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Kiwis who travelled to Australia in the last 12 months have crowned Emirates as the preferred airline for trans-Tasman travel.
Of the 7,335 customers surveyed by New Zealand’s leading online travel agency Mix & Match, 98% of those who travelled to Australia flying Emirates would recommend the Middle Eastern premium carrier to a friend.
Hot on the heels of Emirates were China Airlines and South American airline, LATAM, in second and third place respectively. National carrier Air New Zealand ranked fourth for customer satisfaction for New Zealand to Australian routes.
Mix & Match Ecommerce Director Dave Fordyce says it’s no surprise that the highest ranking airlines are all full-service carriers.
“With more and more seats available from Australia to New Zealand and therefore more competition for airlines, the difference between low cost and full service airlines can be marginal,” he says.
“For travel from Auckland to Sydney in March 2017, there is an $86* difference between the cheapest fares offered by all 10 airlines. Both Jetstar and LATAM have the cheapest seats from $149 per person one way, yet the latter offers a full service experience – a meal, entertainment and checked luggage all included.
“Today New Zealanders can pay a fraction more to enjoy an all-inclusive full service experience. As a result, they are much more satisfied with their in-flight experience.”
Fordyce says in the future its likely prices will continue to drop, but customers’ expectations will remain high.
“As more carriers such as Air Asia X enter the market, Kiwis will continue to see low prices across the Tasman. However, we anticipate there will continue to be an expectation for quality service for all airlines, not just those who class themselves as full service. In this new era where travel is more accessible than ever before, savvy consumers expect more for less – they want the full experience without the additional cost.”
*as at 24 February 2017.
Published 08 March 2017
