Travellers still happy to fly despite disasters

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Most Rotorua travellers are still happy to fly in spite of a recent spate of high profile aviation disasters, says a local travel agent.

Yesterday reports emerged that an Air Algerie jetliner carrying 116 people - nearly half of whom were French nationals - had crashed in a rainstorm in Mali.

It is the latest of three flights which have crashed or been downed in the last week - four since Malaysia Airlines MH370 went missing in March.

About 400 Kiwis gained refunds for upcoming Malaysia Airlines flights, after flight MH17 was shot down while flying over war-torn Ukraine last week.

Rotorua House of Travel director Pam Turner said there was an "initial flurry of panic" at the start of this week but most customers had decided to stay with Malaysia Airlines. "We've had three or four cancellations. Other people have thought about it during the week but they've decided to fly."

Price was a deciding factor in customers keeping their flights, she said.

Although customers commented on the recent disasters it had not deterred them from flying.

"We still use the quote 'you're safer in an aircraft than you are driving to and from work every day. It definitely shakes people up but it doesn't stop them from flying."

In general, staff would reassure nervous customers about their choices, she said.

"Obviously we don't sway people into whether they should or shouldn't fly, the ultimate decision has to be theirs."

Rotorua mum Nicky Bangerter is booked on Malaysia Airlines to fly to the UK in October. She said it would be her first flight with the airline but her UK-based parents had always flown with them when visiting her. "I feel scared about flying with anyone now, regardless of the airline, but Malaysian is so much cheaper than the others."

"I know it wasn't their fault. It's really sad this has happened. I'm going to be a nervous wreck the whole way."

Several Rotorua Daily Post readers commented on Facebook yesterday they would be happy to continue to fly with Malaysia Airlines.

"When it's your time, it's your time," said one. "I'll fly with Malaysia if they are cheap and feed me."

"Slightly nervous about flying to China in September but what the heck! You only live once right?" posted another reader.

However one person commented they had already changed their minds and been refunded.

Following the MH17 tragedy, Malaysia Airlines offered full refunds for all tickets booked for July 18 to December 31.

The cut-off date for refunds was Thursday and the Flight Centre's general manager, Simon McKearney, said about 400 people - or 10 per cent of customers booked with the carrier through the travel agency - had changed their flight.

House of Travel's commercial director, Brent Thomas, said about 200 people had requested refunds, but it was a "single-figure percentage" of people who had booked through the agency. - Additional reporting New Zealand Herald