Originally Posted by
Safti
Thanks, I get it now. I've been thinking that I could get a reward tix SYD-AKL. I have spoken to so many people who book from YYZ-LAX-SYD-AKL and I thought they all did reward tix straight through.
Many people certainly have booked the trip you're looking for on points (I'm one of them--done it twice with a pair of J seats each time--on NZ, direct from west coast of NA), but unfortunately, things have changed in recent years. You're looking for a trip to AKL, in J, with a reasonable routing, and at high season--it just isn't going to happen.
As others have said, routing through Asia might work, but this is high season and you will need to be very flexible in dates. The easiest way to do this now is by booking your reward to SYD and paying cash for a seat across the Tasman.
Originally Posted by
mountaingrl
Oh they probably did get a reward ticket SYD-AKL - but you need it during high season and availability is super low and you should have been looking the day seats opened up. If you search in March (lower season) for example there are lots of NZ SYD-AKL flights available. There are still SYD-AKL reward seats in January 2015 but they connect through other NZ towns like ZQN (Queenstown). WLG (Wellington), and CHC (Christchurch) so at least 2 stops to get to AKL (look Jan. 8th for SYD-AKL for example). Not sure if you have to be in AKL for sure but the south island is far more scenic and if you can fly SYD-ZQN you will find yourself in a city with mountains around you and lovely lakes! And there is more availability from ZQN or CHC back to AKL during January/February 2015 right now.
+1
mountaingirl is certainly right about the South Island--way more scenic than the north (not that the north is not scenic). I don't know what your plans are when you get to NZ, but if I only had 2 weeks to spend in NZ, I'd spend it all (or nearly all) in the South Island. Sure, Auckland is a great city, and the North Island of NZ has some great beauty and attractions, but flying in or out through ZQN/CHC could work well or even better than AKL. You can also fly to WLG and take the ferry across to the SI.