Vouchers seen as embarrassing for Air NZ travellers

Air New Zealand is investigating what is causing a series of problems with its new inflight entertainment system, as one senior crew member claims the airline has boosted compensation payouts to disgruntled passengers.

Acknowledging for the first time "a series" of problems with the new system, airline spokesman David Jamieson said engineers were now looking at whether corrupted files might have caused the problems when new movies and programmes were uploaded for January.

He said that despite this recent trouble, the frequency of system problems was below expectations.

The latest glitch in the much-heralded entertainment system meant 301 passengers bound for Los Angeles on a refitted Boeing 747-400 on Wednesday night received compensation payouts.

Economy class passengers were given two travel vouchers worth $30 each, Premium Economy customers got three vouchers and Business Premier customers got four.

One senior Air NZ crew member, who flies on the affected aircraft, said yesterday that he was embarrassed at having to hand out $30 vouchers that could be used only on Air NZ flights and expired in 12 months.

Standard compensation vouchers had now been replaced as the airline photocopied hundreds of new ones to hand out. Instead of the standard $30 voucher, compensation for $60, $90 and $120 was being issued.

The airline denies this, saying there has been no change to its compensation system.

"They are just printing them off and throwing them in a folder, because they know there's a bug in the system," said the crew member, who did not wish to be named. "We have mass in-flight problems."

He said it would be better to give passengers proper vouchers that could be used to buy duty-free goods, instead of ones that expired in 12 months.

"I have to give these vouchers out and it's embarrassing."

Auckland man Craig Mark agrees, after he received a $30 voucher this month when the inflight entertainment system broke down on his family's flight back from a Christmas holiday in California.

The refitted Boeing 747-400 turned back to Los Angeles after water leaked down into the passenger deck.

Not enough transport was available to take all the passengers to their nearby hotel, meaning long queues of several hours for his two children, wife and elderly parents.

On the flight to Los Angeles, Mark said the faulty entertainment system meant he was only able to watch the film, The World's Fastest Indian, on slow speed.

The entertainment system had still not been fixed 18 hours later when the plane took off for its second attempt to get to Auckland.

"We had two flights - two failed entertainment systems - but only got one voucher of $30," said Mark.

A letter of apology had followed, with a form that would allow him to claim another $100 for each person.

"I thought for the 48 hours of hell we'd gone through was pretty miserable really," he said."Vouchers for my next flight off Air NZ doesn't cut the mustard - it should be a cash voucher so you can go to duty free and buy a bottle of rum or something to forget the flight."


$20 Million refits

* Four of eight Boeing 747-400s have been refitted at a cost of $20 million each.
* Refitting will start on the fifth plane this weekend.
* The new "longhaul product" is the final stage of an overall revamp.
* New seats are being installed as well as a new inflight entertainment system.
* Glitches with the system have prompted compensation payouts to passengers.