best airline?

[Wayne]

This was an interesting perspective

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11406106

But for the national carrier both relatively low fuel prices and the
travel boom could be something of a mixed blessing. Air New Zealand has
honed itself into a lean machine, able to remain competitive at oil
prices around US$120 a barrel.

But jet fuel prices are around half of that level hit in the middle of last year and now nearly all
airlines are reporting improved results because of it. Even American
carriers, often hovering close to bankruptcy, are mostly back in the black.

Lower oil prices mean the less efficient carriers with older aircraft than Air New Zealand are back in the game.

[Damap]

I happily pay 100 to 300 more to fly Air NZ. do it all the time. They are safe, clean, good food, on time and helpful if you have a problem. As more people fly more through lower prices this good will factor is worth more and more.
And they seem to fly at more civil times as well. None of this get up at 3 AM to fly nonsense :-)

[speights boy]

^ yep Damap, ain't that the truth.

Angry passengers on a rampage

Angry Lion Air passengers sent an Indonesian airport into turmoil as they protested about extensive flight delays.

Smashed glass, barricaded gates and airline workers held hostage were just some of the reported incidents at Indonesia's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, near Jakarta, over the weekend, the Jakarta Globe reported.

The chaos started last week when popular low-cost airline Lion Air grounded 16 flights, saying "foreign objects" had damaged three of its planes.

It could not have happened at a worse time, with thousands of people travelling for Chinese New Year.

Nearly 500 police officers and military personnel were called in to restore order as the mood became increasingly violent at the airport.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/66620526/passengers-storm-airport-tarmac-after-extensive-flight-delays

[Damap]

To be fair Indonesians are loons. Only time I was genuinely worried about being killed was in a hotel in Jakarta. I asked the manager to call the police and his reply was: Oh no you don't want to bring guns into the room. The police may have already been bribed.

Couldn't wait to get out of the country!

[speights boy]

I have noted there are very few subjects on PT where you do not post about having had personal experience of.

[Damap]

Those are the things one is most qualified to comment on and are the things that interest me.

[speights boy]

Another reason Air NZ is a good little airline.
(disc: shareholder)

Sir Bob Jones escorted from Air NZ flight

Sir Bob Jones was escorted off an Air New Zealand flight for not following the safety briefing, the Civil Aviation Authority says.

"What we know at this stage is the pilot in command requested the removal of a passenger from the flight who was not following the crew's instructions during the safety briefing," CAA spokesman Mike Richards said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/68904308/sir-bob-jones-escorted-from-air-nz-flight

[flyernzl]

Excellent news.

So the crew should, regardless of any 'Sirs'.

The PIC carrys the can if it all turns to custard, so what he/she says, goes.

[Perry]

Take That!

Sir Bob Jones buys private jet and takes aim at 'infantile' Air NZ

"I should have done this years ago," he wrote in his latest National Business
Review column, citing, "The incessant and unnecessary hostess babble over
the intercom, the utterly childish and pointless screeching safety video, the
absurd seat-by-seat check that we're an inch or two upright at exactly 20
minutes before landing, and worst of all, the 'This is your captain speaking'.
No unnecessary 20-minute X-ray queues, no holding pens and more queues
to board, no sitting around for five minutes after landing before the doors are
opened, nor long baggage waits amidst the sunglass-topped cellphone bawlers."

[flyernzl]

I suspect Sir Bob is suffering from memory loss.

"I should have done this years ago," he wrote.

He did.

His company has previously leased a corporate jet, British Aerospace BAe.125-800B ZK-RJI.

It arrived NZ 19Oct1987, and left 11Feb1991.

(Almost without exception, corporate jets are leased from a specialist company, who house, maintain and crew the aircraft on behalf of the lessee).

[Perry]

Wasn't that more for Bob & Co's trans-Tasman travel?
The Citation seems more, ahhhhh, 'domesticated.'

[Bob Kane]

His company has previously leased a corporate jet, British Aerospace BAe.125-800B ZK-RJI.

It arrived NZ 19Oct1987, and left 11Feb1991.

Not good timing for RJI:

In finance, Black Monday refers to Monday, October 19, 1987, when stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Monday_(1987)

[donna]

from his article.....

"No unnecessary 20-minute X-ray queues, no holding pens and more queues to board, no sitting around for five minutes after landing before the doors are opened, nor long baggage waits amidst the sunglasses-topped cellphone bawlers."

What a grumpy ole man!

[eri]

new long haul qantas service

great improvement

[Wayne]

What a grumpy ole man!

He seems to be.
Gets pissy because he was told off and spits the dummy - buys a plane.