When will Air NZ release flights to Cook Islands?
May 6, 2021, 4:29 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,415
Well update on that. BP prices fell and were hilariously cheaper than PE by $180. So I turned my previous PE flights into credit and bought BP straight out for my upcoming trip too. BP cabin is almost fully sold, the PE cabin was also almost fully sold. Premium travel customers are jumping to the Cook Islands at a much higher percentage rate than economy passangers.
Every time I refreshed I got a different price. One minute it was $700. Then it was $900. Then it was $1000. Then it was $700 again.
This whole credit thing is great. I have another BP flight in October school holidays to the Cook Islands and a BP flight to Melbourne and can just cancel whichever one I don't want to take closer to the time, while getting to take advantage of low cost airfares now. That's three trips booked to Rarotonga, let's see if I make it a fourth by the end of the year, haha!
Air NZ was allowing me to book straight through to Aitutaki. They then removed it because you have a ridiculous, impossible 1 hour connection to make the flight. Not only that though but Air Rarotonga told me that currently you need to be on Rarotonga for 24 hours anyway, before flying onto a smaller island, although they are seeing if they can lift that restriction.
So Air NZ removed it for all of their June flights, but you can book it from July onwards, still with that ridiculous one hour connection. I can only assume that they are hoping Air Rarotonga by then will add in a later flight and they can switch the flights to those instead.
Every time I refreshed I got a different price. One minute it was $700. Then it was $900. Then it was $1000. Then it was $700 again.
This whole credit thing is great. I have another BP flight in October school holidays to the Cook Islands and a BP flight to Melbourne and can just cancel whichever one I don't want to take closer to the time, while getting to take advantage of low cost airfares now. That's three trips booked to Rarotonga, let's see if I make it a fourth by the end of the year, haha!
Air NZ was allowing me to book straight through to Aitutaki. They then removed it because you have a ridiculous, impossible 1 hour connection to make the flight. Not only that though but Air Rarotonga told me that currently you need to be on Rarotonga for 24 hours anyway, before flying onto a smaller island, although they are seeing if they can lift that restriction.
So Air NZ removed it for all of their June flights, but you can book it from July onwards, still with that ridiculous one hour connection. I can only assume that they are hoping Air Rarotonga by then will add in a later flight and they can switch the flights to those instead.
May 6, 2021, 9:21 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
Nice! I will have to see if my previous Melbourne booked flights are cheaper than when I initially bought them... even if it is hard to imagine, wanting to travel to Melbourne for a holiday right now, we'll see how vaccinations change things. I hope they change things!
Last edited by kiwifrequentflyer; May 7, 2021 at 12:00 am
May 7, 2021, 11:23 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ/SFO/AKL
Programs: NZ*G, back of the bus UA, corner of the MLL AC.
Posts: 373
Nice! I will have to see if my previous Melbourne booked flights are cheaper than when I initially bought them... even if it is hard to imagine, wanting to travel to Melbourne for a holiday right now, we'll see how vaccinations change things. I hope they change things!
Oh, and the incredible food + museums are still there, too.
May 7, 2021, 12:53 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: AKL
Programs: NZ*E, QR Plat
Posts: 366
https://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/pres...re-flexibility
Customers who book or currently hold tickets for international flights scheduled to depart up until 11.59 pm on 30 June 2021 will now be able to:
- Hold the value of their fare in credit for rebooking until 30 June 2022; or
- Amend the date of their flight with change fees waived (normal fare difference may still apply)
Is the earlier comment regarding being able to cancel and re book related to flights credits that were held with AirNZ?
Thanks
May 7, 2021, 1:06 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
When I booked, the travel had to be between now and December 31 to get that additional flexibility. I don't know, if that has changed. But we are not talking about buying fares with cash anyway, we are talking about how we can buy flexible fares with credit so the credit/cash rules might be different.
I have a flight booked to the USA for December that I am now 99.9% certain isn't happening that I booked with credit because I knew I had nothing to lose.
If Auckland goes into lockdown, I can still go home. Not with Melbourne, is what I mean.
I have a flight booked to the USA for December that I am now 99.9% certain isn't happening that I booked with credit because I knew I had nothing to lose.
If Auckland goes into lockdown, I can still go home. Not with Melbourne, is what I mean.
May 7, 2021, 2:40 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: NZ Koru
Posts: 6,415
There is no little restrictions in place in New Zealand right now, that any small outbreak e.g. Sydney is need to be treated with an pain reaction.
May 10, 2021, 10:20 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
Stuff and the Stuff comments section, once again bringing your daily doom & gloom by highlighting the most unlikely, corner case scenario:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/30...s-are-complete
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/30...s-are-complete
May 11, 2021, 1:39 am
#24
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: NZ*G ELT, VA-G
Posts: 3,598
Stuff and the Stuff comments section, once again bringing your daily doom & gloom by highlighting the most unlikely, corner case scenario:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/30...s-are-complete
https://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/30...s-are-complete
The other day even with the pause of SYD flights, I managed to return home from AKL on schedule as NZ didn't cancel all the outbound flights. Even if they did, I could still opt to go home via MEL or BNE. Those who caught up in SYD were only stranded for 3 days, not even in lockdown. The benefits of the travel bubble clearly outweigh the risks by a far distance.
Last edited by Xiaotung; May 11, 2021 at 1:44 am
May 11, 2021, 4:37 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
I mean, me and my family have very low risk tolerance thresholds, and even for us we are not concerned.
I think it is a legitimate concern that you may get stuck in the Cook Islands due to an outbreak back home. And so everyone has to be prepared for that. I am prepared for that and will deal with it if it happens. I can acknowledge that risk.
But the scenario raised in which covid actually reaches the Cook Islands due to a break at the border being missed, and then that person not showing symptoms for the 14 days you have to be in New Zealand before you take your flight? And the idea that someone coming home would want to go straight to the Cook Islands and not spend time in New Zealand? What? Come on.
If catching covid is the concern, you are far more likely to catch it in New Zealand than the Cook Islands.
I think it is a legitimate concern that you may get stuck in the Cook Islands due to an outbreak back home. And so everyone has to be prepared for that. I am prepared for that and will deal with it if it happens. I can acknowledge that risk.
But the scenario raised in which covid actually reaches the Cook Islands due to a break at the border being missed, and then that person not showing symptoms for the 14 days you have to be in New Zealand before you take your flight? And the idea that someone coming home would want to go straight to the Cook Islands and not spend time in New Zealand? What? Come on.
If catching covid is the concern, you are far more likely to catch it in New Zealand than the Cook Islands.