Air NZ Airpoints
Airpoints are the loyalty program of Air New Zealand. Unlike some other programs, it’s quite straightforward. One Airpoints dollar is equal to one NZ dollar.
These can be redeemed for a variety of things, including hotels, rental cars and some online shopping – However this typically represents poor value. The best value is of course redeeming on flights, read on to learn more about this.
The most common way of earning these is from flying on Air New Zealand & Other partner airlines. In addition, a very effective way of earning these is with Airpoints Credit Cards. These reward you with Airpoints based on the amount you spend, see here for more info.
Many stores have also partnered with Air NZ for example New World, Z, Macpac etc. These will however generally provide quite low amounts of Airpoints for most people.
Earning Points:
Flying is the most common way to earn Airpoints. Any Air NZ flight (except for some Grabaseat flights), and most Star Alliance flights are eligible to earn Airpoints.
The number of Airpoints you earn on a flight is typically price dependent. The cheapest ticket will earn very little (even only 1 Airpoint), whereas a business class ticket will earn a significant number.
However for most people, flying alone will not be a good way to accumulate Airpoints. Unless you travel very regularly and spend a lot of money. Airpoints Credit Cards are typically the best way, as you’ll earn Airpoints dollars for anything you spend. Of course, if you end up paying interest then the benefits aren’t worthwhile. Check out our guide here for some more info.
In addition you can get rewarded for everyday spending, there’s a full list of participating retailers on the Air NZ website here. In general these will help to top up your balance, but won’t earn significant numbers or Airpoints.
It’s worth noting of course, that you shouldn’t choose these retailers simply because you get Airpoints. If products are much cheaper elsewhere, then earning 1 Airpoint dollar per $100 spend is not going to be worthwhile!
Redeeming Points:
Once you’ve managed to save up some Airpoints, you can look at spending them. We’re going to focus on redeeming your Airpoints for flights, as this is the best option for most people. If you save up for a period of a year or two, you could be well looking at a (nearly) free international flight!
There’s two main ways of redeeming Airpoints for flights, on an Air NZ flight, and Star Alliance flights. As there is a bit to know about Star Alliance redemptions, we’ve got a separate article here which you should definitely check out. It’s worth noting this is also generally far better value for Business Class redemptions!
Redeeming on Air NZ is straight forward enough. As long as you’re logged into your Airpoints account when searching flights, you’ll be able to pay for your flight using Airpoints dollars if you have enough. On domestic flights the whole fare can be covered with Airpoints. If the flight costs $79, then you’ll pay 79 Airpoints dollars.
On Air NZ operated international flights it’s a little different. You’ll pay the actual fare in Airpoints dollars, however there are taxes attached which you aren’t able to pay for with Airpoints. These typically aren’t very expensive, for example on a $528 fare from Auckland to Singapore, you pay with approx. 492 Airpoints and $36 left to be paid in NZ Dollars.
If you’re slightly short on Airpoints to cover your flight, you can also use Flexipay. This will allow you to use a mixture of Airpoints and cash to cover you’re fare. We’ve got a brief guide here.
It’s worth noting you won’t receive any Airpoints or Status Points on flights that you’ve redeemed with Airpoints.
Points Expiry:
Airpoints will expire 4 years after earning them. However if you hold Air NZ Gold status & above, or an Airpoints Platinum level Credit Card they will not expire.
Check out the guide on Status Points & Air NZ Tiers for more info.