tometoyou

HI All,

Just a quick question, I am flying with Air New Zealand for the first time later on this year, and just wanted to know if it was worth while joining their airpoints club and Koru club? Does being a member allow you access to lounges or do you need to be at a certain status?

thanks

sbiddle

You can join Koru and gain access to any Koru or partner lounge on the day of travel while traveling on an Air NZ flight.

Unless you're willing to throw away money this won't be cost effective for only a few flights.

Joining Airpoints is free. One again if you're only flying a few flights and not flying PE or BP you will get very little from this.

Biz_Traveller

Remember also Air NZ is part of the Star Alliance - so if you have status with another Star Alliance member you will be afforded similar benefits on Air NZ flights. Joining Airpoints is only of benefit if you think you may be a regular with Air NZ. Otherwise you are better to claim the mileage with a local Star Alliance partner.

dadig

Koru Club product sits between Silver status and Gold really. Like others mentioned, you only have access to the Koru lounge and no access with Star Alliance lounges (there are exceptions). You can also get discounted membership from your corporate employer or credit card. Some credit cards give you lounge passes for free after a certain spend

And lastly, Not sure if it is still allowed (no longer published on Air NZ website), if you don't fly often, just pay per entry into the Koru lounge.

cavemanzk

In 2015 they stopped this to reducer over crowding in the lounges

tometoyou

Thanks for all of the info, think I will join Star Alliance, do you know if you can redeem miles for a journey already booked, i.e. my flight to LAX in May which I have already booked and paid for?

Thai-Kiwi

You need to decide which Star Alliance airline frequent flyer program suits you expected travel patterns first, and then accrue mileage credit from various Star Alliance airlines into that specific scheme. You don't join 'Star Alliance' specifically.

You need to have flown the flights before miles get credited to your account, and then when you have enough 'banked', you can try and redeem them.

tometoyou

So if I join Airpoints, claim my points back retrospectively for my upcoming flight and then any future travel for example on Air Canada I can put my airpoints membership number in to claim any mileage?

thanks and apologies for the naive questions.

sbiddle

If you're not based in NZ there are very few benefits of joining Airpoints unless you're going to be flying with them maybe 25+ times in the next year or fly lots of long haul.

You're not going to get any benefits from any airline for just booking a few flights.

SeaProf

I'd qualify this. It depends on which class you fly in. 1 trip a year on NZ in Business between LAX and either LHR or AKL, plus a few domestic flights on United (as few as 2 trips if flying business with a connection), is enough to give you *G. In the USA *G with NZ means access to United Club lounges on United domestic flights, which *G with UA does not provide.

I think the important questions are:

1. Where is the person based
2. Where does the person normally fly
3. What class does the person normally fly in
4. What does the person hope to get out of having status, regardless of airline

Mwenenzi

tometoyou Welcome to Air NZ

Overall NZ Airpoints ffp is not a good ffp unless you live in NZ or fly Air NZ a lot. Flying in a premium cabin helps.

Otherwise join another Star Alliance airline ffp
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/star-...post-here.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html

Each ffp is different. Miles/points are not equal to earn or use

With most ffp's you need to be a signed up member at the date of the flight. Some airlines allow you to join after the a flight and retro claim the ff mileage.

When you make a reservation you add your freq flyer number. You can also retro claim if you do not put the ff number in the reservation before the flight.

Some low cost fares earn low or nil miles in the airline own ffp or in partner airline ffp's.
Air NZ sells many fares that do not earn freq flyer miles. Some fares earn in Air NZ points but nothing in partner ffp's.
http://www.wheretocredit.com/air-new-zealand (may not be 100% correct)

Edit
From this thread it looks like tometoyou is flying LHR-LAX on Air NZ
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...alifornia.html

tometoyou

Thanks for all of the info, I am getting the impression that it probably isn't worth joining a scheme.

My local airport is BHX but for long haul will tend to use any london based airport.

It sounds like I don't fly enough or use one regular airline. For example this year I am flying to San Diego and Chile from LHR and will probably do 2 or 3 small flights to europe. Always in economy or premium economy.

Mwenenzi

Well this is FlyerTalk and flying without getting ff miles is a crime to many.

Which airline will you fly to San Diego and Chile? BA AA LA?

The default choices are often United (Star Alliance which includes Air NZ) and American Airlines (OneWorld alliance which includes BA & LAN). But people in UK often have BA as the default

Treat freq flyer miles (if any) as a bonus that may or may not be able to be used.

USA based airline ffp's tend to be more generous (status benefits/earn/burn/upgrades/award cost/award cash surcharges/expiry) compared to non USA based airline ffp’s (even after the recently announced changes to some USA ffp’s)

The airline you fly most or an airline of the country you live is the best ffp for many people.
The airline you fly and the airline ffp you credit those flights to does not need to be the same.
Freq flyer miles are not equal to earn or burn.

Enjoy your flight on Air NZ^

tometoyou

Hi Mwenenzi,

Thanks for the reply, not sure who I will be flying with at the moment as haven't booked them, most likely Air Canada or Air France, having a quick search.

I think I will probably join one world, plus can transfer my Amex points to avios points, can always aim for the lifetime points, even if I do only reach it when on my death bed

Mwenenzi

You do not join Oneworld, but an airline ffp.
Living in UK BA is a good starting point. BA is a member of the Oneworld alliance

But with BAEC you cannot get ff mikes from your Air NZ (Star Alliance) flight.
You will need to join a Star Airline. Note that some cheap Air NZ tickets are nil earning with other Star airlines and some times with Air NZ (no ff miles/points)

FFP's can be very different
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html