Thanks this does help. I tried trip.com for domestic flights in NZ but it was much more expensive than booking directly for Air NZ so obviously varies but market but all the reports here give me confidence to use them if they are cheap.

I guess the answers below should all be “yes” but can someone please confirm?

- Trip.com accepts my Air NZ membership details and these transfer to Air China as a Star Alliance partner?
- I accrue miles for eligible flights as a consequence of the above?
- My Star Alliance Gold status is recognised by Air China for flights I book using Trip.com, including lounge access?

I’ve honestly never used any OTA in my life and have only ever booked on airline official sites so I have no idea when it comes to these things.