World Vision lowers sights

Children's charity World Vision planned to fly a staff member business class to Africa, but cancelled the almost $8000 fare after being questioned by the Herald on Sunday.

The New Zealand organisation on Friday confirmed that one of its employees was booked on the business-class Emirates flight for communication work, including the filming of an advertisement for charity. Communications Manager Liz MacIntyre said: "It's only true because she couldn't fly economy. There were no flights at that time."

Ms MacIntyre would not give details of the cost of the trip, but said: "It's not that much of a price difference."

An Emirates return flight from Auckland to Johannesburg costs $2705.74 economy, or $7913.74 business class. The difference of $5208 could keep a World Vision-sponsored child alive for more than 14 years, or, at World Vision's advertised rate of $40 a month, could keep 130 children alive for a month. "It's a moot point anyway," Ms MacIntyre said. "Well, I mean, we have a film crew going on the same flight ... we need to get [the staff member] there. If we waited days getting there, then it's not cost-effective."

On Friday afternoon, Ms MacIntyre said she had not personally booked the flights, but the staff member who had, had checked other airlines for economy seats.

"You're not going to make a story out of this, are you?" she asked.

Later, Ms MacIntyre emailed a reply to a list of further questions from the Herald on Sunday.

"[The staff member's] tickets have just been booked today and she's travelling economy class," she said. "The film crew book their own tickets, and theirs haven't beenbooked yet."

Asked to explain her earlier statements, she said: "The tickets hadn't actually been booked ... I wasn't aware of that".

The film crew proposed the staff member fly business class "because of the timing", she said.

"It's travel policy that we travel economy."

-HERALD ON SUNDAY