'Dear John': Air New Zealand invites John Oliver to stop winging it and visit Aotearoa New Zealand
Aotearoa's national carrier penned its very own 'Dear John' letter, but don't worry, there's no love lost (yet). Air New Zealand has invited the chat show star to migrate south on its very own bird to find out if the feathered friend he's backing takes out the coveted prize.
In its letter to Mr Oliver, the airline says it's an official invite to jump on board, "we've even teed up an exclusive pūteketeke meet and greet."
Air New Zealand's Chief Customer & Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says Kiwi (the people) were spitting feathers when they found out the comedian was meddling in the nation's most significant election of the year, so it's only right he visits.
"As fellow fliers, we love John Oliver's passion for the pūteketeke, but we think it's time he enjoys the magic of meeting our impeckable native birds in the flesh. We're inviting John to Aotearoa for an exclusive meet and greet.
"There's nothing quite like a bird's eye view of Aotearoa from the window seat of our very own winged flier, so we're offering John the opportunity to jump on board and visit us to back his bird – on us. It's just one easy flight from his studio's base in NYC.
"Aotearoa has given John a lot of material over the years, so it's only natural he visits the source of many of his punchlines to smooth any feathers he's ruffled. John – we know you're a good egg, it's about time for a visit."
Air New Zealand's offer includes return flights for John Oliver to visit Aotearoa and to meet some of the nation's most popular native birds.
Voting for New Zealand's Bird of the Century election, run by Forest and Bird, opened on 30 October and closes on 13 November.
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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │Twitter: @AirNZMedia
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.