Air New Zealand has decided to scrap its popular standby flights system from 6 May. The system, which was introduced last year, allowed passengers to catch last-minute flights around the country for $69-$89.
The move will hit Dunedin flyers particularly hard, with the lack of competition in the Dunedin aviation market making standard flights notoriously expensive. Many students have come to rely on the standby system, which allows them to fly home at short notice, often at a fraction of the cost of a standard fare.
Air New Zealand claimed the move was driven by consumer demand. A spokescunt told the Otago Daily Times that “the vast majority [of passengers] prefer cheap confirmed tickets over the uncertainty of stand-by travel.” OUSA President Francisco Hernandez slammed this rationale as “nonsense” and “PR bullshit.” He described the end of standby flights as “tragic. I always take standby if possible because it’s cheaper. It saves money on the OUSA credit card.”
“Aviation commentator” Peter Clark told the New Zealand Herald that any objections to the move would be “a storm in a teacup,” claiming that “there are so many cheap fares out there now anyway that it doesn’t matter. Those fares have become redundant and I don’t blame the airline at all.” Critic would like to point out that “aviation commentator” isn’t a thing, and that even if it were, Mr Clark is clearly terrible at it.
Standbys stood down
