The inability to process refunds promptly, accurately, and transparently has caused significant financial strain and frustration.

Broader Concerns
What should have been a simple process turned into weeks of chasing customer service for clarity and action. This experience highlights systemic issues within Air New Zealand’s refund processes and customer communication, which severely undermines the trust and loyalty of customers.

Final Thoughts
While Air New Zealand has a strong brand reputation, my experience reveals critical gaps in their customer service and operational efficiency. I sincerely hope they address these systemic issues to prevent similar experiences for others. Until then, I would urge travellers to proceed with caution when dealing with refunds and Airpoints reinstatements.

I’m sharing this review in the hope that Air New Zealand takes this as an opportunity to improve its processes and restore customer confidence.

They cancelled our direct flight from Auckland to Hobart. No apology, just email that said your updated flights are... . Day later with low cost carriers and a wait in Sydney. I contacted them immediately and they blatantly lied to me saying no other flights that day. I could see several options on skyscanner and google flights.. They must train their staff to be pally with you and straight-face lie. I quoted precise flight numbers, several. The agent insisted she could not see them in her system. I mentioned that this was part of my husbands special birthday trip that I had planned and booked and paid for over 6 months prior. It seemed the agent liked this as she insisted (whilst sending me heart emojis) that there are no other flights. I could see several. She offered to cancel our flight with full refund so that I could book these alternative flights. It was only after I said that they are working hard not to abide by the international law and book us onto an alternative flight. Need I say this... the flights are now over £1000 whereas we booked and paid a fraction of that for a direct flight that they cancelled at short notice. Shame on Air New Zealand! Not about cancelling but trying to take advantage of elderly people and lying and lying... with heart emojis.

Flown with them many times with no issues. Always very supportive.

Booked flights from NZ to South Africa and was put on an Air NZ flight from Singapore back to Auckland without my knowledge. I would have chosen different flights had I know they would put me on an air New Zealand flight.

The food was terrible, tasted like nothing and the portions were tiny.

The staff were less than helpful and had such an attitude when we asked for anything.
We were travelling with 3 young children and got no extra attention only a bad attitude from staff.
Having just done 3 international sectors with Singapore Airlines who were incredible this really stood out for us.

We had a bassinet for our infant on 3 sectors with Singapore Airlines.
We were told no when we asked for a bassinet for our infant on air New Zealand. We were told that we never booked one (how were we supposed to know we had to book one). Then we were told that our babies too big for a bassinet. then we were told that bassinets are only for babies up to 6 months (which is incorrect, as it is a weight and heigh limit.)

I overheard air hostesses telling people that were struggling to connect to the inflight wifi that there was no inflight wifi on this flight (even though the pilot had announced 10 minutes earlier that their was and to was also advertised on the inflight entertainment system) and most of us had already connected and were using the inflight wifi.

Water jugs and cups were left out for the flight with a help yourself system as opposed to flight attendants offering you and purring water for you throughout the flight like on all other international flights / airlines.

The seating configuration was really squashed compared to our last 3 sectors with Singapore Airlines.

We asked the cabin attendants not to be disturbed as we all wanted to sleep and not 30 minutes later were all awoken for a meal by the same cabin attendant we had asked to not disturb us.

We asked in the middle of the flight for snacks for our baby (having all slept through our first meal) and were told that there was only crisps or pretzels. I again said this was not suitable for a baby and was told with an attitude "well that's all there is". I then asked for our missed meals so I could see if there was any puddings or cheese and crackers or fruit etc. to feed our baying was told that they were binned straight after meal for Health and safety reasons. Really!?

very bad experience and will make sure that any flights I book in the future do not include sectors on an air New Zealand flight.

Flight cancelled PMR-AKL at extremely short notice. Missed connection to DXB. Eventually got to Dubai a day later. Incurred extra car rental costs and lost one days hotel accommodation and private transfer costs in Dubai. Total loss £300+ Air New Zealand compensation £61.99, basically cost of car rental extension. Have sent emails disagreeing with their compensation decision but have had no reply since 17/10/24. Not a happy customer