Air New Zealand Air Points - Air Points questions

I've read the NZ master thread (thanks KiwiFlyer), checked out the NZ website and done a couple of FT searches and I *think* I'm finally starting to get Air Points figured out. Sorry, if I'm dense, but it's just pretty different from the rest of the FF world, so my apologies in advance...

I have ZERO NZ air points, but I'm trying to figure out if anything I do have from other programs could
1) possibly get me Air Points and
2) if so, be worthwhile in trying to transfer to Air Points.
I'm specifically thinking about how to use Air Points on an LAX-LHR trip, although I'm also interested in general as we'd love to do another NZ trip in the future.

What I know:
1) UA seems to blackout NZ availability LAX-LHR
2) I have Starwood points that I can transfer at a 65:1 ratio. I haven't done the math to know if that is reasonable or not
3) Trading other stuff on CC for Air Points is a) impossible or b) impractical.

Can anyone let me know if I'm wrong or overlooking something? I'm really just in the early stages of hunting for an LAX-Europe trip for this summer and not sure if NZ should be a part of my plans. Not even sure if I'm looking for award coach, award PE, award BP or an upgrade, because I don't fully understand the options.

Thanks all while I do my due diligence here...

NZ Airpoints program is expensive. If you are not based in NZ then likely not worthwhile.

For someone without NZ status, the airpoints dollars required equals the fare (in NZ$). So if for example LAX-LHR-LAX in business costs US$2000 (almost NZ$4000) then you'll need almost 4000 airpoints dollars, which at 65:1 is 260k Starwood Points. Yes very expensive. If you have so many points/miles then you are better off redeeming on another airline in first class (UA or LH for example).

Airpoints also has an annual fee if you have no paid NZ flights.

Thanks Kiwi Flyer. I'll have to do the math, but it sounds like the exchange rate may be equally bad if I were trying to do an upgrade award.

PS Nice quote in this month's Conde Nast Traveler...

mtimmer, you can fly LAX-LHR on NZ if you have bmi Diamond Club miles. 33750 miles get you one-way USA (Zone 3) to UK (Zone 1) in business class with a stopover allowed. Yes one-way costs exactly 50% of the miles required for a roundtrip.

Even better, by using Miles + Cash, you just need 18750 miles + 105 pounds for the same one-way trip!

You can purchase, by yourself or gifted by others, up to 24000 miles to your Diamond Club account in a 12-month period. 1 mile costs 0.012 pound, and there's a 15 pounds transaction fee.

You can do LAX-LHR on NZ, then LHR-Europe with bmi or other Star partners. Don't bother joining Airpoints - for US-based flyers there're way better alternatives (myself is a UA MP member; I fly NZ but I don't put my NZ miles in Airpoints)

Cheers