The change also applies to UA Mileage Plus from the same date - and no doubt other programmes.
And adding hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of liability (ie Airpoints) at no charge to a partner airline that competes with NZ on a route may be looked on just a tad unfavourably by shareholders and taxpayers, amongst others..
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All my posts are my own personal opinions and experiences and in no way represent the opinon of my employer.