Air New Zealand Air Points - What are my odds? *A Biz awards in March-April?

Hi All:

I'm anxiously preparing for a trip next year to NZ, and I'd appreciate your advice on the odds for securing 3 business seats for the following routing:

End of March '06 - Early April:

LAX-AKL-CHC in biz (stopover for 3 days), then CHC-MEL in biz (endpoint destination). Then driving from MEL to SYD and taking SYD-AKL-LAX in C back home.

I belive the entire itinerary can be ticketed as an award because I believe *A allows for one stopover and one open jaw on award trips.

My main concern is flying C on the long haul segments - the shorter hops CHC-MEL and SYD-AKL aren't huge concern, and I believe AKL-CHC is coach only anyway. Of course, the other main concern is getting 3 seats total.

Input is appreciated!

- T

That isnt peak tourist season. From the NZ key dates thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320780) the school holidays and easter are mid April so avoids another busy period.

So should be okay availability. As for stopovers/open jaws that depends on rules of the FFP you are using miles to pay for award - ie United Mileage Plus in your case.

Yes AKL-CHC is economy only. Do you know there is a direct flight from LAX to CHC & vv? There may be more availability on that route - especially just after northern winter schedule is released when NZ increases the number of flights from 3 to 6 or 7 (I forget which sorry) weekly.

Do you know there is a direct flight from LAX to CHC & vv? There may be more availability on that route - especially just after northern winter schedule is released when NZ increases the number of flights from 3 to 6 or 7 (I forget which sorry) weekly.

I did not know that... when I checked the *A timetable, I must have selected dates when the LAX-CHC flight wasn't operating. This definitely helps with flexibility. Thanks for letting me know!

You are right, it's UA miles and they do allow a stopover and an open jaw. They're still at 90,000 miles for a round trip business award ticket, so I want to book now before they decide to up the "cost" to anything close to what Qantas award tickets are - insane in comparison.

- T

Actually does anyone know when the LAX-CHC non-stop will have the new biz product?

The new 777s (first ones being delivered later this year) will have the new product. IIRC AKL-SFO and CHC-LAX are the first 2 routes for this (after the initial training runs trans-tasman).

Actually does anyone know when the LAX-CHC non-stop will have the new biz product?

NZ are only redoing the cabins of 7 747's. The remaining aircraft will leave the fleet in March 06'. As Kiwi Flyer said if the rumours are to be believed 777 aircraft [of which there will be 4 by February] will be running the NZ19 flight. Probably the topic for a different thread but where are these freed-up 747’s going to be used ?

Getting 3 I class seats might be difficult this far out.

According to the UAL website, *A award tickets allow for EITHER an open jaw or a stopover, not both. See the *A award table (in pdf.) with details on the sidebar.

According to the UAL website, *A award tickets allow for EITHER an open jaw or a stopover, not both. See the *A award table (in pdf.) with details on the sidebar.

You are correct about this; it is either/or, not both. United award tickets have been that way for a long time.

The logical thing to do would be to augment an open-jaw (US to NZ, then AUS to US) with paid one-way tickets between Christchurch and Melbourne.

OK... now I get thrown a curve - only coach award availability for the dates I want in Mar-Apr '06, so I figure I'll hold the coach for now and keep calling back to see what opens up - but here's the wrinkle - if I book a coach award ticket, where do I get to sit? Regular economy, or premium economy?

If it's regular, then does a business award book into business, or premium economy? If it's the latter, then are their F award buckets?

-T

OK... now I get thrown a curve - only coach award availability for the dates I want in Mar-Apr '06, so I figure I'll hold the coach for now and keep calling back to see what opens up - but here's the wrinkle - if I book a coach award ticket, where do I get to sit? Regular economy, or premium economy?

If it's regular, then does a business award book into business, or premium economy? If it's the latter, then are their F award buckets?

-TCoach awards will give seats in Regular Economy with 34" pitch. There are no premium economy or first buckets.

does a business award book into business, or premium economy? If it's the latter, then are their F award buckets?

I was curious about this as well and second call to UA intl award desk yielded answer that *A awards on ANZ book in C and there are no F award buckets. These are going to be very popular and I think very difficult to score, particulary, I suspect, for a UA flier like me.

I was curious about this as well and second call to UA intl award desk yielded answer that *A awards on ANZ book in C and there are no F award buckets. These are going to be very popular and I think very difficult to score, particulary, I suspect, for a UA flier like me.

Particularly because of the HUGE difference between coach and the new business product - like choosing between the penthouse or the dismal cellar - all for a 30,000 mile difference.

- T

Particularly because of the HUGE difference between coach and the new business product - like choosing between the penthouse or the dismal cellar - all for a 30,000 mile difference.

Agree. The agent I spoke with, who was very professional and well-informed, did not realize new ANZ C service has flat beds.

He also made an interesting comment that F would probably be gone on all or most airlines within five years. He said no one is buying those seats these days.