Air New Zealand Air Points - Best way to get to visit all NZ airports?

I think I may be returning to the UK sometime next July ish. Reading the mini NZ trip reports courtesy of Kiwi Flyer I wondered if I could get to see all the NZ airports serviced by Air New Zealand prior to July (Oamaru appears to drop off the radar post 31/12/09?).
I then started looking at prices and being based in WLG wanted to tackle the direct flights first due to cost.
I note that the website has a multi-trip domestic planner, however, I presume that this just calls up the cheapest one-way between city pairs and doesn't provide a discount?
Maybe I should prioritise the ones with a lounge first ;)?!

Only have a lowly 7 seen so far, so plenty of work to do.

Is there a cheaper way I could see all the airports such as a "Circle NZ" or equiv ticket?
Any thoughts people?

dj

Oamaru is being axed at the end of this year, due to poor yields.

I think most of the New Zealand domestic air passes can't be ticketed within NZ.

Multi-city just brings up regular fares.

Ways to save money (on the fares).
1) use airpoints dollars, or other miles
2) book regional to regional (this is normally cheaper than the sum of regional to hub and hub to next regional)
3) avoid the peak flights (eg flights between Auckland and Masterton for weekend have lower availability in the cheap fare buckets at any given time than the midweek flights)

book far advance can save you heaps money too. eg, 5 months+
or maybe wait till 72 hours domestic sale :D

book far advance can save you heaps money too. eg, 5 months+
or maybe wait till 72 hours domestic sale :D

Book too far ahead and you risk schedule changes causing chaos to your bookings.

best way to get to visit all NZ airports?Drive between them ;)

Drive between them ;)

LOL Not really the same!
So I have booked a grabaseat for WLG-PMR-WLG for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon in Jan. So that's another one off the list. only 19 to go.
Anyone confirm that there is currently (assuming Oamaru is still here) 27 airports serviced by Air NZ? I believe 16 of those are linked with direct flights from WLG?
Will try and get to Oamaru before the end of the year, but I am not that hopeful...
dj
PS - The Mrs thinks its a stupid idea and a waste of money - but what does she know!! ;)

KAT from AKL
KKE from AKL
WRE from AKL, WLG
AKL
TRG from AKL, WLG, CHC
HLZ from AKL, WLG, CHC, PMR
WHK from AKL, WLG
ROT from AKL, WLG, CHC
GIS from AKL, WLG
NPE from AKL, WLG, CHC
TUO from AKL, WLG (& WAG)
NPL from AKL, WLG, CHC
WAG from AKL, WLG (& TUO)
PMR from AKL, WLG, CHC, HLZ
MRO from AKL
WLG
BHE from AKL, WLG, CHC
NSN from AKL, WLG, CHC
WSZ from WLG, CHC
HKK from CHC
CHC
TIU from WLG
OAM from CHC (being discontinued)
DUD from AKL, WLG, CHC
WKA from CHC
ZQN from AKL, WLG, CHC
IVC from WLG, CHC

Charter an aircraft !!!

Need NZ to have another Grab-a-plane promotion.

..Our personally know a NZ Pilot & work in a position in NZ that allows you to jumpseat :D

..Our personally know a NZ Pilot & work in a position in NZ that allows you to jumpseat :D

Does Beech 1900D even have a jumpseat?

Does Beech 1900D even have a jumpseat?Dunno; they have a step in the middle between the seats which folds/retracts away for flight operations to allow the Pilots easy access to/from the cockpit - looks rather small and hard to sit on though ...

Dunno; they have a step in the middle between the seats which folds/retracts away for flight operations to allow the Pilots easy access to/from the cockpit - looks rather small and hard to sit on though ...
And you will get stares of death from those trying to look through the cockpit windows, especially during landing.;)
You know who I am.....:p
When I was on a Beech, on a check flight I noticed that seat 1B (?), the first seat on the right hand side was used as the "jumpseat".

When I was on a Beech, on a check flight I noticed that seat 1B (?), the first seat on the right hand side was used as the "jumpseat".

That seat is usually the last to be allocated and often blocked on the seatmap. Used to store pilots bags, coats, fragile items unable to be stowed under a seat.

I have managed to book a couple of grabaseat $1's to tick off some more airports. So, I have added new plymouth and queenstown (except its chc-zqn so need to get some connecting flights for that). They are both one way and will need to source the returns.
The Palmy flights i have are grabaseat $39 ew and on a Beech. Sure enough 1B is blocked on the seat maps...
I have 2ish hours in palmy - what is the lounge like there? Do they have free wifi in the lounge?

PMR lounge is the basic regional lounge variety, but quite nice (been redone in the bach theme).

Don't expect computers. Food & drink is basic but okay (food better than average for the regional lounges).