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The Best Ways to Redeem Air New Zealand Airpoints - The Definitive Guide

Our guide outlines the best ways to redeem 100 and 500 Airpoints (previously known as Airpoints Dollars), although the findings generally apply to any balance.
Updated 31 August 2026

Important: This guide was relaunched in August 2026. Every fee and redemption figure was checked against Air New Zealand's and each card issuer's published terms. They can change at any time, so confirm the details on Air New Zealand's site before you redeem. Report an error on this page - no name or email needed.
Summary
  • Millions of New Zealanders are sitting on Airpoints balances earned from credit card spend, flights, partner spend (e.g. New World and Mitre 10) and credit card sign-up bonuses.
  • Our guide is designed to explain the best way to get the highest value for Airpoints redemptions and avoid the pitfalls.
  • We look at Domestic, Australia and Pacific Travel, Upgrades, Retail Vouchers, Airpoints Store (General Items), Koru Club Membership and Star Alliance Partner Redemptions.

Know This First: Do you have a Platinum Airpoints Credit Card?
  • Many New Zealanders hold an Airpoints Platinum card from ANZ or Westpac. Both earn 1 Airpoint per $110 spent (Westpac drops to 1 per $220 once you pass $7,000 in a month), against 1 per $70 on the AMEX Airpoints Platinum - 36% fewer Airpoints for every dollar.
  • The fees differ too: ANZ $150 p.a., Westpac $125 p.a., AMEX $195 p.a.
  • Neither bank card comes with lounge passes; AMEX includes four visits a year.
  • AMEX has real drawbacks of its own (a 2.50% foreign currency fee and patchier acceptance), which we set out further down this page.
  • If you hold one of these cards, our comparisons are here:
  1. ANZ Airpoints Platinum vs AMEX Airpoints Platinum
  2. Westpac Airpoints Platinum vs AMEX Airpoints Platinum

If you want to use 100 to 500 Airpoints, our research suggests:

Best use:
  • If you want to travel, domestic flights are an easy way to redeem, especially if you book during sale periods (for example, Auckland to Queenstown for $109 or Wellington to Queenstown for $89 during sales).
  • Business class on Star Alliance partners within Asia and Europe can be good value: Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines redemptions start from 250 Airpoints one way for sectors under 1,000km (300 for 1,000 to 1,999km), plus taxes. Expect recliner-style seats on short sectors - the lie-flat products are on the longer routes. You can use the booking tool here. Plus, you can book for travelling companions added as family members or friends. 
  • If you don't want or need to travel, Mitre 10 vouchers, ordered through the Airpoints Store in $50, $100, $250 and $500 denominations, can be used in-store or online.
  • The Airpoints Store's voucher range is limited (around 120 gift cards, and none for the supermarkets or big electronics chains); in our view Mitre 10 is the most useful of them, with a wide range and regular sales. Other vouchers can be found here.

Be aware:
  • Australia and Pacific flights incur many add-on taxes, so a $499 return to Sydney sale airfare uses around 217 Airpoints, with the remaining $282 of taxes and charges paid by card. 
  • Airpoints Store items are, arguably, a mixed bag. There are periodic deals and discounts, and Apple products generally price-match the Apple Store. With 7,000+ items on offer, the selection is wide. However, some items may cost above retail price (our research found instances of between 5% and around 10%​ in our sample survey when applying 1 Airpoint as one dollar "exchange" rate, but in one case the same item cost 100% more than the listed price on a popular New Zealand retailer). There's also a convoluted returns policy where you'll get store credit but not your Airpoints back if you return items (it's best deciphered here).
  • OneUp upgrades - our bid guide reports that upgrade seats are often scarce, especially on long-haul routes.
  • Koru Club membership can be purchased with Airpoints, but it is costly to join for one year without using a credit card offer. The AMEX Airpoints Platinum, ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum and Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard all waive the $270 joining fee and take $145 off a one-year individual membership - in year one that saving is more than any of the three cards' annual fees.
 
Please note: This guide is aimed at Airpoints members who have between 100 and 500​ Airpoints in their accounts and want a cost-effective and rewarding way to use them. We have not written it from the perspective of a premium Airpoints member (i.e. a Koru Gold, Platinum or Black member​).
Our guide covers:
  1. Options to Use Airpoints
  2. The Bottom Line
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
Important: Shairpoints can help to get better rewards
  • If you're part of a household with several Airpoints accounts, we strongly suggest you consider linking them up to enable Shairpoints.
  • Shairpoints lets you pool your Airpoints together and makes it easier to redeem them for flights or other items.
  • For example, rather than four people having 50 Airpoints each in their accounts, Shairpoints lets you spend up to 200 Airpoints in one transaction.
  • Shairpoints is free to use. It also extends to friends and family members living outside your address.

​Earning Airpoints Faster: the AMEX case, and the case against it

Why is there so much Amex on this page?
  • American Express pays MoneyHub a referral fee when a reader applies through the links on this page. That fee doesn't set the figures below - they come from each issuer's published terms - and it doesn't change our view that the card only pays off if most of your spending goes on it.

The earn-rate gap is real:
  1. The AMEX Airpoints Platinum ($195 p.a. card fee) earns 1 Airpoint per $70 spent
  2. ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum ($150 p.a.) and Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard ($125 p.a.) earn 1 per $110 (Westpac drops to 1 per $220 once you pass $7,000 in a month).
  3. On $36,000 of card spending a year that is 514 Airpoints on AMEX against 327 on either bank card - AMEX earns 57% more per dollar, and the bank cards 36% fewer.

The AMEX fee is covered by the earn rate alone at around $13,650 of annual spending; below that, the card costs you money unless the sign-up bonus does the work (400 Airpoints is roughly two years of the fee).

For Status Points, AMEX earns 1 Status Point per $250 spent (Westpac: 1 per $225; ANZ: none from spending, but a 50% bonus on Status Points from Air New Zealand flights) and includes four lounge visits a year (two Priority Pass visits and two Centurion Lounge entries at Sydney or Melbourne), travel insurance and smartphone screen cover.

Where the bank cards can come out ahead (depending on how you spend):
  • Overseas spending: AMEX charges 2.50% on foreign currency transactions - the highest of the major cards. ANZ charges 0% on all its personal credit cards; Westpac charges 1.83%. On $10,000 of overseas spending, AMEX's fee is $250 and the extra Airpoints it earns over a bank card are worth about $52. If you travel a lot, ANZ wins abroad.
  • Acceptance: AMEX isn't accepted everywhere - smaller cafes and independent retailers are the usual gaps. MoneyHub readers routinely write in to say they like the card, but it only makes sense if the places you spend most take it (the big supermarkets, fuel chains, hardware stores and most online retailers do). Spending you have to move to a backup card earns nothing.
  • Travel insurance and interest: ANZ's cover has unlimited overseas medical, a $200 excess and 90 days per trip; AMEX's is capped at $2.5m medical, a $250 excess and 180 days. AMEX's purchase rate is 22.95% p.a., ANZ's and Westpac's 20.95% p.a. - if you ever carry a balance, no Airpoints card is the right card.
  • Who the AMEX card isn't for: Anyone who carries a balance, spends heavily overseas, shops mainly where AMEX isn't taken, or spends well under $13,650 a year on the card.

Further details:
  • Bonus offer: There is a bonus offer for new card members of 400 bonus Airpoints when you apply by 28 October 2026, are approved and spend $1,500 on your new Amex Airpoints Platinum Card within the first 3 months. New Amex Card Members only.

Options to Use Airpoints:

1. Domestic, Australia and Pacific Travel

Air New Zealand is, in many cases, affordable if you book flights in advance. While this may seem obvious, the best offers are always domestic sales. 100 and 500 Airpoints can go a long way, especially using Flexipay, where you can top-up Airpoints with cash to pay for flights. 

As our guide to cheap domestic flights outlines, you can save money and make your Airpoints go further by considering the following:
  • Sign up to Air New Zealand email alerts to be among the first to know. Sales are usually emailed with no warning, so you won't have to wait to book. 
  • Refrain from paying for seat reservations. Unless you have a special reason, paying $5 or $10 to sit next to someone for a 1-hour flight doesn’t make much sense.
  • Unless you need checked baggage, don’t buy a "seat+bag" airfare. Air New Zealand charges extra for a checked bag which you can add in later if you need a bag.
  • Rental car and hotel add-ons are expensive. Air New Zealand likes to offer “deals” but the rental cars and hotels on offer are often cheaper through a price comparison site or direct with the company. Sites like Kayak and Booking.com usually offer a wider range and often a better price on the things you’ll need for your travel.
​
Know This: If you book flights to any international destination (for example, Australian and Pacific Island flights), you must pay all government and security taxes. In most cases, this is around $180-$200 (Pacific Islands) and $270-$300 (Australia) as you can see in this screenshot from Air New Zealand for an example flight to Sydney. This means that a $499 return ticket to Sydney would use around 217 Airpoints. The rest of the airfare, around $282, would need to be paid by debit card, credit card or bank transfer. Unlike international flights, the advantage of New Zealand domestic travel is that all taxes are included in the fare, so there are no additional charges if you have enough Airpoints.

2. Upgrades

OneUp is Air New Zealand's cabin class upgrade service. With any booking on an eligible Air New Zealand ticketed and operated international flight, any passenger can make a bid to upgrade their flight by one class. This is done by way of a dollar bid, which can be paid in cash or Airpoints. Air New Zealand then notifies you 3-7 days before your flight if you have been successful.

Our guide to OneUp upgrades covers suggested bids. Whether or not bidding 100 to 150 Airpoints for an upgrade from economy to Premium Economy is good value depends on your needs and wants. The main gains are a larger seat with more legroom and recline, a better meal and drinks service and a bigger checked baggage allowance - lounge access isn't included.​ However, we can't compare or provide further details because of the subjectivity in the "value" generated from an upgrade.   

More details: OneUp Guide

3. Retail Vouchers

The Airpoints Store offers around 120 gift cards and vouchers, which can be redeemed at selected retailers, restaurants, ski fields, clothing stores, cinemas, spas and tourism operators.

Based on our review of the gift card and voucher partners, we believe Mitre 10 vouchers offer an attractive option for using Airpoints. Members can request credit in $50, $100, $250 and $500 denominations to be used in-store or online.

If you're not interested in Mitre 10, restaurants are a good option as well, though the options are limited and tend to be higher-end venues. Searching "restaurants" in the Airpoints Store is the fastest way to see what's currently available.

Know This: Despite offering numerous Airpoints earning partners, you can't spend Airpoints in retailers like Noel Leeming, New World, Harvey Norman, petrol stations and hotels. For this reason, we believe Airpoints' retail voucher partners are limited.

4. Airpoints Store (General Items)

There are over 7,000 items available on the Airpoints Store. However, the first question you should ask is would you want (or buy) any of the stuff available if you went into a store? And if you do, is it cheaper at Mitre 10? (where you can redeem a voucher). 

The Airpoints Store does have some benefits:
  1. There are periodic deals and discounts.
  2. Apple products generally price-match the Apple Store.
  3. With 7,000+ items on offer, the selection is wide.

However, some items may cost above retail (our research found instances of between 5% and around 10% in our sample survey when applying 1 Airpoint as one dollar "exchange" rate), and there's a convoluted returns policy where you'll get store credit but not your Airpoints back if you return items (it's best deciphered here).

Our view:
  • Scrolling the endless categories of the Airpoints Store will likely absorb a lot of time and be of little value. Even though we found items that were priced slightly below retail, that's rare.
  • Overall, it is a mixed bag, and the price differences should be expected. You may see an item for 60 Airpoints but be able to buy it from Mitre 10 or Mighty Ape for $39.99.
  • Before selecting any item from the Airpoints Store, it is worthwhile to Google search the product's name to see if you're paying a fair price. A Mitre 10 voucher is likely to offer a better range and a lower price.

5. Koru Club Membership

Koru Club membership can be paid with Airpoints; however, joining directly with Air New Zealand is much more expensive than joining via a Koru-friendly credit card.

The American Express Airpoints Platinum Card, ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum and Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard all waive the $270 joining fee and take $145 off the annual fee. The discount applies to one-year individual memberships only - not two-year, senior or corporate memberships. Our table explains this in detail:
FeesJoining directly with Air New ZealandWith a qualifying credit cardSaving with the card
Joining fee$270Waived$270
One-year membership$875$730 ($875 less $145)$145
Total, year one$1,145$730$415 (36%)
Each renewal year$875$730$145 (17%)
Qualifying cards: American Express Airpoints Platinum, ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum and Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard. The discount applies to one-year individual memberships only.
Summary: With a qualifying credit card, year one costs $730 instead of $1,145, and each renewal $730 instead of $875.

Important: ANZ's Airpoints Visa Platinum offers a 200 Airpoints advance. This allows you to spend up to 200 Airpoints before you've earned them, similar to an overdraft. However, you will need to spend $22,000 on your card to earn enough Airpoints to repay the "advance". Therefore, we urge caution around using an Airpoints advance as it's a form of debt.

6. Star Alliance Partner Redemptions

As a member of the Star Alliance, Air New Zealand allows you to book flights on its partner airlines (of which there are over twenty). Examples include Singapore Airlines, United and Lufthansa. You'll need to pay the associated airport, government and security taxes. 

More details:
Per One-Way Sector (km)
Economy Class
Business Class
First Class
Example Flight
0 - 999
125
250
375
Lufthansa
London - Munich
1,000 - 1,999
150
300
400
Air Canada
Los Angeles - Vancouver
2,000 - 2,999
250
500
750
Thai Airways
Bangkok - Taipei
3,000 - 3,999
375
650
1,000
Air India
Singapore - Mumbai
4,000 - 4,999
450
800
1,250
United Airlines
Los Angeles - New York
5,000 - 7,499
550
1,000
1,500
Singapore Airlines
Sydney - Singapore
7,500 - 9,999
650
1,300
2,000
Singapore Airlines
Auckland - Singapore
10,000+
750
1,600
2,500
Singapore Airlines
Singapore - Newark
MoneyHub Founder Christopher Walsh shares his Star Alliance redemption insights:

"Star Alliance redemptions through Airpoints can be brilliant or frustrating - it entirely depends on which airline and route you're targeting. After extensive testing and booking over ten years, I've found some exceptional sweet spots that deliver real value.

The Winners:
  • Thai Airways business class to Europe is the standout - you can fly Asia to Europe via Bangkok for around 1,600 Airpoints plus taxes. That's extraordinary value for a lie-flat business class experience that would cost NZ$3,800+ if purchased outright. The catch? Availability is limited, and you need to book well in advance.
  • Turkish Airlines offers another gem - their business class sectors within Europe or to Asia (from Istanbul) start from 250 Airpoints for sectors under 1,000km (300 for 1,000 to 1,999km). 

The Reality Check:
  • Singapore Airlines and United Airlines redemptions from/to New Zealand are essentially impossible. Despite being Star Alliance partners, they release almost no award seats for Airpoints members.
  • I've checked availability dozens of times over the years - unless you're incredibly lucky or flexible with dates, forget about using Airpoints for these carriers on trans-Pacific routes.

My Verdict: The old booking fees have been scrapped for online bookings, which helps. Yes, you still pay taxes (typically $10-$400+ depending on the route), but for the right redemption - particularly Thai Airways and Turkish Airlines business class, you're getting a lot of value". ​
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder

The Bottom Line

As per our research and findings, we believe:
  1. Domestic flight sales and promotions are arguably a great use of Airpoints. You avoid paying any additional taxes (as you would for an overseas booking), and you can use Shairpoints and Flexipay to maximise your balances and minimise costs. For example, Auckland to Queenstown for $109 or Wellington to Queenstown for $89 are standard sale prices offered periodically.
  2. Australia and Pacific Island flight sales and promotions may appear to be cheap, but the reality is for a $499 or $599 airfare, around half of the cost will be charged to your debit or credit card as Airpoints don't cover the government and security taxes which are significant (as per this Sydney example).
  3. Retail vouchers are easy to order from the Airpoints Store and easy to use. They work point for dollar, meaning 100 Airpoints, for example, buys $100 of Mitre 10 vouchers or $100 of restaurant vouchers. Given the selection of items available at Mitre 10 and the regularity of its sales, and the fact you can use the vouchers online or in-store, the convenience and range is arguably second to none. 
  4. The Airpoints Store items are a mixed bag. Some items under the "deals" section can be good value relative to everyday retail prices, while others can be 5% to 100% higher (in extreme cases). In addition, free delivery is offered (metro areas take up to 5 business days, regional areas take up to 8 business days). Our view is that the most flexibility comes from retail vouchers, specifically Mitre 10, as outlined above. 
  5. Koru Club membership may be worthwhile, depending on how frequently you travel, but the most cost-effective way to join is via a qualifying credit card.
  6. Star Alliance Partner redemptions are arguably best avoided for short-haul international travel. By the time you add in taxes while facing restricted dates and flights due to "award inventory" (as is typical with partner airline redemptions), you may face a lot of hassle and cost. We believe it's likely to be more cost-effective to pay for any Star Alliance flight with cash and, depending on the booking class, earn Airpoints and Status Points when you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our list of common queries below covers what's important when it comes to spending your Airpoints.

Do Air New Zealand Airpoints expire?

Yes - Airpoints expire four years after they're earned, and expired Airpoints are removed on the anniversary of the date you joined. Two card benefits override this: Airpoints don't expire while you hold an American Express Airpoints Platinum Card or an ANZ Airpoints Visa card as the nominated earner.

How do I know when Airpoints expire?

Air New Zealand highlights your Airpoints' expiry date in your account under "Airpoints Expiry" on your member homepage.

Can you share Airpoints?

Yes - Shairpoints ​lets you pool Airpoints with up to nine members of one Shairpoints account. It's free, and members don't have to live at your address.

Can I transfer my Airpoints to someone else?

No - but you can use Shairpoints to pool your Airpoints together to redeem a reward or flight.

Do retailers like Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming and New World take Airpoints as payment?

No - but certain items stocked by Harvey Norman can be redeemed on the Airpoints Store website. You'll need to search "Harvey Norman", although the available items are listed here. With over 7,000 items available, using the Airpoints Store's search function is always the fastest way to find what you want.

How much is an Airpoint worth?

If used for travel on Air New Zealand or any voucher issued, one Airpoint is worth one New Zealand Dollar.

Can you use Airpoints for hotels and rental cars?

  • Rental cars, yes - a rental car booked through Air New Zealand can be paid with Airpoints (as can Air New Zealand's travel insurance).
  • Hotels, no - accommodation bookings can't be paid with Airpoints.

Can I spend Airpoints at restaurants?

Yes but only through pre-purchased "restaurant gift cards" for that particular restaurant and of a specific value (for example $100 or $200). You can't pay at the till with your Airpoints card.

How much do you need to spend to earn Airpoints?

With some retail partners, it can be as low as $1. Most Air New Zealand flights earn Airpoints (the more expensive the ticket/fare class, the more you earn). This guide from Air New Zealand covers everything you need to know.
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