Well 2022 is now into old-age and before we know it, it will be Christmas again. Time to celebrate and meet up with friends, and what better way than to come to our annual Christmas Lunch on 7th December.
We have a contribution this month from Tania Somerville, one of our newer committee members, with some insights into her experiences using Staff Travel. We welcome similar articles from members who have good tips to share with other members.
COMING EVENTS
Please mark this date in your diary and make your bookings online before you forget.
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
7 DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS LUNCH Bookings now Open
Date: Wednesday 7 December 2022
Time: Bar will open from 11:15am, and starters will be on the tables by 11:30am. The special Xmas menu lunch commences at 12 noon
Our Speaker Mr Richard Thomson CFO Air New Zealand will begin his presentation at 12.30pm.
Xmas raffle draws, Dessert and coffee will follow.
Address: Remuera Club, 27-33 Ohinerau Street, Remuera
Cost: $40.00 per person
Bookings: Bookings are now open for this event and bookings close Thursday 1 December.
SCULPTUREUM TRIP
The trip to Sculptureum was an enjoyable day out. We ended up with 21 booked for the bus and 23 into the Sculptureum.
The bus departed from the Downtown Ferry terminal and on the way picked up three of our members in Albany.
Everyone enjoyed viewing the artwork and sculptures, many from galleries around the world, and members also enjoyed their lunch at the Restaurant.
We travelled on Bayes Coachlines on a near new 32 seater coach with lots of room to spread out, so a very comfortable trip. Our driver Terry, was exceedingly helpful and congenial too. All in all, a very enjoyable and comfortable trip.
Gaye Mears, Treasurer
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Mr Tom Enright - 1971-1991 Operations - pilot Electras, DC8s, DC10s and B747s
Ms Jenny Parsons - 1979-2014 Cabin Crew 27 years Domestic/Short Haul 7 years International
Mr David Libeau - 1973-1995 Cargo Accounting, Tariffs & Pricing, Product Development, Manager Market Development.
STAFF TRAVEL as a RETIREE
When I took redundancy from the company in January 2020, I had visions of heading off for trips around the network without the worry of having to save annual leave beforehand, and not having to worry about getting back on time. It was all going to be so wonderful. Then Covid arrived, and that was the end of my travelling plans for a while. So, when the borders opened again in February, we made tentative plans to have a break away in Rarotonga for a milestone birthday in March.
Making a booking through MY ID was straightforward, as previously experienced. If you haven’t written down your password, or kept it in a safe place, a quick call to Staff Travel is all it takes to get it reset. Their phone number is 09-336 3336, Staff Travel Website https://stafftraveler.com/notes/NZ and there are other contact details shown on our website.
The ‘Smiley’ faces shown to indicate your chances with on-boarding are a useful tool, though probably not bulletproof. If you can, I don’t think it hurts to pay for an upgrade, which will then give you access to all cabins on the aircraft. Once we had decided the dates for flights, I then went on to some accommodation websites to search for a place to stay. Some good sites to visit are: Booking.com or airbnb.co.nz. A helpful tip regarding accommodation: Don’t be afraid to approach the property directly to ask for their best price.
At the time of our trip away to RAR, we were required to take a covid test within 48 hours of departure, which involved parting with a small fortune, and then praying that you would not ‘fail’ the test, i.e. return a negative result. Waiting for that test result was more stressful than sitting at a departure gate waiting for a boarding pass on a full flight. Thank goodness that particular requirement has now been dropped.
Online arrival documents are now par for the course with international travel. The New Zealand form can be completed up to 30 days ahead of your arrival back home. Not so much of a problem on short jaunts, but something to remember if you’re planning a longer trip and need to complete it during your trip. Every country seems to have their own requirements, so it pays to check during the planning phase what will be expected.
Our March trip all went well, so we decided to have a return trip, but for a little longer. Trouble is, I now have a part time job as a teacher aide, so we would need to travel in the school holidays. I clearly didn’t think that through when I accepted the role. So, in July we had a repeat of our March trip, armed with great accommodation (booked directly with the property manager this time), no need for a pre-departure covid test, and only the worry of getting on our flights. I’m happy to report that although it was tight in both directions, we actually managed to get on the original flights chosen, and upgrades paid but not applied were back on the card within about 48 hours of arriving home.
So, all in all, it is still possible to travel standby fairly easily, even in the holidays. Obviously, it would be better during off-peak times, but there’s always a chance. My next mission is to try subload on other airlines, probably longhaul, but that will be a story for another day.
Tania Somerville
ALMONERS REPORT
NAOMI ROWNTREE Passed away peacefully on 26 October 2022 after a short illness.
A celebration of her life will be held at Kohimarama Presbyterian Church, 34 Kohimarama Rd on Tuesday 8 November at 2.30pm. Naomi would be thrilled if you wore a touch of green. Naomi worked in Inflight Services from 1960 to 2000 - she was a legend.
https://www.airbnb.co.nz/
NAME BADGES
We encourage you to wear name badges at lunches and on any trips. It makes it so much easier when you know a face but can't quite remember the name that goes with it so please order yours now if you plan to attend any of the events coming up.
LAST ORDERS for 2022 will be 15 NOVEMBER
WEBSITE
Please note that the password for the “Members Only” section on our website is boeing.
The information on the “members only” pages is confidential to current members and may not be reproduced or distributed. www.airnzretirees.co.nz
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
President - Murray Robertson m_robertson@xtra.co.nz ph: 09-4894 069
Secretary - Antoinette Nelson antoinette@outlook.co.nz ph: 021-549 094
Treasurer - Gaye Mears gayemears45@gmail.com ph: 021-222 5810
Committee - Peter Burn, Peter Elmsley, Jo Foged, John Roscoe, Tania Somerville.
Contact us - airnzretirees@gmail.com
ORDERS and BOOKINGS
Our preferred payment option is to PAY ONLINE USING POLi which is the same process as used by Government departments, Air New Zealand and many other companies. You don't need a bank card and the payment is made immediately. You can also print a receipt for your records.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
All existing paid up members have their subscriptions extended to 30 June 2023 with no payments due until 1 July 2023. This was confirmed at the AGM.
COMPANY NEWS
Regular media releases are published online by Air New Zealand and you can access these from our website under the heading links.
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