New Year's sale this year?
Jan 3, 2023, 7:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
New Year's sale this year?
When does Air NZ typically do their yearly sale? With the post covid travel boom I am unsure if they will run one this year. Would it have already happened if they would run one, or would it still be to come?
Jan 3, 2023, 10:42 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Sun Peaks, Taupo.
Programs: NZ Elite, AC SE100K, Westjet Teal, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 6,127
Jan 3, 2023, 11:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SEA
Programs: NZ Elite (*G)
Posts: 657
It just started and ends the 12th, at least for North Americans.
Jan 4, 2023, 5:53 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: WLG/BKK
Programs: TG*G, NZ*GE, QF G, Accor Gold
Posts: 10,190
Singapore has some decent fares ex-SIN https://www.airnewzealand.com.sg/fli...from-singapore
Last edited by Thai-Kiwi; Jan 4, 2023 at 6:43 am
Jan 8, 2023, 12:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2022
Location: YWS / ZQN
Posts: 31
The North American sale (ongoing until Jan 12) sees advertised full ticket prices YVR-AKL (in CAD) of around 1800 for Y, 4k for PE and 7k for BP. Similar pricing in USD out of LAX and SFO. About 30% off IMO.
On the home front here in Whistler we've been seeing the higher end continue to be extremely strong but a bit of softening in the lower end. There is a huge amount of leisure travel money still sloshing around North America especially in the baby boomer demographic and with the current world geopolitical situation it's money that is looking for a perceived "safe" destination. NZ is definitely on that shortlist as are adventure destinations here in BC. These guys are happy to pay full whack for tickets and accom which in turn makes any reward travel more challenging. The lower Y and package deal end of the market is more affected by the mortgage rate increase (from 2% to 6.5% in Canada last few months) and are cutting back a bit on leisure travel. Anecdotally as well am hearing Gen Z and millennials aren't traveling so much and staying closer to home than the 2010's - and we aren't seeing this demographic coming into Whistler as much for employment, with associated staffing challenges. I understand it's similar in Queenstown.
So I'd be surprised if AirNZ needs to drop pricing much for 2023 for PE and J. May see some ad hoc sales for Y to increase loading here and there in the shoulder seasons, but I wouldn't rely on it.
On the home front here in Whistler we've been seeing the higher end continue to be extremely strong but a bit of softening in the lower end. There is a huge amount of leisure travel money still sloshing around North America especially in the baby boomer demographic and with the current world geopolitical situation it's money that is looking for a perceived "safe" destination. NZ is definitely on that shortlist as are adventure destinations here in BC. These guys are happy to pay full whack for tickets and accom which in turn makes any reward travel more challenging. The lower Y and package deal end of the market is more affected by the mortgage rate increase (from 2% to 6.5% in Canada last few months) and are cutting back a bit on leisure travel. Anecdotally as well am hearing Gen Z and millennials aren't traveling so much and staying closer to home than the 2010's - and we aren't seeing this demographic coming into Whistler as much for employment, with associated staffing challenges. I understand it's similar in Queenstown.
So I'd be surprised if AirNZ needs to drop pricing much for 2023 for PE and J. May see some ad hoc sales for Y to increase loading here and there in the shoulder seasons, but I wouldn't rely on it.
Jan 8, 2023, 12:17 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
Yeah it's a disappointing sale. The on sale prices for PE are nice but the dates are incredibly limited and not within my range. The economy seat time range is much more generous.
Last edited by kiwifrequentflyer; Jan 8, 2023 at 2:34 pm
Jan 8, 2023, 1:35 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Sun Peaks, Taupo.
Programs: NZ Elite, AC SE100K, Westjet Teal, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Nexus, Global Entry
Posts: 6,127
On the home front here in Whistler we've been seeing the higher end continue to be extremely strong but a bit of softening in the lower end. There is a huge amount of leisure travel money still sloshing around North America especially in the baby boomer demographic and with the current world geopolitical situation it's money that is looking for a perceived "safe" destination. NZ is definitely on that shortlist as are adventure destinations here in BC. These guys are happy to pay full whack for tickets and accom which in turn makes any reward travel more challenging. The lower Y and package deal end of the market is more affected by the mortgage rate increase (from 2% to 6.5% in Canada last few months) and are cutting back a bit on leisure travel. Anecdotally as well am hearing Gen Z and millennials aren't traveling so much and staying closer to home than the 2010's - and we aren't seeing this demographic coming into Whistler as much for employment, with associated staffing challenges. I understand it's similar in Queenstown.
So I'd be surprised if AirNZ needs to drop pricing much for 2023 for PE and J. May see some ad hoc sales for Y to increase loading here and there in the shoulder seasons, but I wouldn't rely on it.
The effect of rapidly rising rates is only just beginning to take hold. The best or worst, depends on perspective, is yet to come.
The heavily in debited crowd will not be travelling. This is a significant portion of the overall economy and the Y travellers.
Those that are able to travel, want to be comfortable and not very price sensitive
To that point, I’m seeing many more families travelling in J, or parents J and kids PE.
I don’t like my kids as much so I tend to be J and they are Y and playing UG lottery.
Jan 8, 2023, 1:37 pm
#14
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,112
I agree. I've heard anecdotally that forward booking for premium cabins are still very strong so it makes no real sense to discount at this point.
Jan 8, 2023, 2:03 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: New Zealand (when I'm home!)
Programs: Air NZ Elite
Posts: 1,218
It's slightly surprising to me the lack of flexibility in the premium cabins because while forward bookings might be strong, they certainly aren't for my dates. The premium cabins are almost entirely empty for the dates I'm looking to fly and they are off-season too. It's still 9-10 months away, and things could change absolutely and their booking algorithm must expect that it will. But last year, the forward bookings 9-10 months out were a lot stronger when the border opened it's gates, so I think that at least some cooling has occurred on the market, even if it's a small amount.
It's absolutely anecdotal but for me, my travel appetite for business trips has cooled. I am only traveling this year for family travel. With BP flights $5,000-$7,000 each to the USA which is the main hub for conferences in my industry, I'm not excited about spending a lot of money to go over for short business trips to a country I have visited many, many times already. When the flights could be picked up on sale for $3,000-$3,500 each, I was far more likely to be swayed to take a trip that I didn't "need" to take.
It's absolutely anecdotal but for me, my travel appetite for business trips has cooled. I am only traveling this year for family travel. With BP flights $5,000-$7,000 each to the USA which is the main hub for conferences in my industry, I'm not excited about spending a lot of money to go over for short business trips to a country I have visited many, many times already. When the flights could be picked up on sale for $3,000-$3,500 each, I was far more likely to be swayed to take a trip that I didn't "need" to take.