Originally Posted by
smanch
Thanks -- despite all the griping about poor quality benefits from NZ, this is a substantial advantage for long-haul travel to the US and Canada. I use RUs and APD upgrades regularly and they clear regularly, even when traveling as a family of 4; always considered this one of the best perks of NZ*GE.
As a first year GE (although about to renew) I've been really impressed with the Air NZ upgrade system so far. Am 8/8 on upgrades this year (mix of economy to premium economy, and premium economy to business) across RUs and APD upgrades. Air NZ definitely has its issues, e.g. overcrowded lounges in some locations and diminishing APD earn rates will make having APD for upgrades harder, but I'm still a happy camper overall because of the easy upgrade process.