Point Systems Air New Zealand Airpoints

Airline
Get a clear overview of this award program, including earning shortcuts, recommended cards, transfer options, sweet spots, and helpful booking tips.
Air New Zealand Airpoints

Air New Zealand Airpoints

#7 Among Airlines

Point Value

6.00 ¢

Hobby Score

2.5

View Ratings

Sweet Spots

Top Transfers

20:1
Marriott Bonvoy
43% Value Retained

Booking Tips For This Reward Program

Book partner awards
Avoid These Pitfalls

Key Takeaways

The Air New Zealand Airpoints program leaves a lot to be desired:

  • Earning Airpoints Dollars is challenging with no co-branded credit cards (for U.S. customers) and no credit card transfer partners
  • Redeeming is also fraught with pitfalls
  • Air New Zealand redemptions are strictly 1 Airpoints Dollar to 1 New Zealand dollar
  • Partner bookings can be valuable but are time consuming and not bookable online
  • The high point of the program is its elite status perks, especially if you fly the airline regularly and earn Gold or higher

Reward Program Ratings

6.00¢
Point Value
Yes
Points Expire
Yes
to Spouse
Yes
to Friends

Hobby Score

2.5
Brand Footprint 3
Real World Practicality 1
Earn/Redeem Efficiency 1
Policy Fairness 3
Ease of Holding 3
Product Quality 4

Travel Partner Transfers

Transfers In

Marriott Bonvoy
43% Value Retained
20:1

Transfers Out

No direct transfers out of Air New Zealand Airpoints. Air New Zealand Airpoints generally cannot be moved to other point programs.

Points Transfer Guide

5,500 Air New Zealand Airpoints Points

Transferable Points

Transfer to
Spouse
5,219,403
19,000
74% Value Retained
No
125,000
45,000
85% Value Retained
Yes
34,950
2,000
12% Value Retained
Yes
Total Points Available Including all transfers
30,480

Associated Alliances

Air New Zealand Airpoints associated alliance is Star Alliance

Visit Star Alliance

Airlines within Star Alliance Alliance

How to Earn Miles

You can earn New Zealand Airpoints Dollars when you fly with the airline and most of its partners. There are no co-branded credit cards available to U.S. customers, and the only transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy.

Earn by Flying Air New Zealand

  • You earn Airpoints Dollars on Air New Zealand flights unless you book with Airpoints Dollars or buy a Greenlight Grabaseat fare.
  • Earnings depend on cabin class, flight distance, and whether it is a domestic or international route.
  • Air New Zealand does not publish an earning chart, so use their Airpoints calculator to see how many points you’ll earn on a specific flight.

Note that Air New Zealand treats earning and redeeming differently from most airlines. You earn “Airpoints Dollars,” which are tied directly to the New Zealand dollar. For example, you might earn 45 Airpoints Dollars for an economy flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. While this looks low compared to traditional mileage programs, redemptions are also fixed at 1 Airpoints Dollar to 1 New Zealand dollar, so the valuation structure is unique.

Flying with Partners (alliance and non-alliance partners)

  • Air New Zealand is part of Star Alliance, so flights on partner airlines can earn you Airpoints Dollars.
  • Use the Airpoints calculator to check earning rates for any Star Alliance or partner flight.

Our Favorite Cards

Other Options to Earn

Since Air New Zealand doesn’t have credit card partners or a co-branded card to earn Airpoints Dollars, it’s worth knowing the few alternative earning methods that exist. These options are not high value, but you can still earn extra Airpoints on purchases you may already make.

  • Earn Airpoints Dollars through Air New Zealand’s hotel partners.
  • Earn additional Airpoints Dollars through participating car rental partners.
  • These options won’t move the needle much, but they can supplement your balance if you fly the airline regularly.

How to Redeem Miles

Redeeming Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars can feel confusing if you’re used to traditional mileage programs.

  • Airpoints Dollars convert directly to New Zealand dollars at a fixed 1:1 rate.
  • Since 1 NZD is currently about $0.57 USD, the system takes some getting used to.
  • You may earn far fewer “points” on a flight than with U.S.-based programs
  • But the redemption rates are also much lower and tied to cash prices.
  • Because Air New Zealand ties its own award prices directly to the cash fare, using Airpoints Dollars for Air New Zealand flights rarely provides strong value.

Redeeming on partner airlines

The better option is redeeming for partner flights, since partner awards use a traditional award chart rather than the fixed-value model.

  • The downside is that partner redemptions require extra work.
  • You cannot search partner award space on Air New Zealand’s website.
  • You must search availability on partners like United or Air Canada.
  • Once you confirm a seat is available, you must call Air New Zealand to book with Airpoints Dollars.

Here is the award chart for partner flights, priced per one-way sector. Distances are listed in kilometers rather than miles. While this is the most valuable to redeem miles, the process is cumbersome.

  • You must determine the distance of your flight in kilometers
  • Then find the rate on the chart
  • Next search award space on a partner like United or Singapore Airlines
  • Finally call Air New Zealand to complete the booking.

It’s far more work than with most Star Alliance programs, and even then, true sweet spots are rare. The only real reason to use Air New Zealand for award bookings is if you already have a balance of Airpoints Dollars from flying on the airline. If so, check out our sweet spots to extract the best value you can.

Sweet Spots Finder

Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.

Booking Tips

Award flights on Air New Zealand are tied directly to the cash price, and 1 Airpoints Dollar equals 1 New Zealand dollar, so it’s impossible to get outsized value for these redemptions. The only way to get better than this ratio is by booking a partner award flight, as they use an award chart for these

Changing your flight with Air New Zealand Airpoints

  • NZ$50 each way for Global Sale Fares
  • NZ$80 each way for economy and premium economy and NZ$100 on Global Saver Fares
  • NZ$100 for business premier on Global Saver Fares
  • No fee for Global Flexi Fares

Canceling your flight with Air New Zealand Airpoints

  • Global Sale Fares are nonrefundable
  • NZ$150 each way for economy on Global Saver Fares
  • NZ$200 each way for premium economy on Global Saver Fares
  • NZ$250 each way for business premier on Global Saver Fares
  • F Class (grabaseat) fares are nonrefundable

Who is it best for?

Air New Zealand Airpoints is not a strong program unless you live in New Zealand or travel to Oceania regularly and earn Airpoints Dollars by flying the airline. For U.S.-based travelers, earning Airpoints Dollars is difficult due to the lack of co-branded cards and transfer partners.

Even if you could build a large balance, the redemption options fall short. Air New Zealand ties all redemptions directly to the cash price at a 1:1 ratio in New Zealand dollars. Partner awards are better but come with major drawbacks. You must calculate distances in kilometers, match award space using another airline’s site, then call to book. It’s time consuming and frustrating.

The one bright spot is elite status. Gold and Elite members receive excellent perks, and frequent flyers will be treated well. For most travelers, though, Air New Zealand Airpoints is a program you can safely skip.

Status Levels Explained

There are three elite status levels with Air New Zealand, and you must earn a set number of Status Points to reach each tier. You earn Status Points on eligible Air New Zealand flights and many Star Alliance flights. To see how many you will earn on a specific route, use the Airpoints Calculator.

Once you reach a tier, you receive a reduced requirement to renew it the following year. When you earn the needed Status Points within a 12-month period, your benefits begin immediately, and your status extends 12 months forward. If you reach a higher tier during that window, your benefits update and your end date resets for another 12 months.

Elite Status Levels

Here are the three levels, requirements you’ll need to get to each level, requirements to remain at that level, and the benefits of each

  • 2 complimentary single-entry lounge eVouchers
  • 1 Recognition Upgrade
  • OneUp upgrade option (must still use Airpoints Dollars or cash); upweighted by 10%
  • Discounted long haul business class fares
  • Star Alliance Silver status

FAQs

Can you get points for past flights?
Yes. You can claim missing Airpoints Dollars for past flights as long as you submit your request within six months of travel. You’ll need details like the airline, ticket number, dates, airports, flight number, booking class, and seat number.
How can I spend my Air NZ Airpoints?
You can spend Airpoints Dollars on flights, upgrades, car rentals, or a Koru membership. The best value is usually flights on partner airlines since those use an award chart. Air New Zealand award prices are tied directly to the cash fare at a 1:1 rate.
How to get a free upgrade on Air New Zealand?
You can only receive a free upgrade by holding Gold or Elite status. Gold members get two Recognition Upgrades each membership year. Elite members receive two as well, plus one short-haul Recognition Upgrade they can use on eligible flights.
Can I use United points on Air New Zealand?
Yes, but only through United’s MileagePlus program. You cannot redeem United points directly on Air New Zealand’s site. You can book Air New Zealand flights with United points or use Airpoints Dollars to book United flights if award space is available.