New Elite Airpoints Dollars upgrade rates
Dec 17, 2019, 4:20 pm
#61
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: NZ Airpoints GE, Qantas Platinum, Accor Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 968
Yes, 10th article down on my Airpoints Update after the chance to buy a diary.
Nicely buried - and only view-able if you open the internet version of the update rather than the truncated version that pops though via my email.
Nicely buried - and only view-able if you open the internet version of the update rather than the truncated version that pops though via my email.
Dec 17, 2019, 8:38 pm
#62
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, NZ Elite, QF Plat
Posts: 1,776
Response from Air NZ - summarised in my words (it was quite a lengthy response and I appreciate it wasn't a stock standard response and they replied to me quite quickly - and it was what I expected but I felt I should probably voice my complaints/feedback and hopefully others do and there's strength in numbers etc):
1. Rates haven't gone up since 2009 and new rates reflect increased costs and increased demands
2. They've also decreased some rates and some rates have stayed the same so it's a balanced change...
3. Members were advised in the December Airpoints update and Air NZ have done Elite members a favour by giving almost 2 months notice to get in any upgrade requests before 10 February
4. New benefits were announced earlier this year - so you win some and you lose some
1. Rates haven't gone up since 2009 and new rates reflect increased costs and increased demands
2. They've also decreased some rates and some rates have stayed the same so it's a balanced change...
3. Members were advised in the December Airpoints update and Air NZ have done Elite members a favour by giving almost 2 months notice to get in any upgrade requests before 10 February
4. New benefits were announced earlier this year - so you win some and you lose some
Dec 17, 2019, 9:15 pm
#63
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: NZ *E
Posts: 346
Dec 17, 2019, 11:02 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: NZ Elite, QF Platinum, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Accor Diamond
Posts: 149
Response from Air NZ - summarised in my words (it was quite a lengthy response and I appreciate it wasn't a stock standard response and they replied to me quite quickly - and it was what I expected but I felt I should probably voice my complaints/feedback and hopefully others do and there's strength in numbers etc):
1. Rates haven't gone up since 2009 and new rates reflect increased costs and increased demands
2. They've also decreased some rates and some rates have stayed the same so it's a balanced change...
3. Members were advised in the December Airpoints update and Air NZ have done Elite members a favour by giving almost 2 months notice to get in any upgrade requests before 10 February
4. New benefits were announced earlier this year - so you win some and you lose some
1. Rates haven't gone up since 2009 and new rates reflect increased costs and increased demands
2. They've also decreased some rates and some rates have stayed the same so it's a balanced change...
3. Members were advised in the December Airpoints update and Air NZ have done Elite members a favour by giving almost 2 months notice to get in any upgrade requests before 10 February
4. New benefits were announced earlier this year - so you win some and you lose some
Thats pretty much a copy and paste of what I got. I replied that it made rates to Europe more expensive (or at least the same price) as CX or EK J (and quoted them some fares). Then they screenshoted the a bit of the air NZ website which showed the benefits of Elite. I then just booked a QF flight to Singapore.
Dec 18, 2019, 1:11 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: Air Points; NZ*E; Accor Platinum; QF Gold
Posts: 19
Just had a look, 8K NZD for business in June WLG, SYD, SIN , LHR on QF. NZ was 7K for PE... Will contact QF and see if they will do a status match from Gold to Platinum, given i'm NZ*E on NZ. Here is hoping!
Dec 18, 2019, 4:32 pm
#67
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 25
Like everyone else here, very disappointed by these changes. I fly mainly to the States on economy tickets, so having this benefit was about the only thing that made it bearable. I can understand an increase after 11 years but 55% for Houston Y-PE will definitely have me looking at other options.
Dec 19, 2019, 7:53 pm
#68
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: NZ *E
Posts: 346
The other thing that irks me about this change is that in recent years NZ have been releasing more Star Alliance Business rewards space (I mean, sure it was 0 before so not hard to increase), meaning dead cheap redemption rates for folks on United Mileageplus, etc.
https://onemileatatime.com/air-new-z...-class-awards/
eg. this release of award space right during peak season
https://onemileatatime.com/air-new-z...-class-awards/
eg. this release of award space right during peak season
Dec 20, 2019, 12:50 am
#69
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Wellington
Programs: AirNZ Airpoints Elite
Posts: 121
Both PE fares not much different, both also very similar flight length.
Surprising, but I guess doesn’t address the APD upgrade issue.
Dec 20, 2019, 1:31 am
#70
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New Zealand
Programs: QF Plat (OWE)/NZ Gold (*G)
Posts: 166
I had a look at this on QF & NZ sites for a 28 day trip in J, April dep. $8k best QF (via Dubai) $8k best NZ (via HK) Couldn’t see the earn on QF but on NZ around 500 APD & SP.
Both PE fares not much different, both also very similar flight length.
Surprising, but I guess doesn’t address the APD upgrade issue.
Both PE fares not much different, both also very similar flight length.
Surprising, but I guess doesn’t address the APD upgrade issue.
QF you would earn the entire way and it would be 780 SC on QF if I recall right which is more than the 700 for gold
A full NZ to LHR fare is much much more expensive.... Using that strategy I could argue a QF/AY fare to LHR is cheaper at 6-6.5k and still QF the NZ - Asia legs similar to your NZ option
Dec 21, 2019, 2:14 pm
#71
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Dec 21, 2019, 3:05 pm
#72
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: bne
Programs: Velocity Gold, AIRNZ Elite, Qantas Silver ,Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,320
Status points on a upgrade Akl to Lhr
On a recent airport upgrade (a couple of days ago) cheapest economy to cheapest (one way) surprised to get
484 SP and 505 airpoints (posted even before the flight was completed)
That's 60% of the Airnz content requirement to maintain Elite !
484 SP and 505 airpoints (posted even before the flight was completed)
That's 60% of the Airnz content requirement to maintain Elite !
Jan 8, 2020, 12:34 am
#73
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,350
Ha! I was thinking the same thing. So has NZ done away with the Elite Christmas gift? Or is that only for NZ-based Elites? This is my first year as Elite (qualified in September) and was vaguely expecting some kind of token gift... and all I got was this lousy devaluation of my newfound benefits. 
Jan 8, 2020, 1:04 am
#74
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,122
Last Elite gift was 2017 from memory.. They they just never did them any more and in the first year decided to give a big gift to Airpoints for schools instead.
Feb 25, 2020, 11:22 pm
#75
Join Date: Feb 2020
Programs: AirNZ NZ*E
Posts: 24
The rates are so steep now that oneup might have a strong chance of being successful cheaper. I would suspect a $900 oneup bid might be quite strong but given that would actually only cost $600 airpoints or $ to an elite it might be worth a shot on my next Chicago / Houston.