The fare-paying pax has every right to share his or her concerns with the operating crew. There are countless times where this has averted disaster, or been ignored and disaster followed. Would you ignore a passenger who said there was ice on the wings and they weren't happy?
If the crew member concerned had acknowledged the pax concerns, as suggested, and dealt with it as he saw fit, instead of belittling the pax safety concerns, in front of potentially hundreds of other pax, the problem would have gone away. As it was, the unbelievably arrogant attitude of the holier-than-thou Air New Zealand pilot demonstrated nothing other than his lack of interpersonal skills, ignorance of the effect of his actions as they relate to his company's (currently) parlous profitability and demeaned his own professionalism (demonstrating a lack of same in the process).
Unfortuately, the pilot's actions demostrate, all to well, the midset of many Air New Zealand pilots - big fish/small pond, and they've reached the pinacle. Almost as bad as QANTAS. I have had the opportunity to observe Air NZ crews briefing numerous times in London, and the attitude and manner many have displayed defies belief.
If the 'idiot' (for he surely is) had acknowledged the pax concerns, he wouldn't have had to display his personality - he must be a treat to fly with. He need not accept abuse, no, but he must be pretty thin-skinned (read 'precious') to react the way he did.
I'd be straight onto his company now, and I'd have, at the time, asked to see the ANZ station manager to share both my concerns and draw attention to the pilot's manner.