'grabaseat on tour' encourages Kiwis to see more of their own backyard

Air New Zealand’s “grabaseat on tour” initiative has seen huge numbers of Kiwis getting online to scoop up ludicrously low fares over the past 26 days.

The tour, which has covered all of Air New Zealand’s domestic ports, has sparked a 30% increase in average daily user sessions at airnewzealand.co.nz.

Air New Zealand Marketing Manager Jules Lloyd says grabaseat on tour, which wraps up today in Taupo, has been an unprecedented success.

“On the day we toured the Capital, the grabaseat website received the highest number of daily user sessions in its history, breaking even our previous record following the grabaseat first birthday offer of $1 fares.”

Ms Lloyd says the initiative was designed to encourage more Kiwis to get out and experience their amazing country and visit friends and relatives around New Zealand, taking advantage of the super-low airfares that change out each day at airnewzealand.co.nz

More than 300 Air New Zealanders took part in the promotion throughout the country and have been blown away by the amazing response from the public.

In partnership with the TV ONE Breakfast show, their new weather presenter Tamati Coffey joined the grabaseat teams, surprising and delighting residents around the country each day with ludicrously low fares from their town – offering one local the chance to spin the grabaseat wheel to set the daily fare between $1 and $26 dollars. These daily fares were available from airnewzealand.co.nz from 10am each morning.

“People from all walks of life and all around the country turned out to welcome the grabaseat team and fare wheel in each port,” says Ms Lloyd.

“We’ve had everyone from pre-schoolers to local mayors – including Tim Shadbolt in Invercargill – queuing up to spin the wheel. It was fantastic to see provincial New Zealand getting right behind this, with the largest crowds gathering in Gisborne, Whangarei and Wanganui.

“We’ve been shown a fabulous Kiwi welcome at each port and residents have been eager to showcase local fare. We were treated to hu-hu grubs and possum pies as part of the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival and were entertained by Kaitaia’s Far North Country Club band and line dancers who turned out at 6.30am. The wonderful people of Westport even pitched in with fresh whitebait fritters for the grabaseat team!

Grabaseat is designed to make domestic travel more accessible for New Zealanders, encouraging them to be spontaneous and make impulsive trips to visit friends and family, experience breathtaking scenery or simply explore a new town or city.

ENDS