Here's an interesting one. My boss and I on separate bookings in Y AKL-LAX-AKL on NZ6/5. He is Gold and put in RU's to PE for both legs. I am Silver with TK*G in the booking as FQTS and was gifted an Elite APD to PE for both.

My upgrade from LAX-AKL just cleared at T-7 and his hasn't. I thought Gold RU would have priority over a Silver on a gifted Elite APD based on it being cleared at the recipients status level.

Nope.

Everything I've always been told suggests Elite APD upgrades or RU gifted by an Elite will clear above a Gold RU. This is part of the reason purchasing APD was scrapped as part of the OneSmart changes because the ability to do this was being heavily exploited as a source for literally infinite upgrades for literally anybody who knew an Elite. It's not quite so easy to remove it as a Kiwibank benefit.

From NZ FAQs

"As per our usual practice, if the Elite member and Elite giftee are travelling together, then the giftee will be considered at the same status as the Elite member. If the giftee is not travelling with the Elite member, then they will be reviewed based on the giftee�s own tier status"

So maybe that means within a gifted Elite Upgrade, the rank is done on the recipients status, but that gifted Elite Upgrades are processed before Gold and Silver RUs - but with no access to R/A class inventory etc

That's exactly my understanding, and the understanding of numerous others on here in other threads.

I just love the dynamic - see you on the other side boss!! *turns left*

Pricisely! ^

Could you be kind enough and elaborate on how this works? (still works?)

Airpoints Dollars top up
(Air New Zealand Airpoints credit cards only)

Whether you�re short of a couple of Airpoints Dollars for that holiday in the islands or need to top up your balance to buy a gift for someone special from the Airpoints Store, you can purchase Airpoints Dollars too. Just sign in to your Air New Zealand account, and click on 'See My Balances'. Go to the �Credit Cards� tab to display your credit card balance(s). Click on the �Top up your Airpoints Dollars� button, enter the amount you need and your Airpoints credit card details. Your Airpoints Dollars balance will be topped up instantly.

There is a minimum $5 fee (currently being waived until 30 June) for purchasing Airpoints Dollars, and you must have enough available credit to purchase the requested top-up amount and to pay the fee. The fee is deducted automatically so you don�t need to add it to the amount to be purchased. Purchases of Airpoints Dollars are non-refundable so double check your purchase before you confirm. Customers who purchase international fares using Airpoints Dollars will be required to pay in cash, the government and airport taxes and costs.

Please note that all fares that are purchased using Airpoints Dollars are not eligible for accrual of Airpoints Dollars and/or Status Points. This includes fares purchased using Airpoints Dollars that you have purchased on your Airpoints credit card.

Basically as above, which is just a direct copy and paste from the Air NZ website.

It wouldn't surprise me if NZ try and get rid of it from the Kiwibank cards as well going forward, but are potentially hamstrung at present due to their card agreement.

So now I have to decide if I try to use my 2 Gold recognition upgrades for my flight to SFO to try and get into BP or just use a gifted APD Upgrade and have a better change at getting into PE.

On another note,
I have always valued APD at less than or equal to 1 NZD however if the ability purchase APD is removed then I suppose, I might have to reconsider that valuation.

You can't use a APD upgrade to go from Y to BP so you'll need to use your RU's. I personally wouldn't use a APD Upgrade to PE over 2 x RU for BP.

APD$1 is still equal to NZD$1 regardless of whatever happens so I don't see why you'd value them at less than NZD$1

All this change does is minimise the ability for APD upgrades to be turned into an unlimited upgrade fund which was never the intended use of this feature.

With the ability to top up APD via OneSmart removed Air NZ have introduced the ability to part pay for a flight with APD and NZD which is really how it should have always worked.

If you actually go to the Airpoints Dollars top-up page (for those that have the Kiwibank Airpoints Card recognized/linked to your NZ account), you will see this fine print, on the right hand side of the screen:


Of course the more APD you buy, that $5 will only be a small percentage of your cost.

However it seems that NZ has planned for a 20% top-up fee all along, just that it's been waived for the time being.

This mean NZ at some point in time, would value 1 APD at NZ$1.20 (plus the flat NZ$5 fee).

Something for people here to think about.

I don't have a KB card so haven't actually seen that screen previously. It does tie to with what I've heard about NZ wanting to restrict this further, but being hamstrung at present by current agreements.

I always assumed that meant they would be assessed with their own status - eg as jade would be processed after all RUs but before one ups. But maybe it does mean that it's before all RUs. Ambiguous wording!

Flights purchased with APD don't earn Airpoints or Status Points. For this reason, when buying flights I value Airpoints at less than $1.