Air New Zealand is planning to launch a campaign offering
University of Otago students special standby fares from
Dunedin.
It is understood the airline plans to introduce trial $39
standby fares next month aimed specifically at the student
market.
An airline spokesman confirmed a deal aimed at offering
students discounted travel had been discussed in partnership
with the university, but details were still being finalised.
An announcement was expected within two weeks, he said.
Air New Zealand deputy chief executive Norm Thompson, who was
in Dunedin as a guest speaker for the Otago-Southland branch
of the Institute of Directors on Tuesday night, outlined
details of the plans.
Under the scheme, which is expected to be trialled over a
month, students would be able to fly anywhere in New Zealand
for $39, he said.
It is unclear whether the deal would be open to polytechnic
students, or other universities.
Air New Zealand's Tasman Pacific general manager, Glen Sowry,
told the Otago Daily Times in June the airline was in
talks with the University of Otago about a partnership
involving discounted student travel on low-demand flights.
The scheme could be similar to Grab A Seat, where the airline
sold limited reduced fares, he said.
Dunedin International Airport chief executive John McCall
said student standby fares were offered by Air New Zealand
and Ansett New Zealand in the early to mid-1990s, but the
practice was no longer promoted.
He welcomed the move as a way of filling vacant seats on
aircraft and boosting passenger numbers.
If the new campaign was similar to the previous system,
students "targeting" certain flights would have a good chance
of getting cheap fares.
University of Otago School of Business associate professor
David Timothy Duval said standby was a strategy used by
airlines to allocate seats assigned to passengers "but who,
for one reason or another, don't show up".
Otago University Students Association president Edwin Darlow
said while he was not aware of the campaign he supported
anything that made it easier for students to travel.
Otago Polytechnic Students Association acting president
Meegan Cloughley said while the proposal sounded "fantastic",
she hoped it would be open to all students in the region.
Air NZ student fares . . .
Honestly, who earns less than $155 a week, that's less than being on a benefit. Also a lot of students get that $155 dollars as a living cost, which means they have to pay that back. And Air NZ is not spurning non students, it has made a deal with the university, to make more money. Students are their target because they can make money off them, not because they are poor.
Students?
Why are students being targeted? What about the rest of the travelling Dunedin public?
Looks like Rolleston is still the place to be 4 hours from Dunedin for most of us.
What about the rest?
Once again students receive special treatment. When do the rest of us get special deals?
Yeah
yeah, students, living off $155 a week and contributing nothing to society. Why would anyone want to give them special deals?
I mean all the banks, retail shops and centres that accept community services cards must be insane, why would they ever give a student a discount?
In fact, being a student should be discouraged, perhaps made illegal, that way everything in the world would be fair for everybody.
No one is knocking students
The question is why Air New Zealand is only targeting students for discounted airfares.
And by the way, students are not the only people in this city who get bugger-all in the way of income. Students are not the only group who contribute to society.
In most cases students choose to become students, for any number of reasons, so don't come here bleating about how hard done by or under-priviledged students are. They are not the only ones.
Not just students on $155 per week
What about all of the rest that earn less that $155 a week. There are many people who don't choose to study, and earn less than that.
Why should residents of Dunedin constantly subsidise out of town students, many of whom have everything paid for by mummy and daddy.
It is also clear that the profile of the average student is changing. No longer are they 18 years olds studying full time, but there are more and more mature aged students who work full time, and undertake study part time.
Most students don't have trouble finding enough money for drinking, buying laptops, cars etc... So I doubt that there are many on $155 per week. And if they are, why are they spending money on airfares that they can't afford?
It's time the rest of us got a fair deal. Those who choose to work and pay their own way subside those who don't work... while those who chose to study get a better deal.