Indeed. Based on that wording I figured the upgrade priority would be:
1. EP1
2. Elite RU/APD for Elite FF
3. Gold RU/upgrade gifted to a Gold
4. Silver RU/upgrade giftee to a Silver
5. Upgrade giftee to a Jade
6. Oneup

But obviously gifted Elite Upgrades take priority over all Gold and Silver RUs.

My understanding is that EP1 upgrades are also cleared immediately on being lodged regardless of R/A availability.

Obviously no EP1 is going to confirm/deny this.

It weighs be interesting to know what happens to somebody flying with an EP1

Of course, one would imagine the underlying un-published criteria for being an EP1 is flying revenue in premium cabins to begin with.

And as EP1 is also not (strictly) qualified upon spend, but rather how influential you are (i.e. CEO or someone who controls large company's travel budget/spend), one would also assume you will be flying in J because of your company/social status... in which case the benefit of upgrades clearing immediately regardless of R/A inventory is... purely academic or moot.

That's quite a bold assumption which I can assure you is not always the case.

True, however...

My current work's ex-CEO is EP1 and quite outspoken about NZ in the positive way, and he flies nothing but J.

In fact all C-level execs I know at our work also flies nothing but J...

(Yes, 1 company sample does not a general trend make)

From what I understand it's only recognition upgrades that get instant confirmation.

As to what happens with other people travelling with the EP1, some things should stay a mystery...

I recently gifted a RU to a family member (jade) travelling AKL-PER. When speaking to the NZ call centre I was told it would be very unlikely as PE was looking very full. She did get the upgrade at gate. Unless she was the only one that had put in for an upgrade (unlikely) it shows that gifted Elite RUs must be greater than a gold RU regardless of the passengers status?

There may have been RU for PE to J- so a seat may have come free at the gate .

Interesting thread this. One of our sons traveled Auckland to Houston booked in Y with one other on same PNR. He is Elite granted an Op upgrade at check in to PE?

Me booked PE Auckland to Houston last Nov for travel this Aug applied my Elite RUs to Bus still pending despite dummy booking showing cabin pretty well empty. Rang the Service Centre to see if could be confirmed, but quite frankly seemed disinterested in the notion.

Op upgrades are incredibly rare on Air NZ.

There is also no point in hounding the call centre about a flight in August as there is nothing they can do. If there had been R class availability it would have cleared at the time it was applied. Since there wasn't it'll now be looked at 7 days out from the flight.

It's worth remembering the vast majority of upgrades don't clear until check-in or at the gate.

I think enough said that RU are pointless unless you are into a feeling lucky like the lottery.

If flying J/PE is important then book it direct. I fall into this category but certainly will ask the call centre on award seats before booking. I don't like leaving things to chance. My issue is Air NZ does not make this distinction clear enough and in many respects is less "recognition" and more "chance"/"luck"

I definitely don't fall into the "enough" category and have to respectfully disagree.


Only ever have 1x RU request (Gold) and 1x Elite APD request not come through in the past 4 years. Otherwise my RUs or E-APD always clear, most of the time at booking, with the rest almost all at T-7 days prior, and once or twice only at the gate.

That is including on NZ1/2, to North America and to Asia.
Trans Tasman route is a 99.99% certainty of clearing as well.

Bookings are spread between 6-8 months out (early-bird sales) and "last minute" 3-4 weeks out, travelling throughout the year.

Honestly I am at a loss of so many Elites (and Golds) complaining about not ever able to use RU. Surely I am not the only "exception"...

I have been using RUs since I qualified for them (initially Silver, then Gold and now Elite) for solely long-haul recreational flights (usually to and from YVR, but including LAX, LHR, SFO and Asian capitals) and have never not received a RU. Sometimes at the time of booking, sometimes at check-in and the rest of times at the gate. This includes a double use from Y to Bus, and the most recent occasion when returning from YVR in February when no Bus seats were available to purchase for the four weeks before travel, yet I had a RU awarded at the gate. I think the system works fine, although my lack of purchased short-haul flights means I'll probably lose my two short-haul RUs!

I too have had good success over the past 5 or so years with Silver, Gold and Elite RU's as well as Elite APD upgrades and a couple of OneUp's. Every upgrade I've lodged has cleared and that would probably total around 15 individual flights.

I have however chosen not to upgrade some flights when I've booked PE to/from the US and have been seated next to people on a couple of occasions (I'd actually say both were around school holiday time) who have had upgrades not clear.

Getting upgrades clear right through to LHR can be a challenge, but for my flight to Europe this year it was $3200 o/w for PE and $4000 for BP so it was actually a no brainer to buy a BP fare. Coming back I had upgrades to PE clear immediately to A class.

The only upgrade I've never had clear was the silver one because I reached gold and didn't realise I had "lost" the silver RU! Rather than gaining another RU at gold. Never read the T&C's thoroughly and found this site too late.

The rest have cleared. I've had 1 or 2 elite APD upgrades knocked back but J was full.