Air New Zealand staff hilariously troll 'racist' customer on social media

Air New Zealand's social media team came back with the best response following a "racist" customers comments. Photo / Dean Purcell

Air New Zealand staff have trolled a customer on social media after they made "racist" remarks in a thread.

In a Facebook post, a customer asked the airline when the refurbished Wellington domestic Koru Club lounge would be opening, but their innocent reply did not amuse her.

"Kia ora [customer's name], our team are working hard to finish our amazing lounge for customers. We hope to have more information regarding this shortly. ^ FC."

However, the customer was not happy with the airline's greeting and replied: "Hello FC (I'm not maori), any likelihood it will be open by mid-December?"

The Facebook admin at Air New Zealand seemed to have taken offence to the customer's reply, so decided to come back harder by using more Te Reo words.

"We do not expect this lounge to be re-opened within 2019. However, taihoa koe ka kite all the amazing improvements we have made, FC."

The customer re-iterated that they were not Māori and asked for the English translation or the words in the post. This promoted another commenter to reply with a link to a Māori dictionary.

Then another social media admin decided to chime in, writing:

"We've done a bit of digging for you, [customer's name] and it looks like the lounge will be open just before Kirihimete! We can't wait to open the doors again, then you'll get to see all the amazing improvements we've made, SM."

Don't mess with the Air New Zealand social media team.

The Facebook post has since been taken down, but not before it had been screenshotted and shared around on social media.

Many have praised the airline's "professional shade" and slammed the customer's attitude as "racist".

"I thought this from Air NZ was funny and maybe the person who they were replying to was just a 'bit' ignorant. However after looking through more of their Facebook profile, it just made me sad that someone can be so racist," one person wrote on Reddit.

One wrote: "Oh wow and she replied back to their comment still being ignorant?!"

Another agreed: "Oh dear poor choice of words."

One person dubbed the Air New Zealand social media team as "troll of the year" while another said "that's funny as, best response Air NZ, mad respect".