bce1

I’ve been trying to book two flights in business for next year to London.
I cannot get below $15k on any of them except a single option on SQ at $12. For the same dates
SQ booked direct has multiple flights around $11-12. Emirates has business at $10 and F at $14500.

I appreciate it is supply and demand but it seems crazy I can get **much closer to** pre-COVID pricing on SQ and Emirates but it’s $4-8k more expensive on NZ?

Any predictions on if this is the sad reality going forward with NZ?

WLGNZ

In February, from an EU point of sale, I am flying return to New Zealand for NZ$6,500 all in.
LH / Air Canada / Air NZ (NZ27) on the way down.
Air NZ (NZ28) / United on the way back
Ticketed on LH stock.
You may see more interesting prices if you can land into the EU rather than LHR.

Safe travels
WLGNZ

samjnz

Meanwhile I got an email from AirNZ promoting a "sale" on flights from LAX-AKL for US$8000... 😞

Thai-Kiwi

I am subscribed to AirNZ in Singapore. Recent sale ex-SIN was $2400 return in PE and around $4500 in biz. Later this week sees ex-NZ fares to SIN around $8-9k return in biz.

Kiwi Flyer

SQ & EK aren't yet back to pre-covid pricing.

Supply and demand. Until the Chinese airlines return there isn't enough supply or competitive forces to get reasonable fares.

CHCflyer

My travel agent offered me an interline ticket which combined NZ and AY via LAX to HEL for $11,000 in October. I grabbed it as it was cheap at the time. Getting to Europe cheaply used to be via Asia but I was surprised to be offered a trans-Pac routing.
I generally look for the cheapest port in Europe as the fares to LHR/AMS/CPH, for example, vary immensely. Sometimes it is cheaper to go to MAN or DUB than LHR,

NZJuniorDoc

At the end of the day we are still getting price gouged to our eyeballs ex-NZ due to supply & demand imbalance. Every kiwi wants to trav but flights are no where near back fo pre covid levels. While there are published fares for 6-8k (OZ/AY/LH stock), finding discount business availability is a different beast in itself.

Pre covid to LHR via Asia you hadSQ/NZ via SIN - at least 14x per weekCX/NZ via HKG - at least 14x per weekNZ/NH via NRT - at least 7x per weekEK via dxb - at least 7x per weekQR via DOH - at least 7x per weekThen you had CZ via Guangzhou and a few other asian carriers including TG via BKK

Right now the only routes back at previous capacity really are SIN and DXB. HKG is 3-4x weekly instead of 14x. Via the US is near impossible to get availability in discount business.

I think once CX ramps up a little more and CZ possibly come back there will be a bit more downward pressure. I mean if you can find it, I class CX to LHR is about 8k, just need to look a few months in advance and transit through HKG.

Probably best deals if you insist on flying some NZ is either AY (via NRT/SIN/HKG/ICN or NA ports with a greater charge) or LH group stock via the same ports
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CHCflyer

Just trawled through the Air NZ partner airline award search engine and it is showing no availability for any class to anywhere in Europe for September on any routing.

Thai-Kiwi

Yep. Such is our life….

ClanJ

Yes interesting times but thinking outside the square can reap some good pricing. Have booked AIRNZ AKL/ICN a few days stopover then LOT ICN/BUD early Aug then back on Singapore Air IST/SIN few days SIN then SIN/AKL early Nov. All flights are PE and has worked out at $5500 all up per person for me and the other half. On another note as we are going for RWC have managed to book a place near Perpignan for all Sep/Oct $1400 NZD all up. So have just looked at the LOT site stil have good pricing for example out 9 Aug ICN/BUD 1152 USD then back 30 Aug 822 USD both ways in BIZ so around 2000 USD for the round trip so LOT could be worth a look?

gambda

I have booked travel on LH stock AKL-NRT-FRA-FCO for just over $6K with AKL-NRT in PE and ICN - AKL in BP (all the other flights in LH PE or Business). Since it is a daytime flight over to NRT in NZ I'm ok with that. The SP earn is around 500

Thai-Kiwi

A good SP earn. My current PE trip WLG-AKL-SIN(NZ)-BKK(SQ) cost $3200 and earns 338 SP. The add-on WLG-AKL earns 30 SP each way. NZ stock ticket.

NZJuniorDoc

Ultimately the key in the current climate to book NZ flights is not to use NZ stock. It seems that LH group and AY have much better deals with NZ flights than NZ actually does....

everywhere

In my experience, that has been the case for well over a decade. It would be interesting to understand how the pro rate works: is it split by distance? Said another way, who is taking the discounting hit on these tickets?

libertyuk

I've taken to buying returns from EU to Aus/NZ in business well in advance, and then another one back afterwards. Got A$4500 return OSL-SYD in C. a few months ago for December and returning in June. Hard to get though, you need to be flexible with dates and cities in Europe to leave from, but can get them on *A and OW carriers after some determined effort