24/7 Live Chat has landed at Air New Zealand
Following a successful trial period, customers can now chat online with the airline's customer care team in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The airline has seen more than 38,000 customers typing in their enquiries since the trial of the feature kicked off in December.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says the channel has been hugely successful, and customers are enjoying having another method of contacting the airline.
"Live Chat is just like direct messaging a friend online. Once you're connected with us, you'll get an immediate response from a real person who can help with most types of enquiries.
"We know customers appreciate speed and convenience, particularly when it comes to needing help or support with their travel plans.
"In May the volume share of Live Chat was about 9.2% of all customer communication with us, and our team were able to respond to an initial message in just 47 seconds."
While Live Chat is the latest digital innovation to rollout for the airline, it won't be replacing Oscar, Air New Zealand's much-loved AI chatbot, who has been around since 2017.
"Oscar isn't going anywhere, he's still available to help in more than 900 ways, and we're working on ways to build his capability up as we advance our technology.
"However, if you're having a yarn with Oscar and he's having trouble understanding your request, simply let him know you'd like to speak to a human and he'll pass you on to one of our friendly team."
Customers can access Live Chat via Oscar through the Air New Zealand website, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp, or by clicking on "Live Chat" in the help and feedback section of the Air New Zealand app.
The Live Chat function will continue to be optimised, making it even easier for customers to access through the website and app over the next few months.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.