Air New Zealand
523 reviews
Palmerston North to Auckland. Flight delayed by 50mins. Not once was there an announcement with a brief pack of made up lies as to why, nothing. The arrival and departure time just changed on the screens. However there was a container being dropped off outside and it took 6 airport staff to supervise the delivery driver for an hour doing that so… Read more
perhaps that explains the lack of customer service? Of course that meant missing my connecting international flight in Auckland. In Auckland I asked an air nz rep if they could contact the international terminal to explain and possibly hold the plane (10mins to get up there, through scanning etc) - 'no, we can't really help'. So there were several of us now stuffed. Not 1 of their flight crew, desk staff or 'randoms' look enthusiastic ... or even remotely interested in being there which is the reason I ONLY fly with Qantas now as airnz has become a dirty, cheap substandard service charging premium dollars! Unfortunately Qantas dumps you with airnz if you have to fly domestically in nz so I'll just get picked up in wellington in future - I've given them a chance and they're rubbish.
Sadly Air New Zealand flight in May 2026 is no longer our go to airline . Booked and paid for our Premium economy trip in June 2025 from Brisbane to New Zealand and Cook Island return for our holiday in May 2026 - 6 flights in total however their standards and customer service have slipped dramatically - from twisted seat belt we had to… Read more
fix as air hostess unable to do or did not know how to fix it..shewas very flustered , lost luggage straps, broken tray table , the seat we paid extra for told were broken but when we got on flight other passengers were sitting in seats so we assume they double booked them, burnt lamb dinner, along with broken foot rest and TV not functioning properly could not use remote and LCD screen kept switching off , and only got a smile and a sorry and to top it off even though we paid Premium economy with priority baggage they did not put our priority bag sticker on our bags so we’re mixed in with economy bags and they came out just about last. I had intended to send email to Air New Zealand directly but after what I have now read on other people’s reviews , what the point as the general consensus is they don’t respond to their online email portal and their is no direct listed email address either. Sadly we had also already booked our next holiday for August 2026 with Air New Zealand - wish we hadn’t now after what we experienced this time . Yes Air New Zealand has definitely let their standards slip at the cost of their customers. Sadly what was once a great airline is no more.
Flight 5/26 to USA Flight cancelled redirected with no notification, only discovered when tags printed. Couldn’t get connecting flight details as they don’t print 3rd party. They changed connecting flight airline from united to delta. Lost day in Disney . On way home fight disappeared spent hour at help desk . Finally got on flight but had to… Read more
seat separately. They billed for our 2nd piece of luggage even though it was meant to be included. Paid $30 pp for seat selection don’t bother they ended refunding. 1 star for staff trying and politeness. 0 for administration. No matter how nice staff if it’s broke it’s broken! Wont fly again air nz
Reviews with attachments
Flew Brisbane to Auckland - the aircraft is very basic . The seats are cramped in without any recline capability. The seat cushion is very think and back rest uncomfortable. The aircraft was very noisy ( even noise cancelling headphones didn’t work ) . Service was average . Show details
Worst service ever experienced on Brisbane to Shanghai flights – My Wife is a native Chinese speaker and booked with AIR NZ along with her 3 dependent children to China to visit family members in April 2023. We've always had fantastic service on all flights to and from China in the past. However we chose AIR NZ for the first time through Trip.com which we have used multiple times before for booking flights.… Read more
This is her first time to fly with Air NZ. My Wife and children speak fluent English and are Australian citizens. There were 2 legs of their journey. First leg was Brisbane to Auckland with a transfer time of around 5.5 hours. Then the second leg is about a 10 hour (late night) flight to Shanghai/Pudong airport. Ok, so here is what happened. When you are traveling with a 3 yr old and a 4 yr old, it's better to have at hand a pram as kids get grisly and tired. My wife took her childrens pram on board with her into the cabin. After arrival into AKL, the cabin crew REFUSED to take the pram out from the cabin and my wife was then ordered to walk with the children up the air bridge to ask the airport officer. After explaining to that person that my Wife are Transit passengers trying to get the pram from inside the cabin, my wife was ordered to go to the Baggage carousels. My wife again explained that she was a Transit passenger on her way to a connecting flight to China. The Airport officer again refused to help retrieve the pram or assist in any other way than to order her to the Baggage carousels which is located after customs. The children began crying and were forced to walk all the way to the Customs line. Only to be told that she is confused and must returned to the transit lounge. After explaining to several people what had happened, it took 2 hours to finally locate the pram. No one listened to her concerns. I wish I was there!. Ok, now the 2nd leg was also eventful. The flight to Shanghai. The cabin crew all spoke both English and Chinese. The booking was incorrect and the family were split up into different rows. This meant that 2 of the youngest children could not sit close to their mother. This caused a real concern. So my Wife asked a Male cabin crew member if she could move the children to the spare 3 seats in the front row of that section. The crew member explained that those seats are reserved for other booked passengers. This was explained to her after the Gate was closed and the cabin door had just been closed and locked. My Wife pleaded with the crew member and he said, I'll ask the Flight manager for you. The lady manager said no, it's not possible, but there's a seat behind your 2 childrens seat row that you can sit in and you can talk to them between the seats. This option was not appropriate with such young children on their very first flight. While other passengers were complaining, my wife had to constantly stand up and attend to the kids and secure their belts and retrieve toys and electronic devices from the overhead lockers for them play with. My Wife then pleaded in Chinese if the Flight manager can try to allow her to move to the front row (3 seats) and again was told that they are reserved. How are passengers planning on boarding the aircraft after the plane taxis out to the runway???. The entire flight was a depressing journey willed with unhappy screaming and constant crying between the kids and my Wife. Terrible, uncaring lack of service and they were shown zero empathy by the crew. We will NEVER EVER fly with Air NZ again. I'm a Kiwi by the way and I permanently reside in Brisbane. I made 2 different written complaints both on 10th May & 13th May to Air NZ customer care for a return call which is usually a 72 hour wait. But still haven't received one. I'm now waiting for Channel 9's A current affair to call me for an interview. AS A READER OF THIS REVIEW, What would you choose? A happy content family flight or an unpleasant 10 hour flight with screaming, grisly and crying children moving from their seat to see their older sister or their Mother. The spare seats in question were slightly more expensive, but the crew could have made a better judgement call to make all passengers in the cabin a lot happier.
I had a wonderful experience on a recent flight from Wellington to Brisbane. I was greeted warmly by my name and there was plenty of leg room. The meal was great and the staff were excellent. I will definitely fly with Air New Zealand again. Their airfares are very reasonable. If those staff are reading this, I was the lady with the pink hoodie… Read more
with the special message on the back. Thank you so much for the hug, you're amazing. aussieannie48@gmail.com
Flight delayed due to so n so reason..another announcement made that meals haven't arrived. Even after that the flight not been cleaned properly. See the pictures. Show details
RIPED OFF, Purchased Two $9000 Business Class Seats Brisbane to Vancouver and was downgraded to Premium Economy with Just $300 compensation at the last minute when the staff at Brisbane said I'd get $300 plus the difference in the cost of the seats. Along with many others on 22 April 2025 because of planned maintenance. Some down graded to Economy… Read more
because they had to allocate a smaller plane. I spoke to the wife of the Pilot when disembarking, said her husband new of the planned maintenance months and the time limit was up, so they just cancelled the flight? Ive been told this is a breach of the "Montreal Convention" which Australia and NZ have signed too, why don't they reinforce it with Air NZ?
Latest follow-ups
Ineffective Operating Procedures in Claim Lodgement: Air New Zealand The cancellation of flight NZ 659 from Christchurch to Queenstown on 28/11/25 was caused by their operational problem. This had inconvenienced me to cancel my organised Tours and… Read more
accommodation arrangements.
A staff member, [Name Removed] from the Policy & Recovery Department had discontented me in his email of 26 January, 2026. He asked for irrelevant Bank Savings account details which was not used in the sales transaction. He asked for the proof for the transaction by forwarding the Credit Card Statement. He also asked for personal details.
After I had satisfied all his requirements except the my Bank Savings account, he indicated that I was unqualified to claim due to the nature of the ticket sale.
[Name Removed] had wasted my efforts and time in preparing all his required documentation. He should be well prepared before proceeding my case. I have sent him a reply email pinpointing these issues but he ignored my email.
Air New Zealnd had failed in my Case!
Follow-up · 1. I had to book another flight on 4 March as there was no flights available between 1st and 3rd March at all at my own expense. 2. I Googled cheap ticket & bought ticket via Trip.com. My concerns is Trip.com's way in handling the cancellation of flight. No follow up for the Refunds until I voiced my grievances online. Last night I complied… Read more
We booked our flights 10 months ago and paid in full. We paid for exit row seats with the additional leg room as my friend is very claustrophobic and needs the additional space. Purely by chance-I went onto my booking 6 weeks b4 my flight, to find… Read more
out the plane had been changed, and the seats allocated were economy seats ! No notification was sent to me or my travel agent, no refund was arranged - nothing! When I rang them to ask for my original seats back, I was told they were not available, they had already been allocated! after an hour they just told me to fly with Qantas instead !!!! Appalling customer service - DO NOT FLY WITH THIS AIRLINE !!!!
Follow-up · My experience has been terrible, after several emails, the last one from Air New Zealand saying this would be the last time they would correspond with me over this matter was disgusting. They came up with lots of ridiculous excuses for not give myself and my 2 friends back our exit row seats, from -they don't ticket them as they are too narrow for… Read more
Positive reviews
Incredible fair service - thank you <3 – They kindly gave me a full credit even when my booking was ineligible for a refund because the concert I was meant to go to changed dates and I could no longer go. It is rare to experience such wonderful and unexpected surprises and service these days. Customer for life here!!! Show details
My experience on Air New Zealand – I travelled to Wellington via Auckland on the 18th December and returned from Wellington on the 23rd December. I could not fault Air New Zealand with either the ground crew and the crew on board the flight. They were all accommodating and very friendly. The service, food (especially when Kumera was served) and entertainment were the best. I could… Read more
not fault them at all. It is the first time I have flown Air New Zealand and certainly won't be the last.
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Awesome customer service by Upoto – Had an AirNZ flight cancelled two days prior to leaving for the states. Spoke with an AIRNZ representative called Upoto and she was absolutely magnificent, from her kindness, just to how she made the flight change so easy for something that could’ve been so stressful. She’s an asset to AIRNZ. Thank you Upoto ✈️
Negative reviews
Accepted a credit for a flight I couldn't take during Covid, but this means if it's cancelled in future you don't get the taxes back (250 AUD). They go to credits not cash as you've then booked with credits. I'm cancelling as I won't be travelling to NZ now or anytime in the near future and there's a 200 AUD fare change. Wasn't aware at the time,… Read more
but should have just cancelled original flights for a tax refund, and recovered at least some of the fare.
Eight months after the wheels of our daughter's luggage were ripped off in transit from Hawaii to Sydney, still no resolution or compensation, despite several promises to resolve this. Did all the right things from our end and AirNZ have disregarded their obligations under the Montreal Convention and ACL. Have escalated with NSW Fair Trading. Show details
Went on Air New Zealand app and attempted to make a booking to head home for a funeral. Myself and brother were returning to Perth after the funeral while my son was staying back. I booked all seats in the same row and mistakenly forgot to purchase a one way ticket for my son instead bought another return ticket. I immediately called Air New… Read more
Zealand and tried to rectify the situation within 5 minutes of discovering the error.I explained I was returning for a funeral and had only needed a one way ticket for my son. This request was denied ,no refund given($900)and was told I had to wear the mistake.Even though in the app you cannot make the booking as I had hoped to(eg. 2 returns and 1 one way). After a stressful few days at the funeral we hopped on the plane in Auckland to head back to Perth and the seat I had purchased for my son even though he wasn’t with us had been re-sold. I’m very unsatisfied with the manner which it was handled as well as the stress it caused at the time.I have since boycotted air nz and choose other carriers now
Recent reviews
Poor ground organisation at Brisbane absolute circus. Wait in line 30 mins to board for Premium Economy. Aircraft.. Boeing 777 old, tired. No Wifi. On board service good. Pretty below par for an international airline. Glad. Im not flying long haul with them Show details
I used Air Zealand 3 times recently: once on Jan 10th 2026 and twice return on Jan 26th for my cruise in the Southern Ocean by Ponant. I found the experience to be cramped...like sardines. It reminded me of the over-packed planes I experienced in South America 8 years ago. If you are overweight, pregnant or have long legs, do not bother with this… Read more
group. The staff very lovely but had little to work with: bare-bones budget service with water, tea or coffee...The "international" flight home offered a reconstituted sushi meal that tasted like gritty chalk... Not really impressed Barbara
Recently flew with airNZ gotta say horrible service, caught last flight from Melb to Wellington flight was delayed almost 2 hours, needless to say I missed the time to pick up car rental and also checkin to hotel, so was stuck at the airport with young children from 2am to 7am, asked if we could get access to lounge til morning so children could… Read more
get rest, they said no, emailed them later on about compensation for the hotel I booked they said not eligible, never again
As a new Zealanders I would never recommend using this airline Air new Zealand is the worst. They are very consistent at being horrible. Staff roll their eyes at elderly people needing assistance. They cancel flights after check in on Christmas Eve and send people out to fend for themselves untill boxing day. They schedule there flights into the… Read more
capital (Wellington) so close to the late night flight cut off for the city that so little as a 5 min delay they will just cancel a flight with zero empathy for their passengers. New Zealanders are kidding themselves if they think air new Zealand is a world class company
Flight was delayed 2 hours, then cancelled due to their aircraft maintenance. Customer service very bad and zero reimbursement offered. We’re out of pocket for transport and food. AirNewzealand never does the right thing. Their claims and complaint system will never help you. Easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than get them to reimburse for their fault. Show details
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Terrible customer service and poor communication. Our flight from Sydney to Auckland got delayed and then cancelled with no reason last night. We got rebooked in the morning but it got delayed again until 1pm and to put salt in the wound their Uber vouchers back to the airport didn’t even work so was out of pocket of $150 in Ubers. It’s giving budget airline, wouldn’t bother with them fly qantas instead. Show details
Crazy un organized, Australian pilots could land just fine in Queenstown but air New Zealand didn’t, this is after they took me for a ride charging me 500 dollars for my ticket when it was advertised at 189. Any ounce of kiwi decency has been lost with this company, horrible service Show details
Disappointing service. I was bumped to a later flight and it would have meant my connecting flight (also Air NZ) would also have been missed and I would have been stranded overnight with no buses or flights available at that time. I needed to be back in New Zealand on a particular date, so I had no choice but to cancel my flight and book with… Read more
another airline at a higher cost. Air NZ would only offer a flight credit, not a refund. Poor service and I certainly won't be booking with them again in a hurry.
"Male" Flight attended that was serving in left hand side rows of what I believe was the premium economy class in NZ78 from Taipei to Auckland on 10th of October was an absolute sh#thead with his head stuck up the butt. Shouldn't be anywhere near customers service let alone a flight attendant. Air NZ hiring processes are woke it's clear as day… Read more
best men, women don't get jobs there, Air NZ seem to be filling quotoas. Avoid this Airline until they sort their trash.
Very dissappointed. My father who is 74yo travelling alone had a flight to catch two planes with you he has a bad hip and can’t walk for to long, i booked a wheelchair ticket for him. At the airport i asked twice the procedure to make sure he was looked after once he landed they told me it was on the system and there would be someone to help him… Read more
as i couldn’t be there to make sure. In his old age he is quiet and doesn’t want to make to much of a fuss or be a burden.
There was no one to help him as his plane landed, he had 3 bags plus a oversize bag. After walking so long to get his bags one of them he could not find adding to his stress. A lovely young lady who works for you helped him out. But he was just off 10 mins before he would have missed the other flight as he is very slow hence why i booked him a wheelchair pass.
I’m so upset your airline does not take more care when a customer books a wheelchair pass and Is told speifically there elderly father would be taken care of but is over looked.
Air NZ wrap their low cost offering in a high gloss wrapper. Cancelled flight - too bad about your lost accommodation according to their "Conditions of Carriage" Incredible waits for service via online and web channels and not our fault despite providing the good old engineering reasons as reason for causing 24 hour delay, 4 hours on the phone. Show details
Flying from Housten to new Zealand 3 hour stop over then on to Australia. Check in process and customs seemed easy and no real issues or so we thought. When at the gate awaiting our flight we asked a question regarding our flight and the staff where extremely rude and dismissive and very unapproachable. When we had initially checked in at… Read more
Housten we where told our bags would go all the way through to the Australian city we where flying to. When we got to Australia thankfully an announcement by the pilot made us question what we had been told at check in and we had to collect our bags first to clear customs then check them back in to then fly to the city we were going to. If we hadn't heard that announcement we would have lost our luggage. So not very well informed staff at Housten airport The staff on the flight where pleasant enough however it was night time so barley saw them. I wouldn't rush to fly with them again , much preferred the other airlines I have used before.
Flew with a family of six to Samoa. What a joke. I used to travel AirNZ all the time but never again. They are the scavengers of the skies. It’s a shame because it was No: 1. How the mighty have fallen from the skies. Delays, cancellations are the norm. Show details
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