Comments on: A Gold Star for Air New Zealand, At Your Service http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:34:08 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Kath Taylor http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-77391 Kath Taylor Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:19:06 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-77391 Four ladies are about to embark on a trip for 33 days in a motorhome to Vancouver/Island, Rockie Mountains, Alberta Banff, Jasper, Grand Prairie, Big Bar Kamloops, Osooysoos, Keremeous, Penticton etc. We met a nice man (concierge) at the time we booked our tickets. It is the first time flying Air New Zealand and we are all looking forward to a nice chat with the concierge. We age from 57-62-62-65 and will have a wonderful time. Thanks for this added and refreshing idea of someone to talk to on the 13 hour flight from Auckland after our 5 hour flight from Melbourne. Cheers Kath, Dawn, Cheryl and Barb Four ladies are about to embark on a trip for 33 days in a motorhome to Vancouver/Island, Rockie Mountains, Alberta Banff, Jasper, Grand Prairie, Big Bar Kamloops, Osooysoos, Keremeous, Penticton etc. We met a nice man (concierge) at the time we booked our tickets. It is the first time flying Air New Zealand and we are all looking forward to a nice chat with the concierge. We age from 57-62-62-65 and will have a wonderful time. Thanks for this added and refreshing idea of someone to talk to on the 13 hour flight from Auckland after our 5 hour flight from Melbourne.
Cheers Kath, Dawn, Cheryl and Barb

]]> By: anonymous http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-73973 anonymous Thu, 21 May 2009 20:00:44 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-73973 I will tell you how helpful the concierge service is. The concierge started an affair with my husband knowing that he has 5 children. Two of them handicapped (one who is dying) . I am home taking care of these children while she calls my husband to meet while in town. This is my experience with the air new zealand concierge service. A grade F minus to the extreme I will tell you how helpful the concierge service is. The concierge started an affair with my husband knowing that he has 5 children. Two of them handicapped (one who is dying) . I am home taking care of these children while she calls my husband to meet while in town. This is my experience with the air new zealand concierge service. A grade F minus to the extreme

]]> By: Air New Zealand’s in-flight concierge has all the answers in the air | SimpliFlying http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-57752 Air New Zealand’s in-flight concierge has all the answers in the air | SimpliFlying Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:17:09 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-57752 [...] can read a detailed interview with Ed Sims, the Group General Manager International Airline for Air New Zealand at The Cranky [...] [...] can read a detailed interview with Ed Sims, the Group General Manager International Airline for Air New Zealand at The Cranky [...]

]]> By: The Cranky Flier » Open Skies Concierge http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-48219 The Cranky Flier » Open Skies Concierge Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:39:22 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-48219 [...] announced that the airline will have a concierge service for those who fly with the airline. Unlike Air New Zealand, this won’t be an onboard concierge. No, this will be a service on the ground to help you [...] [...] announced that the airline will have a concierge service for those who fly with the airline. Unlike Air New Zealand, this won’t be an onboard concierge. No, this will be a service on the ground to help you [...]

]]> By: Nick Barnard http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-12629 Nick Barnard Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:28:00 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-12629 This whole buying tickets on the aircraft thing seems quite novel to me. Honestly Virgin America has a setup that is ideal for offering all sorts of services along this line, without committing the personnel. Instead of having to serve up whole webpages transmitted from the ground they could program their onboard server to actually render the pages etc, and just retrieve availability info from the ground, and send the transaction info back to the ground. (Al la, AJAX more or less) I think with an onboard server even offering services like this via existing satellites might be profitable. (Although there is that whole antenna installation thingy that would take time....) This whole buying tickets on the aircraft thing seems quite novel to me.

Honestly Virgin America has a setup that is ideal for offering all sorts of services along this line, without committing the personnel. Instead of having to serve up whole webpages transmitted from the ground they could program their onboard server to actually render the pages etc, and just retrieve availability info from the ground, and send the transaction info back to the ground. (Al la, AJAX more or less)

I think with an onboard server even offering services like this via existing satellites might be profitable. (Although there is that whole antenna installation thingy that would take time….)

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-12617 CF Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:28:06 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-12617 Ah yes. I'm too young to remember any of these previous attempts in the US industry, because they all happened before deregulation, as far as I can tell. I was talking to another friend about it last week and he said that TWA also had a similar position back in the 1970s. Back then, customer service seemed to be a higher priority for just about everyone, so it would seem that in today's world where service takes a back seat, this position would be even more important. Ah yes. I’m too young to remember any of these previous attempts in the US industry, because they all happened before deregulation, as far as I can tell. I was talking to another friend about it last week and he said that TWA also had a similar position back in the 1970s.

Back then, customer service seemed to be a higher priority for just about everyone, so it would seem that in today’s world where service takes a back seat, this position would be even more important.

]]> By: Brian Lusk http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/comment-page-1/#comment-12616 Brian Lusk Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:11:26 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2007/12/17/a-gold-star-for-air-new-zealand-at-your-service/#comment-12616 This just goes to show how really few new ideas are in the airline business. Back in 1959 when Continental first received their new 707s, they added a management position to each flight (and later with the 720Bs). This position was Director of Passenger Service or DPS, and the DPS was a combination concierge and flight manager. In fact, Continental made it a necessary part of each manager's career path. My dad served as a DPS for about a year in 1962 and 1963. He would radio ahead to book rental cars and hotels, or whatever else a passenger needed. Also, the DPS corps would sell tickets on the aircraft. Yes, you could board the flight with just a reservation and then buy your ticket once airborne. Brian This just goes to show how really few new ideas are in the airline business. Back in 1959 when Continental first received their new 707s, they added a management position to each flight (and later with the 720Bs). This position was Director of Passenger Service or DPS, and the DPS was a combination concierge and flight manager. In fact, Continental made it a necessary part of each manager’s career path. My dad served as a DPS for about a year in 1962 and 1963. He would radio ahead to book rental cars and hotels, or whatever else a passenger needed. Also, the DPS corps would sell tickets on the aircraft. Yes, you could board the flight with just a reservation and then buy your ticket once airborne.
Brian

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