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Air New Zealand and its loyalty program — Air New Zealand Airpoints — are among the smallest in the Star Alliance network. The program is relatively basic, with three elite status levels beyond the free-to-join entry tier. Also, the number of ways to earn and redeem Airpoints is much smaller than that of other more notable Alliance partners like United MileagePlus or Air Canada Aeroplan.
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How To Earn Air New Zealand Airpoints
Air New Zealand publishes very little about how many points you will earn for your flight, either with partners or on its own. No earning tables or guidelines exist, which makes the process very opaque. However, the airline publishes a handy calculator tool to let you determine how many Airpoints Dollars you will earn on a flight.
Earning Airpoints Dollars on Air New Zealand flights
The best way to calculate how many Airpoints Dollars you will earn on Air New Zealand flights is to use the convenient Airpoints calculator. Simply select the tab for Air New Zealand flights, enter the route you are flying, and then hit calculate.
For example, we chose an Air New Zealand route between Auckland (AKL) and Houston, Texas (IAH). One thing to note is the massive variance in earnings. The lowest economy fares earn you a measly 12 Airpoints Dollars. At the same time, the highest business class fares have the potential to earn you a whopping 458 Airpoints Dollars. That's a big difference.
Earning Airpoints Dollars on Air New Zealand partner flights
The situation with partners is very similar, and there are now tables or published earning charts. To determine how many Airpoints Dollars you'll earn on a partner flight, you will need to use the same online Airpoints calculator to work out how many Airpoints you will earn for a given route with a specific (mainly Star Alliance) partner.
We looked at a route operated by three Star Alliance partners between Frankfurt (FRA) and New York (JFK) — or Newark (EWR) in the case of United Airlines — to see how the earnings differ. While both Lufthansa and United operate the routes, Singapore Airlines also operates a fifth-freedom route between the cities.
Lufthansa earnings vary between 22 Airpoints Dollars for discounted economic fares to 104 Airpoints Dollars for a first-class fare.
Flights with United Airlines also have a similar earning structure, ranging from 22 to 75 Airpoints Dollars for business class fares. Interestingly, flights in United Polaris earn the same as Lufthansa's regular business class.
Singapore’s fifth freedom route features an earnings structure similar to Lufthansa; you will earn 22 Airpoints dollars for economy fares and 104 Airpoints Dollars for a first-class fare. Interestingly, there is some variety in the earning rate, as a flight in Singapore's premium economy cabin will earn you 38.50 Airpoints Dollars. Comparatively, a discounted United business class ticket will only earn you 35 Airpoints Dollars.
The lesson here is that if you are a member, you will have to research and crunch the numbers before every flight to figure out how many Airpoints Dollars you will earn.
Other ways to earn Airpoints
You have some additional options for earning Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars, but most are limited to New Zealand residents, such as shopping through the Airpoints Mall. However, you can earn Airpoints Dollars without flying in a few more ways:
- Car rental with partners such as Avis and Budget.
- Hotel stays with Marriott, Accor, and Jetpark Hotels.
- A variety of other purchases, from solar panels to fuel, although these are all based in New Zealand.
Ways To Redeem Air New Zealand Airpoints
Air New Zealand has two sets of award pricing: one for awards on its own metal and one for partner awards. Unsurprisingly, like with many other airlines, redeeming your Airpoints Dollars for partner awards is often a much better value than redeeming your Airpoints Dollars for Air New Zealand-operated flights.
To redeem your points, log into your Airpoints account and make a regular cash booking. Once you are on the payment page, you can elect to pay with Airpoints Dollars. And that's it.
What are Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars worth?
Airpoints Dollars hold a fixed value of exactly one New Zealand Dollar. That's equivalent to 0.61 cents in U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate at the time of writing.
Partner Airpoints redemptions
Booking partner awards are significantly different from booking awards with Air New Zealand. The airline operates a distance-based award chart. However, it's uniquely denominated in kilometers, not miles.
| Distance Flown In Kilometers | Economy | Business Class | First Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | 125 | 250 | 375 |
| 1,000-1,999 | 150 | 300 | 400 |
| 2,000-2,999 | 250 | 500 | 750 |
| 3,000-3,999 | 375 | 650 | 1,000 |
| 4,000-4,999 | 450 | 800 | 1,250 |
| 5,000-7,499 | 550 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| 7,500-9,999 | 650 | 1,300 | 2,000 |
| 10,000+ | 750 | 1,600 | 2,500 |
This change in denomination radically devalues the award chart. You will have to work hard and search the various routes to find an award that delivers excellent value. Take, for instance, a partner award on Lufthansa from Frankfurt (FRA) to New York (JFK).
This route comes in at 3,856 miles or 6,205 kilometers. Booking an award on Lufthansa with Air New Zealand points will set you back the following:
- Economy: 550 Airpoints Dollars plus taxes and fees.
- Business: 1,000 Airpoints Dollars plus taxes and fees.
- First: 1,500 Airpoints Dollars plus taxes and fees.
How to book Air New Zealand partner awards with Airpoints
Poor award pricing is not the only problem when booking partner awards with Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars. You cannot search for award space directly on the Air New Zealand site. Instead, you will need to search for the space on another Star Alliance carrier.
United and Air Canada are excellent choices when it comes to searching for partner award space; United has a rudimentary but handy calendar view.
Related: How to Find Airline Partner Award Flight Availability
Once you have found the award space you want, you must call the Air New Zealand call center, and they will make the booking for you. From the U.S., you can use the toll-free 1-800-262-1234 number.
How To Boost Your Air New Zealand Airpoints Balance
Your options for boosting your Air New Zealand Airpoints balance are somewhat limited. You can only transfer points from one of the six major flexible points currencies: Marriott Bonvoy. Even then, the transfer ratio is of very poor value.
You generally have much better options than transferring Marriot Bonvoy points to Air New Zealand. After all, can convert Bonvoy points to nearly 40 airlines at a 3:1 transfer ratio.
If you are based in New Zealand and hold a local American Express Membership Rewards card, you can transfer those points to Air New Zealand at a ratio of 150:1, with a minimum transfer of 2,100 points.
When Do Air New Zealand Airpoints Expire?
Unfortunately, Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars do expire. But at least they have a generous lifespan. Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars expire if not used within four years after being earned.
Even then, expired Airpoints aren't removed exactly four years after you earn them. Instead, Airpoints Dollars are removed from your account on the anniversary of opening your Air New Zealand account.
Our Take
Due to its geographic location and limited transfer partners in the United States, the Air New Zealand Airpoints program is of little value to most travelers. However, if you're based in or regularly visit Australia or New Zealand, the program can make a lot of sense to participate in. This is especially true if you have a New Zealand-issued Amex card, as you can transfer Membership Rewards points to the airline.
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