It comes after a Tauranga man launched a complaint against the national carrier to the Commerce Commission for what he perceived as unfair prices.
He had been trying to fly his daughter back to university in Wellington and said it was cheaper for her to take a bus to Auckland, an Uber to the airport and then fly Jetstar to Wellington than it was to fly on Air New Zealand from Tauranga to Wellington.
Several Otago Daily Times readers voiced their own concerns about connecting to other parts of the country from the South.
Geordie and Frances Eade said they recently went from Invercargill to Nelson to attend the South Island Secondary School Athletics.
"As we only booked once our daughter qualified — two weeks out — it cost three of us $2645 return.
"I'm sure this cost would have hindered many from attending.
"We had to stay another night to keep it under $4000 also and funny enough the cheapest flights from Invercargill to Nelson were via Auckland."
North Island woman Sarah Christini said constantly high pricing meant she could not afford to be at her daughter’s home, near Dunedin, for her granddaughter’s 4th birthday.
"Flying to Australia would be cheaper.
"Kerikeri airport change and cancel flights regularly so between [Kerikeri and Dunedin] is made more impossible.
"If there is a slightly cheaper flight, it usually has a stopover in Auckland for eight to 10 hours — Kerikeri to Dunedin is just about impossible for me."
Deborah Wilson, of Invercargill, said her father recently died and she was unable to afford airfares to Wellington.
"I cannot remember the exact cost of fares, but it was in early March and if my memory is correct the cheapest fare was between $500 and $600."
Maxie Grobler said her husband lived and worked in Auckland, while she lived and worked in Invercargill.
"The prices of his return flights are $1000 or more for him to come home and back to Auckland again.
"We can’t do this any more — it is just too expensive."
Minister for the South Island James Meager said regional flight reliability and connectivity was his top priority "not only as minister for the South Island, but also as acting minister of transport with responsibility for aviation".
"Every time I meet Air New Zealand, or any commercial airline operating in New Zealand, I raise the issue of regional flight reliability.
"They continue to assure me that servicing the regions is a top priority for them and I am working with all airlines to ensure performance improves."
Mr Meager said the government was looking to expand the public on-time performance reporting to all commercial routes in New Zealand, "so that the regions can hold all airlines to account for their performance".
"We are considering what steps and investments we can further take to improve regional air connectivity, including regulatory changes."
Air New Zealand chief commercial officer Jeremy O’Brien said the airline understood how important affordable air travel was for New Zealanders.
"While we’re proud to keep Aotearoa connected, it’s important to recognise that operating an airline comes with significant costs — from fuel, to airport and air navigation charges, to labour costs. These costs have increased by up to 30% since 2020 and as a result are reflected in our fares.
"The price of a seat on any given route at any given time is influenced by a range of factors, making it more complex than simply comparing domestic and international flights, especially when seasonal demand from different regions is taken into account," he said.
"Like most airlines, we use a supply and demand-based pricing system, with a range of price points, or booking classes, on any route. As flights go on sale about 12 months in advance, booking early generally offers the best chance of securing a lower fare. During peak periods, such as school holidays or major events, increased demand can lead to higher prices. This is common across travel-related industries, including accommodation and rental cars. If we fixed fares at an average price, seats would quickly sell out, leaving none available for those who need to travel at short notice."
Air New Zealand’s advice for people who wanted to find cheaper fares was to book early and be flexible.
