No more APD to pay for hotel bookings with Expedia Partnership
 

Can I spend my Airpoints Dollars on a hotel booking through your website?

No. While Airpoints members can earn Airpoints Dollars on every hotel booking made through the Air NZ website, we don’t currently offer the ability to spend your Airpoints Dollars for a hotel.
Why can’t I spend my Airpoints Dollars on a hotel booking anymore?

Air New Zealand has entered into a new online partnership with Expedia. This provides customers with a much larger selection of hotels worldwide, as well as confidence with Expedia’s Price Match. While Airpoints members can now earn Airpoints Dollars on every hotel booking made, we don’t currently offer the ability to spend your Airpoints Dollars for a hotel. We are investigating this as a future enhancement.
Full T&C's here,
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/expedia-hotels-faq

This was the only way we used our APD.
We buy Bus class where available, don't use our upgrades and need SP to retain status so don't use APD for flights.
3,888.51 is a bit much for wine!!!!

Airpoints has become more and more a direct competitor to FlyBuys rather than a true frequent flyer programme (with all the new recent domestic partners). Global hotel chains have convinced me to book direct with them so I will get all the perks of their own elite level. Much like you with SP, I would never book with Expedia because I would lose qualifying nights/stays with hotel programmes. Both claim they have best rate guarantee. Those Airpoints partner hotel chains also offer better APD earn rates so it's a no brainer for me. Of course this Expedia deal is targeted at perhaps less frequent travellers, where hotel brands are not important.

Maybe you'll need to start spending them on $50 gift vouchers for APD$55 from the Airpoints store. :)

This is unbelievable. Was there any advance notice of this? I live in Australia and the only other realistic way for me to use my points is through car rentals. That may go away soon as well, I fear.

If I had known this was coming, I would have booked before the change was made!

I am surprised to see so many people use APD on hotel bookings. It just goes to show Airpoints' problem as an FFP. In any other programme, using them on hotels is a great way to waste your hard earned points/miles. In fact, using them on anything that has an equivalent cash value is a waste. Reward seats and upgrades are where the value is but Airpoints has taken them all away.

Unless you can make NZ*E which takes a looooot of flying (or a bunch of transcon domestics on UA in "F").

And even then you've still got the 900/810 requirement on NZ metal.

I'm confused - if you buy business why do you need status??

If for domestic then you could buy koru with your APD to get the same benefits.

What about using APD for grab one flights for a quick trip away in NZ?

Whats the point of any trip away if the accommodation is no longer free.
Soon it will probably be no free hire car either.

Not all that interested in their wine...

There are a few times when there is no Business offered, just back from Tonga and had to go Works Deluxe out and Bus back.
Fiji next month and Hawaii in June are both Bus each way.
Status helps when there is a problem and also for domestic flights.
They lost our bags coming back from Tonga and I am sure Status helped sort that out.
It didn't help with getting through immigration and MPI though after loosing an hour of our 2 hour connection time.
In the past we have used APD for my wife's travel and she has lost status but needs the status for when she travels without me so using them for Resort bookings was the best solution.
We have been sorted though so again status and our purchase history has helped.