flying Air New Zealand out of YVR using miles
Oct 23, 2017, 3:27 am
#1
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flying Air New Zealand out of YVR using miles
Hi there --
Looking to possibly book family of four from YVR to AKL using Aeroplan miles, and for obvious reasons would prefer the nonstop Air New Zealand flight out of Vancouver. When I search Aeroplan for options, they want to route me YVR -> SYD -> AKL, or YVR -> SFO -> AKL.
Why wouldn't the nonstop ANZ YVR -> AKL flight show up on the aeroplan website when I know the flight is available for the timeframe I'm wishing to travel, AND there are PLENTY of seats available on the flight? Do I have to call in to Aeroplan and have someone manually search for my desired flights?
thanks in advance
Jeff
Looking to possibly book family of four from YVR to AKL using Aeroplan miles, and for obvious reasons would prefer the nonstop Air New Zealand flight out of Vancouver. When I search Aeroplan for options, they want to route me YVR -> SYD -> AKL, or YVR -> SFO -> AKL.
Why wouldn't the nonstop ANZ YVR -> AKL flight show up on the aeroplan website when I know the flight is available for the timeframe I'm wishing to travel, AND there are PLENTY of seats available on the flight? Do I have to call in to Aeroplan and have someone manually search for my desired flights?
thanks in advance
Jeff
Oct 23, 2017, 3:37 am
#2
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..Looking to possibly book family of four from YVR to AKL using Aeroplan miles, and for obvious reasons would prefer the nonstop Air New Zealand flight out of Vancouver. When I search Aeroplan for options, they want to route me YVR -> SYD -> AKL, or YVR -> SFO -> AKL.
Why wouldn't the nonstop ANZ YVR -> AKL flight show up on the Aeroplan website when I know the flight is available for the time frame I'm wishing to travel, AND there are PLENTY of seats available on the flight? Do I have to call in to Aeroplan and have someone manually search for my desired flights?
Why wouldn't the nonstop ANZ YVR -> AKL flight show up on the Aeroplan website when I know the flight is available for the time frame I'm wishing to travel, AND there are PLENTY of seats available on the flight? Do I have to call in to Aeroplan and have someone manually search for my desired flights?
Air NZ is notorious for not offering award seats to Star Alliance frequent flyers.
4 awards seats on the same flight can be hard at the best of times.
Oct 23, 2017, 3:43 am
#3
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Just because seats are for sale for cash does not mean Air NZ are offering those seats for awards.
Air NZ is notorious for not offering award seats to Star Alliance frequent flyers.
4 awards seats on the same flight can be hard at the best on time
Air NZ is notorious for not offering award seats to Star Alliance frequent flyers.
4 awards seats on the same flight can be hard at the best on time
Oct 23, 2017, 3:50 am
#5
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OK definitely good to know. Don't mind the YVR --> SFO --> AKL routing so much, but the YVR --> SYD --> AKL routing just seems like torture (to have to hop on another 3+ hour flight to AKL after spending 14+ hours in the air). Pretty sure there would be family mutiny if I did that to them!
Oct 23, 2017, 10:35 am
#7
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? 4 seats on ANZ, or 4 seats to New Zealand (independent of carrier)? Plenty of award seat availability right now for 4 of us on the routings mentioned in the original post. Just would PREFER the nonstop for obvious reasons (but it won't stop me from booking)
Oct 23, 2017, 12:42 pm
#8
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OK definitely good to know. Don't mind the YVR --> SFO --> AKL routing so much, but the YVR --> SYD --> AKL routing just seems like torture (to have to hop on another 3+ hour flight to AKL after spending 14+ hours in the air). Pretty sure there would be family mutiny if I did that to them!
Your best bet, especially for 4 seats is looking via SYD and booking a separate flight across the Tasman.
There is more availability to SYD and may be easier to get.
Oct 23, 2017, 12:52 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Good luck on the nonstop. I'm going to say it's one of the top 10 most difficult routes to secure reward seating on.
Oct 23, 2017, 1:15 pm
#10
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Yeah, this is what I ended up doing for a trip next year. For what it is worth, the AE rep I spoke to said than ANZ releases a few of the non-stop YVR-AKL seats much closer (she thought 90 days) to departure if you want to roll the dice. But your odds of getting four seats are close to zero.
Oct 23, 2017, 1:58 pm
#12
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If you're talking J non-stop, will never happen.
Even 1 or 2 seats in Y on the direct would be tough.
If you want to break up the trip, go via NRT or something like that.
Even 1 or 2 seats in Y on the direct would be tough.
If you want to break up the trip, go via NRT or something like that.
Oct 23, 2017, 2:31 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,717
This thread is amusing; You asked for Advice on the Direct flight and 3 or 4 posters have told you : impossible, which I will echo.
You come back every time and say the indirect routing has availability, but that's not what you want... have you read any of the responses? Do you think by continuing to ignore what people are telling you will make ANZ mystically open reward availability?
Long Haul ANZ even in Y is very difficult. Finding Multiple seats happens once in a blue moon (usually when ANZ messes up availability and opens up the taps).
ANZ Is the stingiest *A Partner for reward seats. Period.
You come back every time and say the indirect routing has availability, but that's not what you want... have you read any of the responses? Do you think by continuing to ignore what people are telling you will make ANZ mystically open reward availability?
Long Haul ANZ even in Y is very difficult. Finding Multiple seats happens once in a blue moon (usually when ANZ messes up availability and opens up the taps).
ANZ Is the stingiest *A Partner for reward seats. Period.
Oct 23, 2017, 3:10 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2015
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It's one of the downsides of NZ operating a loyalty program which is based almost entirely off dollar for dollar "any seat awards" - they don't have to reserve award inventory because award inventory is the entire plane - for their own FFP members. R class (Airpoints upgrade inventory) is constrained to a minimum, X class (staralliance awards) even more so.
There are very limited "discounted business class awards" available to NZ *G and higher, but they require 2790 NZAPD for a one way to the US, plus taxes and fees - you actually get better value booking Y and upgrading. (And to make it worse, I believe these consume the same award inventory - they aren't R class)
There are very limited "discounted business class awards" available to NZ *G and higher, but they require 2790 NZAPD for a one way to the US, plus taxes and fees - you actually get better value booking Y and upgrading. (And to make it worse, I believe these consume the same award inventory - they aren't R class)
Oct 23, 2017, 3:14 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Programs: FlyingBlue Silver; Air Canada 25K; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 456
This thread is amusing; You asked for Advice on the Direct flight and 3 or 4 posters have told you : impossible, which I will echo.
You come back every time and say the indirect routing has availability, but that's not what you want... have you read any of the responses? Do you think by continuing to ignore what people are telling you will make ANZ mystically open reward availability?
Long Haul ANZ even in Y is very difficult. Finding Multiple seats happens once in a blue moon (usually when ANZ messes up availability and opens up the taps).
ANZ Is the stingiest *A Partner for reward seats. Period.
You come back every time and say the indirect routing has availability, but that's not what you want... have you read any of the responses? Do you think by continuing to ignore what people are telling you will make ANZ mystically open reward availability?
Long Haul ANZ even in Y is very difficult. Finding Multiple seats happens once in a blue moon (usually when ANZ messes up availability and opens up the taps).
ANZ Is the stingiest *A Partner for reward seats. Period.
Last edited by tcook052; Oct 23, 2017 at 4:02 pm Reason: snark