Air New Zealand Airpoints tech revamp done: Now what?

Air NZ's Airpoints update is getting closer. Photo / Supplied, NZ Herald

Long-awaited improvements to Air New Zealand’s Airpoints scheme are a step closer following a major IT revamp last week.

Although the airline is saying little about what changes will be made to the programme, a new tier for its highest spending travellers is likely. But not until next year.

The airline has been surveying its top tier members on improvements they’d like to see.

The tech upgrade over two days last week will provide a new look digital experience for more than 4.6 million Airpoints members.

The airline’s chief digital officer Nikhil Ravishankar said the first of “many improvements” had been unveiled.

“Over the coming 12 months Airpoints members will have more earning power with more partners, more rewards and a new tier, further enhancing the value of the programme. The refreshed benefits and the new tier will be announced next year – introducing new benefits for Air New Zealand’s most loyal customers,” he said.

“We needed to first invest in the technology to be able to create these enhancements for our customers, which is what we’ve done during a scheduled maintenance period.”

Customers had told the airline what they like about the programme, but had also heard that it needed to make some changes.

“With this new system now in place, we can work hard over the next 12 months to enhance our programme, offer new benefits for Silver, Gold and Elite members, introduce a new tier, provide a better recognition upgrade process and more,” Ravishankar said.

The airline says some of the immediate changes members will experience from today are:

• A more modern look and feel after login, making it easier to view your Airpoints benefits and activity.
• The ability to share Airpoints Dollars with up to 10 different people within New Zealand, making group travel planning more convenient and inclusive for members.
• Simplifying tier review dates, meaning if you retain your tier, you will begin your new membership year and receive your benefits immediately.

The Air NZ scheme has been a work in progress for several years. Loyalty schemes are growing in importance for airlines and Qantas recently revamped its programme to allow more than a million New Zealand members to redeem points on a bigger number of flights.

Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.