Air New Zealand Air Points - Poor Biz award availability, USA-NZ, yearend

I was just on the phone with a UA international rez agent, looking for business class award seats from southern California to New Zealand. I thought I was highly flexible - but in the end, I was defeated. She checked every day from November 25 thru January 7, with nary a seat to be found. (Coach seats were available.)

This is simply posted as a heads up, not a whine or a complaint. I'll have to wait for another time to experience the new biz class on Air New Zealand.

Just a thought - is the northern winter timetable even loaded yet? If this year is anything to go by there may be an increase in flights for our summer - eg on LAX-CHC route.

May be worth checking again when timetable is loaded.

I tried for a 2 companion fares (Bus & Econ) from the 12th December through to the 20th from LHR to AKL and was advised there was no availability.

Given I tried only a couple of days after they opened up bookings I can only assume there were either no award seats available during the Pre-Christmas peak or only a couple which were snapped up before I got out of Bed.

Unfortunately its Grandchildren home for Christmas so full economy for all the Whanau :(

I have a theory that all premium award availability has been temporarily pulled, since there seems to be basically nothing available on any of the routes where the new product is being rolled out. Perhaps this is while they sort out existing bookings (including F bookings etc) now that the exact dates for product changes are known? Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come... :(

Just a thought, but I'd keep trying. Last year I tried in November for business class tickets in February. Nothing was available at all for a while. One day I rang and there were business seats available on a lot of flights, seemed like there was some sort of cut-off, maybe 3 months, before the seats opened up.

I think that December is higher peak, but February is still peak and I was able to get them. Good Luck.

SML

Just a thought, but I'd keep trying. Last year I tried in November for business class tickets in February. Nothing was available at all for a while. One day I rang and there were business seats available on a lot of flights, seemed like there was some sort of cut-off, maybe 3 months, before the seats opened up.

I think that December is higher peak, but February is still peak and I was able to get them. Good Luck.

SML

I think you may be right (and no offense, mad_atta, but I hope you're very wrong! :) ) .

I just did a scan of dates in September. Not a stitch of availability in Business for september or october. :mad: So I tried the 3-month cutoff. Starting in June 01, there's availability on both SFO & LAX-AKL flights every day until 12Jun. Then from 12Jun-14Jun, only LAX flights. 15Jun onward, not a single seat in anything but economy.

So, I hope that this is what it is, and I'll be sure to monitor very closely over the summer for additional seats.

if you are using UA miles, you could also route via Asia using SQ (but it is out of your way)

if you are using UA miles, you could also route via Asia using SQ (but it is out of your way)

No UA miles. Using Airpoints. But this actually ties into a question I was just about to post in a new topic. What are valid routings on Airpoints partner awards between NA & Australia? Is Europe via Asia valid?

FYI - Click here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411327) for the new thread for future searchability.

Using Airpoints, AFAIK there are no routing restrictions, but the awards will cost you more if go indirect route. This is because the cost is based on each sector and summed up.