40+ Essential Air New Zealand Tips and Tricks

Updated 5 January 2019 (compiled by an Air New Zealand Gold member)

Flying Air New Zealand? Our dedicated page lists everything you need to know to get the best fares, most comfort, cheap business class and upgrades.

We've separated our list into different stages of a journey, from booking to post-travel, with a special section on maximising the perks from Air New Zealand loyalty. Have a tip that we haven't covered? Email us and let us know!

Sections:
Before You Book
During the Booking Process
Pre-Flight
In-flight
Arrival And Transit
Maximizing Loyalty Perks And Benefits

Before You Book

Sign up for sale emails, so you're in the know first when a sale happens

Take one minute and submit your details with Air New Zealand now - you don't need to be a frequent flyer to get the best deals. Sales are emailed frequently and are in most cases themed about regions, i.e. New Zealand sale, Asia sale, Pacific Island sale, Australia sale etc. With the exception of grabaseat (see below), very rarely to airfares get cheaper outside a sale. So, if you're looking for a holiday and not in a rush to book, sign up and sit tight until a sale is emailed - you won't wait long. Discounts can be up to 25-35% off on Seat and Seat+Bag fares.

Sign up for Airpoints if you're likely to fly once a year with Air New Zealand

It's free to join Airpoints, and a lot of retailers and financial products give you Airpoints when you shop with them. But if you don't fly Air New Zealand at least once a year, you'll be charged a $30 account maintenance fee. Being a member of Airpoints has a number of benefits, including earning free flights with Air New Zealand credit cards and pooling your Airpoints with family members under the Sharepoints scheme.

Flying via Auckland, consider a stopover

Don’t like long haul flights? Most long haul international routes depart from Auckland. With the airport being about 40-60 minutes drive from downtown Auckland, it's not the quickest commute. However the city is perfect to get some fresh air ad perfect for passengers flying through Auckland to get to Australia from America (and vice versa).

If you're flying from the New Zealand regions to Australia or further to Asia, America or Europe, you probably just want to get there and forget the stop.

You can book a stopover in Auckland by looking for flights with long layovers in Auckland, or enter in your preferred dates using the multi-city search function. In a day you can explore the harbour and viaduct areas, the Auckland Art Gallery, Ponsonby and go up the Skytower.

Check Flyertalk’s Specialist thread

Check the useful Flyertalk forum specifically forAir New Zealand Airpoints. It gives a good overview of the latest airfare promotions departing from New Zealand, as well as frequent flyer news. You can ask questions and an active community will most likely reply - it takes one minute to register.

Flying Premium Economy or Business Class? It may be 50% cheaper departing from Australia

If you're living in Australia, you can get the best of Air New Zealand at a bargain price year-round.

Let's explain.

Air New Zealand has a near monopoly on direct Auckland to North America (there are seasonal services offered by American Airlines and United in summer).
Because of this, direct flights to Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco and Buenos Aires command a premium.
Contrast this to Australia, where four airlines fly Sydney-Los Angeles direct, Air New Zealand competes on price offering year-round discounts from Australian cities.

Business Class examples include:

Australia to Buenos Aires return for AUD$4,091 (ex Auckland the fare is NZD$8,364)
Australia to Los Angeles return for AUS$4,594 (ex Auckland the fare is NZD$8,357)

Note: No FX adjustments have been made, as of January 2018 the NZ dollar buys around 90 cents Australian.

In our review of a number of Pacific-crossing routes, we found Premium Economy fares were 35-40% lower and Economy 25-35% lower from Australia compared to New Zealand departures. We've included the examples above in screenshots below to highlight Australia being a price-busting starting point.

Save "Grabaseat" as a favourite and always check it before booking a flight

Grabaseat offers up Air New Zealand's lowest fares for travel up to 11 months in advance. The cheapest deals are domestic, and the website gives a small date range for the lowest prices. Booking is completed on the standard Air New Zealand website. Grabaseat also offers long-haul fares but it's notoriously difficult to find the cheapest fares without scrolling through months and months of fares given the date ranges can be 6-9 months.

Grabaseat Domestic flights example with a small date range

Grabaseat Long Haul flights example with a large date range

Check SecretFlying.com for super deals

SecretFlying.com is the world's #1 discount/error airfare website, and it has a dedicated page for "Oceania Deals" Many are from Australia, but about 20% are for tickets from New Zealand. Air New Zealand regularly appears on the page, with some examples of recent sales shown below.

Air New Zealand super deals appearing on SecretFlying.com

During the Booking Process

Flying the Tasman or to the Pacific? Pick a Boeing over an Airbus for a more comfortable journey

If you're flexible with your time of travel, Air New Zealand offers a choice of Airbus and Boeing aircraft on popular routes such as Auckland to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. You'll have a more comfortable flight by picking a Boeing - either the 777 or 787 Dreamliner. These are long haul aircraft and have more bathrooms, more overheard locker space and more legroom. They're also less buffeted around by turbulence. The image below shows how to spot the difference between an Airbus and Boeing.

Air New Zealand wide-body Boeing services highlighted in red

Promo codes are released all year; the important thing is to make sure you have access to them when it comes to making a booking. Control-F the Air NZ homepage for "promo" if in doubt - they're usually visible, and search your email for "air new zealand promo" to bring up any email promotions. If you want to be sure, search Twitter. All of that takes about a minute and can save hundreds of dollars.

Example of an Air New Zealand promo code, published in an email marketing campaign

Watch for credit card offers - Many American credit cards offer cashback promotions, often up to 10% or even 15% of the fare you paid.

(American residents only) Air New Zealand frequently comes up in credit card offers from banks such as Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo. The offers need to be followed closely - booking must be made in the applicable months and in the offer period. If you can follow that, you're likely to receive up to 15% of your airfare back.

Book domestic flights on airnz.co.nz – it's up to ~75% cheaper than the .com, .co.uk and .com.sg sites

Air New Zealand charges passengers an incredible premium when booking domestic flights outside of airnz.co.nz. British and American visitors could pay up to 3-3.5X the price a New Zealander pays just for using AirNewZealand.co.uk and AirNewZealand.com respectively.

On 24 January 2018 we performed a simple test, pricing a Auckland-Christchurch flight for 9 May 2018. The cheapest airfare was found on AirNewZealand.co.nz, for $69. We found the following prices for other Air New Zealand websites:

AirNewZealand.co.uk: £130 (approx NZ$251)
AirNewZealand.com: $190 (approx NZ$257)
AirNewZealand.com.sg: $126 (approx NZ$130)

There is a similar differential for all other domestic legs. So to save money every time, book on AirNewZealand.co.nz irrespective of where you are based.

Auckland-Christchurch fare booked on AirNewZealand.co.nz

Auckland-Christchurch fare booked on AirNewZealand.com.sg

Auckland-Christchurch fare booked on AirNZ.co.uk

Auckland-Christchurch fare booked on AirNewZealand.co.uk

Auckland-Christchurch fare booked on AirNewZealand.com

Premium Economy fares do NOT give you lounge access

Very few airlines include Business class lounge access as part of Premium Economy tickets. Air New Zealand is not one of them.

Avoid buying Air New Zealand travel insurance - shop elsewhere

In a nutshell, Air New Zealand's travel insurance is considerably more expensive than other providers without offering any extra benefits or protection.

We sourced quotes for a 30 day trip to the UK for two 40 year old travellers. We found policies for as cheap as ~$175, but the most comparable policies were branded "Comprehensive" and averaged around $255, 45% cheaper than Air New Zealand.

In sourcing 20 different policies from different providers on a price comparison site, we found only one quote that exceeded Air New Zealand's $468.00 quote. The most expensive, the Amex International Ultimate policy, priced at $469.00, was $1.00 more expensive.

We sampled other policies for other destinations and travel durations; in all cases Air New Zealand's policy price exceeded the average comprehensive policy price significantly.

Travel Insurance quote from Air New Zealand

Comprehensive-level Travel Insurance quotes from a price comparison website

Pre-Flight

Want an upgrade? Read our OneUp success guide to place the right bid

Our OneUp success guide has all the tips and bid information you need to avoid overpaying while minimizing the risk of missing out.

Get free entrance to Air New Zealand lounges with credit card spend

Air New Zealand is investing heavily into its network of lounges, and at major domestic and international focus cities the dining options have improved significantly. Without paying for a Koru Club membership or achieving elite-level status, you can get regular access to Air New Zealand lounges for "free" with a Kiwibank Airpoints Platinum credit card. For every $20,000 you spend, two vouchers are issued. They have a 12 month expiry date from day of issue. Your spend can accumulate over any period. Whether the fees are worth the benefits - see our Air New Zealand credit card guide - depends on your spending habits. Currently this credit card is the only way to obtain lounge access outside of loyalty or premium cabin tickets.

Pack NOT to exceed the baggage allowances

Skycouch - all you need to know

SkyCouch is an Economy class add-on that converts a row of three seats into a small "bed". The video below shows the setup, and it's best for two adults or families. It doesn't promise to be luxurious - getting comfortable can be like playing a game of Twister. That being said,
Sky Couch does NOT earn extra airpoints or status credits

Two of you travelling together? Get SkyCouch by booking preferred seats for $40 each, and then a twin seat.

Air New Zealand flights indicating SkyCouch is available

In-Flight

Business and Premium Economy

Air New Zealand's premium cabins are award-winning. We recommend letting the experience unfold. We've added a few helpful tips to make it a little bit better.

Reserve a meal in advance: Once you board and receive your menu, you always have the option of reserving a meal that you'd like to have. This prevents the risk of missing out if too many are ordered by other passengers.
Go for New Zealand wine: If you're visiting New Zealand and don't know the wines, the on-board selection is well regarded with Sauvignon blancs favourites among Kiwis. You can find the "Now Serving" section in the in-flight entertainment system which has a write-up of the wines on your flight so you know more about them.

Business Class only:

Get used to the Business Premier seat: You can't recline as you can with other business clsss seats; the options are either relatively upright or fully flat. So slouching back to watch a movie and eat dinner isn't possible.
Travelling with a friend? Have dinner together using the ottoman seat. Few airlines offer such a setup and it's a great way to start a holiday.

Economy Class

Air New Zealand's Economy service wins wards every year. We recommend letting the experience unfold and include a few helpful tips to make it a little bit better.

Long Haul

All flights are better with noise cancellation headphones: Forget the brand names, you can get a working set for around US$30 from Amazon. These will reduce the aircraft noise and let you hear (and enjoy) the in-flight entertainment infinitely better.
Visit the crew for a snack and drink: Air New Zealand is fairly generous with offering snacks and drinks throughout the flight, but if you visit the galley you can help yourself. Alternatively, you can use the in-seat TV to order drinks and snacks.
Visit the bathooms: These are not regular airplane bathrooms. The design features a bookcase and gives a real home feel.
Hungry on a long haul flight? Many meals don't get eaten. After all the trays have been collected you can visit the galley and ask for another dessert and/or a coffee. Crew are fairly obliging with this.

Short Hall

Jump into exit row seats for free: Most frequent flyers sit in rows 1-15 on Airbus A320 aircraft, meaning exit row seats often go unfilled. These seats have heaps of legroom. After the aircraft takes off, have a look to see if one of the four rows are spare. You can ask a crew member to be sure.

Arrival and Transit

Transiting in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Houston? Knowing what to do makes it easier

If you're coming off or onto an Air New Zealand flight and are flying internally in America you'll need clear immigration. You'll need to apply for an ESTA in advance so be sure to do that.

Avoid searching for blogs on the matter - Air New Zealand is clear in the process which is the only one that's relevant- check their guide for Los Angeles, Houston and San Francisco. It details bag collection, ESTA checks and re-entering the transit area.

Make arriving and transiting in Auckland easier

Upon arriving in Auckland is fairly straight forward and Air New Zealand has an excellent guide to the process. If you're transferring to a domestic flight, you don't need to drag your bags over to the domestic terminal. After collecting it off the plane and exiting customs and immigration, you can check it in at "Zone A" of the international terminal. It will be transferred to your domestic flight. If you're booked to fly internationally from a domestic New Zealand airport you can ask for your bags to be checked through to your final destination.

Long layover and need a hotel? Book in advance!

If you're transiting in Auckland and need a hotel, don't leave it until you arrive. Rates at the Novotel (opposite the international terminal) can be as high as NZ$350. The IBIS, a short walk from the terminal, is around NZ$150. It's best to pre-book to save the most. Plenty of other hotels and motels are found outside of the airport, with many offering shuttles.

Long stopover in Auckland? Take a trip into the city

If you find yourself at Auckland airport with a long layover during the day, the city isn't too far away. Airport buses are around $32 return, but there's great deals for families ($62 return for two adults and up to four children) using Skybus. In a day you can explore the harbour and viaduct areas, the Auckland Art Gallery, Ponsonby and go up the Skytower and be back in time for your flight. Do note Auckland traffic almost grinds to a halt every weekday from 4-6pm, so time your return with that in mind.

Airpoints member? Keep on to your boarding passes

Air New Zealand is reliable in crediting frequent flyer miles and tier points automatically, but don’t discard the boarding passes just in case. If you credit miles to a partner airline, you’ll need to keep them as proof.

Maximizing Loyalty Perks and Benefits

Regular flyer? Consider making Air New Zealand your preferred airline

Air New Zealand dominates both the domestic market, Tasman and Pacific routes - their schedule is unbeatable. So many retailers and financial products offer Airpoints as a loyalty incentive making building up a balance of Airpoints Dollars relatively easy. If you get an Airpoints-earning credit card and fly 2-3 times a year, you'll find some benefit in signing up to Airpoints. Needless to say being loyal won't save you the most money on airfares; the best way to save money on flights is to always book the cheapest. Air New Zealand won't always be the cheapest. But if you want something for nothing, the Airpoints program is largely that.

For those going further afield, Air New Zealand is also a member of the Star Alliance. This allows frequent flyer benefits to transfer to airlines such as Singapore Airlines, United, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. By volume of destination and fleet sizes, the Star Alliance covers almost every country in the world and you can potentially earn Airpoints Dollars on any one of those flights.

Consider Sharepoints - family members can pull their Airpoints balance together

Sharepoints is a major perk of Airpoints. You and up to four other people can pool your Airpoints balances together, and up to two of those members can live in a different address to you. When you log in to your Airpoints account, you will see a single Sharepoints balance (as our example indicates below).

The only thing you'll need to do is agree with your Sharepoints group about the use of the balance. The program is best for families and couples wanting to do have more purchasing power when it comes to getting free flights. You can use the balance for anything and everything Air New Zealand offers - free flights, oneup upgrades, Koru Club membership and Airpoints store items.

Get a $0 fee Airpoints Credit card

You don't need to pay credit card fees to earn Airpoints Dollars. The price-busting American Express credit card is a best buy in our Air New Zealand credit cards. Earning 1 Airpoint dollar for every $100 spent, casual spending earns 1% of Air New Zealand credit which can be put towards a free flight. It's a good card to have and currently offers 50 Airpoints dollars as a bonus if you spend $750 in the first 3 months of receiving it.

Don’t have enough Airpoints for a free flight? Flexipay now makes it possible

With Flexipay, Air New Zealand lets you pay for a flight with a mix of Airpoints Dollars and cash. For every Airpoint you use you'll pay a 10% fee. Flexipay offers a way for loyalty customers to use up small balances of Airpoints Dollars if they wouldn't usually have enough in their account a sufficient balance for one flight.

What you need to know:

There is a 20% minimum and 90% maximum of Airpoints Dollars required for any Flexipay ticket
Any airfare purchased with Flexipay earns 20% of the standard earn rates of Airpoints Dollars and Status Credits, regardless of whether the airfare was 80% paid for in Airpoints or 20%.
Our Flexipay covers everything you need to know to make a free flight happen

Spend airpoints you don’t need in the shop

If you don't want to book a flight, use Flexipay and/or don't think Sharepoints is for you, you can use up expiring Airpoints Dollars at the Airpoints Store. The merchandise won't change your life; vitamins are the most affordable item and start at around 20 Airpoints Dollars (we noted the selection was priced 40-60% higher than a local pharmacy). The store's purpose is a basic alternative to redeem credit for simple consumerable items rather than air travel.

Extra tips for Frequent Flyers

Airpoints Silver or Gold? Jump from Economy to Business Premier with ONE Recognition Upgrade

Flying to Australia or the Pacific Islands? On 787 or 777 aircraft, you can redeem ONE Recognition Upgrade to shift from a cheap seat-only deal to business class. This is much better than bidding for a oneup, which would put you in premium economy. Eligible passengers just need to request "Business" when making the submission.

Use a Recognition Upgrade wisely

Don’t delay in using them – as the saying goes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. It’s a lottery if there is upgrade space on any flight, so we recommend lodging an upgrade for your next trip. Strategizing their use for later travel can lead to them being denied and therefore expiring. Don’t be afraid to use them on less competitive routes like Australia or the Pacific Islands – a recognition upgrade isn’t wasted if you use it.

Koru Club member? Avoid lounge rejections when transiting to/from Europe

Economy fares from New Zealand to Europe are often cheaper when you fly via Singapore, Hong Kong, Vancouver or San Francisco. But if you are a Koru Club member, you probably won’t be able to use any lounges after you leave Auckland unless you fly via Los Angeles on Air New Zealand. Generally, lounge access is only available prior to the departure of your Air New Zealand operated and ticketed flight. This means if you have a leg with Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, All Nippon Airways or Cathay Pacific, there won’t be any lounge you can access.

Star Alliance Airpoints awards offer great value BUT have high fees and are tricky to get

Making an Air New Zealand booking is consistently hassle-free; you pick any flight and pay in cash or Airpoints Dollars. With such flexibility there's little incentive to cross over to partner award flights. However, if you like the idea of flying in Singapore Airlines' first class "suite" from Auckland to Asia ($2,200 Airpoints Dollars) or United Airlines' "Polaris" business class from Auckland to San Francisco ($2,580 Airpoints Dollars), you'll need to request a partner award.

However, availability is notoriously limited; Star Alliance airline award seats really need to be booked 12 months in advance, and a lot of flexibility is required. You'll be charged $100 to make the booking on top of the required Airpoints dollars. If you've had luck recently, please let us know how you managed the process.

Change flights for free in Air New Zealand Lounges

This can be successful but really depends on the day/flight and the merits of a request on a case-by-case basis. Readers have notified us of mixed success; it works mostly on domestic routes and specifically ex Auckland or Wellington. If you're a Koru Club member or Gold-level flyer and have arrived at the airport early with a preference to taking to next flight, it's best just to ask. The worst answer is no.

Elite Members can secure guaranteed upgrades to “giftees” up to 365 days in advance

If you know an Airpoints Elite member, you’ve bettered your chance considerably. All they need to do is add you to their gifting register, which is instant process, and input your booking reference and lodge the upgrade request.
Best of all, and giving 100% chance of success, if you’re planning to travel with an Elite member on the same booking, you can secure upgrades instantly up to 365 days before travel if there is availability. To avoid disappointment, it’s best to call the Airpoints line to check availability before booking your flight.
It costs 220 Airpoints for a single Economy to Premium Economy Airpoints Dollar Upgrade and 480 Airpoints for a Premium Economy to Business Premier Airpoints Dollar Upgrade for all Air New Zealand sectors. Full details are found on the upgrade chart.

4 hour limits in Air New Zealand lounges apply, but are discretionary

Unless you're connecting between flights, i.e. Nelson to Singapore, there is a strict four hour limit for Air New Zealand lounge access. It's reasonably to ask who would need or want more, but business travellers who have checked out of their hotels and finished meetings early appreciate WIFI and a place to work. Air New Zealand is strict on this, although MoneyHub is aware of reports of some flexibility in granting early access on a case-by-case basis.

Gold or Gold Elite flying from Hong Kong – use the Cathay Pacific lounge

The Cathay Pacific lounges in HKIA are legendary and a massive step up from Air New Zealand's go-to Thai Airways lounge. Gold and Gold Elite members departing Hong Kong to New Zealand, Beijing or Shangha have full access to any of the Cathay Pacific Business Class facilities, including the Pier, the Wing and the Deck. Facilities include dan-dan noodle bars, tea brewers, cold-press juices and sleeping/rest areas. One of them is likely to be closer to your gate than Thai Airways' lounge, so having access will save on walking time. Elite Partners do not receive this benefit, with access limited to the Thai Airways lounge.

If you move from Silver to Gold, or Gold to Gold Elite, any unused Recognition Upgrades will be deleted

This is a key limitation of the Airpoints program. If you've made it to Silver and then go up to Gold without using your recognition upgrade and Koru voucher, they will be deleted and replaced with the Gold-level offering. To avoid losing the freebies it's best to use them as quickly as you can - i.e. don't sit on them waiting for "the best time". It's better to have a short-haul upgrade for free than nothing at all.

If you upgrade with OneUp, you get the baggage allowance of the upgraded fare

Have more luggage than your standard 23kg allowance? Air New Zealand doesn't penalize you per kg you're over, instead they make you pay a penalty for the offering bag. The fees are $120 for Pacific/Australia routes and $200 for long-haul routes. You can purchase an additional piece for the same fees.

To avoid this misery, it's worthwhile looking at placing a oneup upgrade bid (our guide explains everything you need to know). In most cases, bidders can secure a Trans-Tasman upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy (which allows two pieces of check-in baggage up to 23kg each) for $150. If you can't reduce the bags, upgrading can be a cost-effective upgrade.

Save money on Visas to China, Vietnam and more: Apply for an APEC card

The APEC Business travel card allows visa-free travel to all APEC countries, saving a lot of money and time if you're planning to visit China, Russia and Vietnam which all require New Zealand passport holders to have visas. You also get fast track immigration, marked by the "Diplomat/APEC" lines. It's a great asset to have and many Kiwis swear by its benefits. With Chinese visas now > $100, it pays for itself in one visit.

Further details: Apec.org
Application for (New Zealand passport): Download here
Fee: $150
Validity: 5 years, or until the expiry of your passport (whichever is earlier)
Processing time: At least two to three months, and up to one year. The process involved every application being sent to all APEC member countries for approval. You can speed this up by selecting "priority economies" you wish to visit (up to 5) which will see your application fast-tracked to the countries you preference. Once granted, you'll be issued an interim card. Once the non-priority economies have approved you, a full APEC Business travel card will be issued.

Like space? Get a free seat beside you from $29

Air New Zealand offers the chance to spread out using an extra seat beside you, but you'll need to ask at check-in and success is subject to availability. Australia and Pacific routes cost $29, where as long haul routes are $99. Air New Zealand Silver, Gold or Gold Elite? You can request this at check-in and avoid the fee, again subject to availability. We've had reports of randoms sitting in the extra seat you've paid for once on board; Air New Zealand advises to approach the cabin crew and show your boarding pass which indicates your exclusive use of the spare seat.

Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flights earn the most Airpoints and Status credits

If you're looking to maximize status points and/or Airpoints Dollars when booking a flight, there are two key things to know:

Non-Star Alliance airline flights earn nothing, even if they're available on the Air New Zealand website. For example, for flights between Asia and Europe, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic appear as options. None of these airlines are in the Star Alliance and your earning balances will be zero. You also won't be able to use any applicable Star Alliance perks for Economy seats, such as extra baggage and lounge access. The only exception is Cathay Pacific to/from Auckland and Hong Kong, where there is a special relationship allowing an equal number of status points and Airpoints to be earned irregardless of what airline is flown, but you'll need to book a Cathay Pacific flight with an NZ flight number.
An Air New Zealand-issued ticket for an Air New Zealand-operated flight will boost your loyalty balances the most. If the same flight is sold by a partner airline (i.e. Singapore Airlines), you'll earn much less status points and Airpoints. Generally, the most to least rule is as followed:

NZ ticket on NZ metal
NZ ticket on SQ metal (code share)
SQ ticket on SQ metal
SQ ticket on NZ metal (code share)

Know something we don't?

Have a tip that we haven't covered? Email us and let us know!