Tag: Auckland (Page 2 of 3)

Auckland Metro Network Announces Christmas Shutdown

December 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Infrastructure work across the Auckland metro rail network is set to ramp up over the Christmas period during a network wide shut down.

As Aucklanders head out of the city on holiday, work on several projects is scheduled across the network to take advantage of the quieter period.

KiwiRail Chief Operating Officer Todd Moyle says work will focus on track repairs.

“We’ll have more than 100 people working over the Christmas and New Year period across the network. Additionally, preliminary work on Papakura to Pukekohe electrification, the Westfield and Wiri junction and the construction of a third main will be getting underway.”

All of the projects are part of the Auckland Metro Rail Programme and once complete will deliver Auckland a resilient train infrastructure network for improved reliability of passenger train services provided by Auckland Transport and freight trains.

Earlier in the year, testing uncovered damage to more than 100km of track which required urgent upgrading.

“Our teams have put in a lot of hours and have already completed over 50 percent of the required work.

“The upgrade has been a massive task and KiwiRail has worked with Auckland Transport throughout the project to try to minimise the impact on commuters.”

The network shutdown will take place from Saturday 26 December to Sunday 10 January. During that period only freight trains will operate on the tracks.

Commuters on the Western line between Fruitvale Road and Swanson will need to prepare for a longer period of disruption, with work starting earlier, on December 20, and continuing along the entire Western Line until the end of January 2021.

“We have planned the repairs on the Western line to minimise the impact when the school year begins in February.”

“KiwiRail appreciates the level of cooperation and understanding from the public as this necessary work continues. The progress that will be made during the shutdown is an investment which will make the network more resilient and reduce future outages.”

AT Executive General Manager Integrated Networks Mark Lambert says “Once again AT wishes to acknowledge the disruption that these works have had on our customers. We will continue to provide Rail Replacement Bus services across the network throughout the shutdown, including New Year’s Eve, when many Aucklanders will be wanting to spend time with their friends and loved-ones.”

COVID-19 Impacts KiwiRail’s Fiscal Year 2020 Result

November 29, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on KiwiRail’s bottom line for the past financial year, but rigorous operational changes and cost savings measures have helped stabilise the business, KiwiRail chairman Brian Corban says.

KiwiRail Holdings Limited, New Zealand’s national rail provider, which also operates the Interislander ferry service across Cook Strait, today reported an operating surplus of $40 million¹in FY20 for the KiwiRail Group, down $15 million compared with FY19².

FY20 was also notable for the additional $1.2 billion of Crown funding allocated in Budget 2020, including $400 million to progress the iReX project to replace the three ageing Interislander ferries with two brand new ones. When they arrive, they will be the first new purpose-built ferries in Interislander’s fleet for 25 years. The Budget 2020 allocation also allows the purchase of new locomotives.

Mr Miller explains that COVID-19 interrupted progress on some significant projects including the rejuvenation of the North Auckland Line where $35.5 million of $164.5 million allocated by the Provincial Growth Fund was spent during the year. More than 400 staff, contractors and sub-contractors are at work building tracks, replacing bridges and making tunnels suitable for wagons carrying hi-cube containers in Northland.

Other highlights during the year included the full return to service of the Main North line through Kaikōura and, in Wellington, work advanced on upgrading the metro network including construction starting on a second 2.7km track between Trentham and Upper Hutt.

¹ Operating surplus represents earnings before depreciation & amortisation, interest, impairment, capital grants and fair value changes.

² FY19 Operating surplus of $55m excludes impact of non-recurring items ($29m Holidays Act remediation).

Air New Zealand Update Following Alert Level Announcement

August 24, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

– Air New Zealand is supportive of today’s news mandating the wearing of masks or face coverings on public transport, including aircraft, from Monday 31 August due to Covid-19

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says customers flying from Auckland have been required to wear masks while it has been at Alert Level 3 and it has been recommended for customers travelling from other ports.

“We will now start to review our domestic network and will be contacting customers who may be affected by the extension of current Alert Levels.

“We understand the impacts these disruptions cause to our customers and we’ll do our best to get our customers to where they need to be.”

Fare flexibility is still in place and the airline encourages those who no longer wish to fly to opt to hold their fare in credit through its online booking tool.

The airline has been operating a reduced domestic schedule to and from Auckland while it has been at Alert Level 3. The majority of the rest of Air New Zealand’s network has remained unchanged but with physical distancing in place.

Air New Zealand Cancels Outbound Service to Rarotonga

August 16, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

After consultation with the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Air New Zealand has made the decision not to carry customers on flight NZ946 from Auckland to Rarotonga on Saturday 15 August.

The service will still operate outbound to Rarotonga carrying cargo, and the return service will carry customers into Auckland.

Air New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the decision was made not to carry passengers out of Auckland due to the city currently being at Alert Level 3.

“The Cook Islands has so far had no cases of COVID-19 and we want to make sure we are doing the right thing for both countries in terms of safety and wellbeing. That’s why we have taken the precautionary decision not to carry passengers out of Auckland on tomorrow’s service. We are contacting affected customers directly to let them know their options.”

KiwiRail’s Tourism Trains Back on Track for Summer

August 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

All KiwiRail’s long distance scenic services will be back this summer, giving New Zealanders the opportunity to see their spectacular country from the comfort of a train.

“When New Zealand went into its Level 4 Covid lockdown at the end of March, all our scenic trains stopped running and we needed to gauge the market and plan the services’ return,” KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller says.

“We also had to carry out maintenance work on the carriages we use, and that work was delayed by the Covid lockdown. We prioritised the TranzAlpine, which runs between Christchurch and Greymouth, so it was the first service to resume.

“We have now reached the stage where we are able to announce plans to also re-start the Coastal Pacific and Northern Explorer.

“A record winter school holidays on Interislander and a highly successful winter promotion of the TranzAlpine gives us the confidence that the public will support these tourism trains which will be back in time for the summer holidays.”

The Coastal Pacific runs from spring to autumn, offering vistas of the spectacular coastline between Picton and Christchurch, via Kaikoura, during a five-hour journey.

The Northern Explorer runs between Auckland and Wellington over more than 10 hours, taking in views of Mts Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu, as well as twisting through the famed Raurimu Spiral and stopping briefly in Palmerston North, Ohakune, National Park and Hamilton.

“Pre Covid, rail touring was enjoying a resurgence throughout the world and, with the support of a promised $80 million of Government funding, KiwiRail was planning an ambitious upgrade of its scenic fleet and services,” Mr Miller says.

“The indefinite closure of New Zealand’s borders to international tourists, and the re-purposing by the Government of some of the proposed funding means that, for now, we are hibernating some of those plans and instead concentrating on designing viable timetables and services for the domestic market.

“New Zealanders can be assured that the scenery has not changed, and nor has the warmth of the welcome from KiwiRail’s staff who are eager to be back on track.

“Bookings are already open for our premier service, the TranzAlpine, running from Christchurch to Greymouth and same-day return, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. From September, customers will be able to enjoy the traditional Scenic class seats or pay extra to try a new Scenic-Plus class, which includes enhanced personal food and beverage service at your table.

“In spring, the Coastal Pacific will resume travelling from Christchurch to Picton each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning, with a return service the same afternoon.

“Because the Northern Explorer has competition from airlines on the same route and is a much longer trip which is more difficult to make financially sustainable for KiwiRail, there has been speculation over its return.

“We’re pleased to announce that it’s coming back and we are currently working on the timetable, crewing and ticket prices and anticipate it resuming prior to the summer season.

“It looks like all New Zealanders will be holidaying at home this summer and as people plan their breaks, we urge them to demonstrate their support for environmentally friendly travel and choose to sit back and connect with the landscape on their national rail network.

“We will monitor the popularity and profitability of the three scenic services over summer, while also looking at additional destinations and opportunities.

“In addition to these scheduled services, we are looking to expand our fleet to offer enhanced charter services throughout the year.

“Despite uncertainties in the current market, KiwiRail is committed to playing a long-term, vital role in New Zealand’s tourism sector and we are looking forward to rolling out our fleet again.”

Bookings for the TranzAlpine are currently open from September 4 till the end of November, operating four-day weekends (Friday-Monday) and every day during the school holidays from Friday, September 25 to Monday October 12. Bookings for the TranzAlpine from December, and for the Coastal Pacific and Northern Explorer, will open in the next few weeks.

More Rewards for Qantas Frequent Flyers as Travel Resumes

July 18, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas is making it easier for Frequent Flyers to use their points on domestic and Trans-Tasman flights, as more travellers look closer to home for their next holiday.

For the rest of 2020, Classic Flight Reward seat availability will be increased by up to 50 per cent to the most popular destinations in Australia and New Zealand including Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Queenstown and Auckland (when flights recommence).

To help regular flyers maintain their travel benefits, Qantas Frequent Flyer will also be giving tiered members Silver and above a one-off Status Credits bonus to compensate for reduced flying activity.

The increased availability and status support are part of a raft of initiatives from the loyalty program designed to give members more value from their upcoming holidays and the broader program.

Other program improvements include:

Extra Status Credits: To help our most frequent flyers maintain their benefits throughout travel restrictions, eligible Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members will automatically receive 50 per cent of the Status Credits they need annually to keep their tier. Members most impacted, such as those whose membership year started at the peak of travel restrictions, will also be eligible for additional monthly Status Credits support. Loyalty Bonus’ for members will now also count towards reaching or retaining Platinum One until 31 December 2021.

Better value on accommodation: The number of points required for Points Plus Pay Qantas Hotels bookings will decrease by 20 per cent effective immediately. For a limited time only members will also receive 5,000 points back when they book a minimum of 3 nights and on selected Qantas Luxury offers earn up to 125 bonus Status Credits when they book before Monday 31 August 2020.

Greater flexibility: To enable members to plan their holidays with more confidence, bookings made using points on Qantas Group flights will have any change or cancellation fees waived until 31 October 2020.

More Points Planes: Qantas Frequent Flyer will launch more Points Planes – exclusive flights for frequent flyer redemptions – to meet the pent-up travel demand of members and boost Australian tourism. Timings and destinations of the flights will be released over the coming months.

Improved digital experience: Qantas Frequent Flyers will soon have a new way to plan their holidays with points. ‘Dream Planner’, launching on 28 July 2020, uses real time data and notifications to keep members informed on reward seat availability and special offers to their preferred destinations.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the changes were good news for members and for tourism.

“Australia is home to world-class destinations and Qantas is making it easier for frequent flyers to visit them,” Mr Joyce said.

“We’re adding more Points Planes and more reward seats to our most popular domestic destinations, because that’s where people will be holidaying for the rest of the year.

“We’re also helping our most loyal flyers maintain their travel benefits by giving them extra Status Credits in recognition of their long-term loyalty.”

Qantas Loyalty CEO, Olivia Wirth said Qantas Frequent Flyer is one of the most attractive loyalty programs in the world because it’s always evolving and innovating to meet the needs of its 13 million members.

“We’ve been listening to our Frequent Flyers closely over the last few months about how they feel about travel, where they want to go and how they want to use their points,” Ms Wirth said.

“What emerged was that despite what’s going on around the world, the notion of the dream trip is well and truly alive, they’re just looking a little closer to home.

“Qantas Frequent Flyers are some of the country’s biggest advocates for travel and this has been reflected in the number of bookings we’re seeing as travel restrictions ease.

“That’s why we’re continuing to invest in making our members’ travel dreams a reality with more choice, better value and greater flexibility.”

Fast facts:

Intention to travel for Frequent Flyers remains high at 90 per cent.
Majority of Qantas Points in the program are earned on the ground, this hasn’t changed.
Qantas Frequent Flyers typically save points over a long period of time for a big dream trip – travel still remains the number one preference to redeem points.
Qantas’ latest nationwide sale shows that Sydney-Brisbane, Melbourne-Sydney, Perth-Broome, Sydney-Cairns, Brisbane-Cairns as the most popular routes.

KiwiRail to Resume TranzAlpine Service on July 4th

June 29, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

KiwiRail is delighted to announce the return of its acclaimed TranzAlpine train service between Christchurch and Greymouth.

“I’m excited to be able to say that this award-winning train, which last ran on March 22 before the lockdown, will be back from July 4,” KiwiRail Group Chief Executive Greg Miller says.

“We will resume with a weekend and school holiday timetable in July and August as KiwiRail continues to assess demand in a difficult season for tourism, with borders still closed to international visitors.

“We’re conscious of how important this service is to the West Coast economy and we’re looking forward to bringing visitors to the Coast again, allowing them to see the snow-capped Southern Alps along the way.

“This will be an ideal time for New Zealand families to try something new, and together experience what Lonely Planet has described as one of the world’s 10 most amazing rail journeys.”

During July and August, the TranzAlpine will run on weekends, departing Christchurch at 8.15am, and spending an hour in Greymouth before leaving at 2.05pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It will also run every day of the school holidays, July 6-17 inclusive, on the same timetable as weekends. KiwiRail hopes this will be an opportunity for families to share this unique experience. All fares will be changeable, fully refundable and available at the winter special rate of $75 per seat one way.

Opening the TranzAlpine is KiwiRail’s priority for its scenic train services which, on average, have more overseas than domestic customers. The company also operates the Coastal Pacific train between Picton and Christchurch, which does not run during winter, and the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington which is not currently considered financially viable. No decisions have yet been made on the return of the Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific. KiwiRail also runs a commuter rail service between Palmerston North and Wellington, which resumed in late April.

“Covid-19 has taken a heavy toll on tourism everywhere and unfortunately, like other tourism providers, KiwiRail and the communities we serve have suffered the impact,” says Mr Miller.

“We have utilised this downtime to look at exciting opportunities and options, including offering different classes of service onboard the TranzAlpine, beginning this spring. We are confident we can serve the market at different levels with an enhanced service for those who want something extra, while still ensuring more accessible fares are also on offer.”

The booking system at www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/tranzalpine/ is open now for TranzAlpine bookings in July and August, and bookings will open shortly for September and beyond. KiwiRail will be contacting those people who have bookings on services that have been cancelled. Those people already booked on the Northern Explorer – which has very light advanced bookings – will be given a 100 per cent refund or, if they prefer, a letter of credit. People booked on the TranzAlpine on days when it will not now run can choose to be rebooked, or receive either a 100 per cent refund, or a letter of credit for a future booking.

In addition, anyone with an existing booking on the TranzAlpine for one of the winter weekends or the July school holidays will receive a refund of the difference between the higher fare they paid, and the new winter special rate of $75 per seat. For example, if you have already paid $150 for a ticket on the TranzAlpine, we’ll either refund you the $75 difference, or give you a voucher for $75 to spend onboard, or you could use the difference to buy another ticket for a friend or family member.

“We know that our customers all look forward to their trips with us, just as we look forward to serving them. We apologise to affected customers for any inconvenience as we urgently consider how to make long-distance train journeys more attractive, more diverse and more financially sustainable.

“Our Interislander ferries and scenic trains play a significant role in New Zealand’s tourism sector but 2020 has turned out to be difficult for all operators. We are focussed on our return, and on better days ahead.

“We’re working hard on options and opportunities, are looking forward to making further announcements. In the meantime, we will welcome families and holidaymakers aboard the TranzAlpine from Saturday, July 4.”

Air New Zealand Assists with Repatriation Services to and from Fiji

June 13, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand has begun services to and from Nadi, Fiji to assist the Fijian government in repatriating its citizens.

Flight NZ952 took off from Auckland just after 11.00 this morning with Fijian passport holders on board, bound for Nadi, Fiji. The flight arrived in Fiji just after 2.00 pm, local time. A return service is also expected to repatriate New Zealanders who have been in Fiji since Covid-19 travel bans were implemented.

The repatriation flights to Fiji are being carried out in accordance with the Travel Advice issued by the Government of Fiji. On arrival in Fiji, all passengers are required to enter a government-designated quarantine facility for 14 days and will then be required to complete a further 14 days home isolation.

Air New Zealand’s Country Manager Fiji, Zeena Sahib says the airline is very happy to be supporting the Government of Fiji with the safe return of Fijians to their home country.

“There are a number of Fijian passport holders who have been in New Zealand for an extended period of time due to COVID-19 related border restrictions. Air New Zealand is very pleased to be assisting the Fijian government with ensuring their safe return home.”

Customers who wish to travel to Fiji, and who meet border restrictions for entry, are advised to contact Air New Zealand at groups@airnz.co.nz to arrange travel.

Customers already booked on an Air New Zealand flight to Fiji who do not meet entry requirements are encouraged to visit the Covid-19 FAQs section of the Air New Zealand website where they will automatically be able to put their flights into credit.

What to Expect From Air New Zealand at Alert Level One

June 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand has shared what customers can expect while travelling with the airline when the country moves to Alert Level 1. These changes will be progressively rolled out over the coming days.

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Nikki Goodman says Alert Level 1 will mark a return to normal with regards to domestic flying.

“Social distancing is no longer a requirement, unaccompanied minors will once again be able to travel domestically, and customers will be able to travel around New Zealand again with pets as checked baggage.

“Customers are still encouraged to check-in for their flight via the Air New Zealand mobile app to save time at the airport. We recommend allowing plenty of time to process through the airport as we expect to see more people travelling at this level. As we’ve adapted our processes to support customers through Alert Level 2, we’ve gained some great insight into changes that we will adopt going forward, and customers can expect to see some of these as they travel.

“Our domestic lounges are open except for Auckland Domestic, which is undergoing refurbishment, and Wellington and Christchurch regional lounges which remain closed at this stage. Hot food will be available again and served to our customers, while other food will be pre-portioned and available at the buffet. Inflight, customers would have noticed our food and beverage service resumed under Alert Level 2 with the exception of Koru Hour. We are working closely with our partners and suppliers to bring this back over the coming weeks.

“As always, our top priority is ensuring we keep our customers and people safe, so high touch surfaces on board and in our lounges and airport spaces will continue to be cleaned regularly. Our jet aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade air systems that filter out viruses, and hand sanitiser will continue to be available across the airport, kiosks, service desks and all our aircraft for customers and staff to use as they wish.

“As we get back into more frequent flying, please be patient with us, as our contact centre and customer care teams continue to receive a high volume of enquiries. If your travel isn’t urgent, we’d appreciate if you would wait to contact us so that those with imminent travel can be prioritised. We’re thrilled to welcome more people on board, but please remember to be kind to our frontline employees – and if you are unwell or have Covid-19 symptoms please do not travel.”

Further details on the customer journey for Alert Level 1 can be found on the COVID-19 hub on the Air New Zealand website.

The airline plans to operate around 55 percent of its usual domestic capacity (compared to pre-COVID-19 levels) from July and August. On Monday the airline began operating to all 20 of the domestic ports it previously flew to.

Air New Zealand to Resume Taupo and Timaru Services

May 18, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand will restart flights to and from Taupo and Timaru on 8 June.

The airline has started operating to the majority of its domestic ports with the country’s move to Alert Level 2.

Air New Zealand General Manager Networks Scott Carr says the airline has been encouraged by the customer response to its recently released schedule.

“We’re pleased to be able to restart both our Taupo-Auckland and Timaru-Wellington routes early next month and we know this news will be welcomed by these towns and their wider regions.

“Bringing Taupo and Timaru back into our domestic schedule means we’ll soon operate to all 20 of the domestic destinations we serviced pre COVID-19, albeit with reduced frequencies.”

Initially the airline will operate three return services a week between Taupo and Auckland on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as three return services per week between Timaru and Wellington also on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Additional frequencies will be reintroduced back into Air New Zealand’s domestic schedule as demand permits.

Flights are available to book now at www.airnewzealand.co.nz

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