ashsong

I booked a couple of flights with Air New Zealand for an incoming trip.

I will be flying CX to AKL, but subsequent domestic legs were all booked with Air New Zealand website directly, as CX website would only sell the domestic legs when married with the international leg.

I understand that there seems to be some kind of "working relationship" between CX and NZ, what with their separate OW and SA thing. But I don't quite understand the extent of it. (i.e. Is it similar to that with CA?)

This much I know, if the domestic leg is booked on CX website along with the international one (i.e. HKG-AKL-PMR), all miles and club points can be credited to MPC, and that the HKG-AKL leg is code share for both CX and NZ metal.

I'd appreciate it if the following questions someone could share with me some insight. For HKG-AKL leg on CX metal, I am in J. And for various domestic legs with NZ, I am on Y. None of my SA program statuses offer lounge access or benefit. For OW, I am MPC Gold/OWS.

1. Would I be able to use an arrival lounge at AKL, upon arrival from the international terminal. (Does NZ have a Koru lounge for international arrivals?)

2. Would I have lounge access for domestic legs? (I will be at ROT, TUO, ZQN, CHC, PMR, AKL)

3. When inputing FFP, NZ website allows the entry of asia miles number along with various SA FFPs, if I credit them to CX, would I earn club points?

4. On the NZ website, when explaining their "Strategic Alliance Agreement" with CX, it seems that Koru members (lounge subscription service that charges annually) could use HKG lounges. However it's very funny. It is listed under Cathay Pacific Airways lounge access, when in explanation, it says that they could use Thai Airway lounge at HKG, which I believe is just because of the SA thing alone. Would a NZ J class passenger travelling on NZ metal qualify departure and arrival lounges of CX at HKG then?

garykung

NZ has no arrival lounge at AKL.

No. The partnership covers HKG-AKL route only. Once you are done, it will be a NZ/*A flight.

For HKG-AKL, yes. Others, no.

Yes for departure lounges.

No for arrival lounge - Using the same logic as OW Business Class, as CX makes it explicit that the arrival flights must be CX/KA.

ernestnywang

I don't believe you will get anything for AKL-PMR. Only HKG-AKL is eligible for AM.

Yes for AKL-CHC/WLG and v. v. if you are GO or above and if AKL is a transit. See https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_...-benefits.html

ashsong

Thanks for the detailed reply.

On the last point, I suppose they would have to qualify for CX departure lounge too even if they depart on NZ metal sold as an NZ flight. But their site seems to be deliberately trying to nudge people into using the Thai airway one.

ashsong

Yeah, unfortunately AKL is not a transit. As CX would only sell one domestic leg on NZ if booking is made along the HKG-AKL sector. Anything more than one, I would have to book on NZ site, even if I use multi-city or open jaw. In fact, I would have to input destination as the NZ city (other than AKL) on the HKG line to just get it to show up.

However, in this case, the domestic leg does award MPC points.

ernestnywang

No, it doesn't.

ashsong

As a reply after having experienced them all:

- Putting MPC membership in while booking domestic within NZ on NZ would grant seat selection and additional baggage for free, which normally costs around 20-50 NZD. I am at GD/OWS with MPC, and even preferred seat or emergency exit seats are free of charge.
- The booking, will still be credited to your Airpoints account even with said benefits from MPC.
- Domestic lounge access is normally not possible this way. I did try ask and was granted entry to the lounge. But I think it could have been a mistake. Only those connecting on the AKL-HKG international sector on one PNR would have lounge access for the domestic leg.
- It is possible to change FFP at the boarding gate to CX/MPC. However, this grants you nothing. It will not give AM nor CP, and you'd forfeit the airpoints and airdollar normally earnable by doing what I described: Login NZ with airpoints account, when booking, select MPC, and input MPC account to get free seat selection and free luggage benefit. The flight is still credited to airpoints.

kawaii

Along the same lines, I've booked a ANZ flight via Orbitz but both are operated by CX. I assumed that, as CX is the operating carrier (and due to this weird tie-up), if I put in my CX number at check-in, it will credit both AM and MPC?

As it is operated by CX, if I put in AA number, any ideas if it would credit to AA, even though it was sold as a ANZ codeshare? (Or maybe this is a better question for the AA/OW forum?)

ernestnywang

It will credit to AM at the NZ rate (AKL-HKG and v. v. only), not the CX rate. It will not credit to MPO nor can it be credited to AAdvantage.

kawaii

Ah, I guess I'll live. It was a lot cheaper to buy it as an ANZ codeshare than from the CX website so I guess that'll just be the cost of the MPC points.