FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Safe connection time in AKL with separate tickets
Old Aug 13, 2022 | 9:59 am
  #14  
mtimmer
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
ZQN is a small airport- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenstown_Airport
If ZQN AKL does not fly what are the options?
Later flight on NZ or JQ (if any exist)?
Drive to CHC or DUD or IVC? And then fly if you can get a flight
Originally Posted by gcuk
When I have separate tickets, I don’t only consider the time between the flights, I make sure there is another flight to my intermediate change point after my booked flight.
If I were to go with the flight with 8 hours in between there would be four more flights on NZ that could get me to AKL that day. (Plus an additional one on Jetstar.) As per a comment above, the concern would be if I couldn't actually get on one of those flights! FWIW, we both have Star Alliance Gold status, but I'm sure that's not worth anything on NZ in regard to IRROPS.
Originally Posted by Thai-Kiwi
I suggest you buy a FlexiRefund ticket now for the day prior, and consider that 'insurance'. You can cancel anytime and NZ processes refunds within 48 hours.

Additionally, do the same thing for the intended day of travel. Now you have the options bracketed and you can decide later which option you want to take.
I had planned on buying a fully refundable/changeable ticket--but I did not think about buying one for each day! Thank you for that idea.

Originally Posted by LyingFlat
That’s odd. I assume this is a OW ex-NZ fare? If so routing changes are normally permitted provided that the new fare is of equal or greater value than the original fare. I’ve done this many times myself without an issue. If you can bear it I would call again and press the agent to add on the ZQN flight.
When I tried to change the flight online prior to calling in, it wasn't giving me an option to change my departure point, which surprised me. So I looked up the rules for fare code "O" and read this:

VOLUNTARY CHANGES TO THE ONE WAY DATE OF TRAVEL AND/OR TICKETED ROUTING ARE PERMITTED AT A CHARGE
OF NZD50 PER ONE WAY FARE PROVIDED ALL OTHER FARE CONDITIONS ARE MET NO FARE DOWNGRADE OCCURS AND
TICKETED ORIGIN AND/OR DESTINATION DOES NOT CHANGE.

I'm far from an NZ expert, so if I'm mis-interpreting the above let me know. And I'm *extremely* appreciative of all the feedback I'm getting here!
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