Long story short, have had a request for parental status hold approved (courtesy of buy 1 get 1 free on child #2 meaning a lot less flying around for work for at least the next 6-12 months ... just you wait until they are big enough and we will be "that family" in the lounge).

I have elite status, which was due to end on 31/10/2025. In my app, it says my status hold ends on 31/10/2026 and then I start a new elite year. The status point checker - the circles in the app - has actually disappeared from my app.

What I don't understand (and the website wording isn't clear) is the following:

• On 31/10/2026 do I start a new elite year and then have until 31/10/2027 to requalify? That seems to be what is implied. Or do I need to earn enough SP to requalify before 31/10/2026 (with the hold just basically giving me an extra 12 months to requalify)
• If I earn any SP before 31/10/2026 (e.g. have a couple of trips in the next month) do they just get lost or do they count towards anything?

I'm not complaining at all about the status hold system. If I basically get to use most of the elite benefits over the next 12 months (while on hold) and then get another year to requalify that seems pretty darn generous to me and the whole process was extremely easy to step through.

First, had you already met the re-qualification for your next member year 01 Nov 2025 to 31 Oct 2026? If not, then what you have described seems generous.

I'd have thought a Status Hold meant 'freezing' everything (including benefits) until the 'hold' period ends. Maybe I am just a grinch .....

No, I hadn't hit my re-qualification and wasn't going to this time around due to hardly having flown since finding out about the twins (various complications, moving house to fit the whole clan in, etc).

As far as I can tell, with the Status Hold I can use all of the normal elite benefits - the only thing is I don't get a new allocation of upgrade vouchers (but that's no biggie as I'm only going to be flying domestically or TT on the small planes over next 12 months).

I just can't work out if basically I now have 12 months of extra elite (less upgrade vouchers) that will end 31/10/2026 OR if I have that 12 months and then another 12 months of regular elite thereafter. The following text implies it is the latter. The emphasis is mine. Here's how Status Hold - Parental works.

We simply move your end of tier date to the last day of the month, 12 months after the day we approve your application. So for example, if we approve it on 10 August, your membership will be on Status Hold until 31 August next year.

At the end of this Status Hold period, your Tier Status resumes as normal. You start a new Tier Status year and receive all of your refreshed Elite or Gold benefits for another 12 months. During this 12 month period you will need to earn enough Status Points to retain your Tier Status by your next end of tier date.
The thing is I can't even see how many SPs I've got now - the view of this has vanished completely from my app replaced by a message about status hold.

I must admit that it does seem very generous if my interpretation is correct (free 12 month "hold" with only some minor exclusions, and then another 12 months of regular elite in which to requalify as per usual). Not going to complain of course.

Frankly seems bizarre that a Status Hold would be anything other than freeze everything at the decided date (no benefits), and 12 month later come back to life. When frozen you should have no benefits at all, and on un-freezing then you'd have a few weeks to either requalify Elite or accept the soft landing to Gold.

Why on earth would you have 1 or 2 years of additional Elite when you won't even make Elite by 30 Oct 2025? Makes utterly no sense to me. Hate to be a grinch, but isn't just either a freeze and no status, or carry on as usual.....??

Yeah it's a bit crazy in some respects - especially since it seems one year of qualified-for elite has effectively turned into three (less one "set" of RU vouchers). TBH some of that is because I've inadvertently gamed the system by waiting until very late in the piece to apply - had I applied back in Jan (when we got the life-changing news!) in theory the hold would have been from Jan 31st.

When first applying I thought it was like you were describing (no benefits, but no worrying about requal for 12 months).

Let us know in November 2025 whether you are frozen and have no access to the lounge or seat selection.

To me always seemed a rather odd policy. Members may also have a period of travelling less due to ill health, having to care for sick or elderly relatives, bereavement, losing their job etc - I could never understand why Air NZ felt that special treatment should be given to just one group who at the end of the day will hopefully be happy they are parents and not precluded from travel due to a negative or stressful situation. Perhaps it would have been a better policy to offer a one time hold year to all *G members for any reasonable cause.

Will do. I might be that guy hanging outside hoping somebody takes pity and brings him in as a guest.

Jumped on live chat and decided to see how quickly I'd get served (very quickly, in this case).

Here's what the agent said, which is a much "neater" explanation than what is in the official documentation:

Thanks for your question about your Parental Status Hold. Here's a quick summary to help you with your concern 💖

• Do I keep my Elite benefits until 31/10/2026?
  Yes, you’ll continue to enjoy all Elite benefits during the hold, including lounge access, extra carry-on (2 bags, up to 14kg total), and other perks. Just note that no new Recognition Upgrades are issued, but you can still use any you already have.
  
• What happens after the hold ends?
  Your normal 12-month Elite membership will begin on 1 November 2026. You’ll need to earn 1,350 Status Points (810 from Air NZ flights) in that year to keep Elite status.
  
• Do Status Points earned during the hold count?
  No, any points earned during the hold won’t count toward requalifying. Only points earned from 1 November 2026 will count 😊

They then went on to clarify that:

once your Parental Status Hold ends on 31 October 2026, your Elite membership will resume from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027. During this 12-month period, you'll need to earn 1,350 Status Points (including 810 on Air New Zealand-operated flights) to keep your Elite status for the following year.

You keep all Elite benefits during the hold, except:

• No new Recognition Upgrades
• Status Points earned during the hold don’t count toward requalification

From 1 November 2026, your regular Elite year beginss 😊 Also, status Points will start counting from that date onward 💖

So I must admit it seems a very generous system. Basically you get a year of additional elite status for whatever flying you might do during the status hold (with all perks except for no new RU vouchers) and then another full year thereafter to requalify.

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Madness from AirNZ. If I were a Shareholder I'd be very grumpy indeed. But well done you.....

Were you asked to 'prove' children were coming into one's life?
I feel I am owed this from when I was a new Dad. My employer did give me 2 days off work when first son was born, which seemed a bit stingy back then.....

I just had to upload the birth certificates (x2) and then attach any accompanying notes - mine being explaining that I had basically forgotten to apply so could they kindly do it before my normal elite tier expiration date at end of this month, and that was that.

I must admit that I'm pretty stoked about this, as effectively have the next 12 months to use elite benefits on the occasion I need them with no need to concern myself whatsoever with requalification until the following year. But I can also see how people would be a bit miffed about what is basically 2x free elite years being given to somebody who is basically no longer a frequent flyer for the foreseeable future (then again, I have to now drive a people mover to haul my kids around in ... so I feel this is the universe giving me fair compensation).

Yep what you have said is correct, it's essentially a free year (or 2 if the timing is aligned) of your current status. A work colleague was in a similar situation of using the hold and as I read it, we calculated the best outcome for her to apply for hold start date to maximise this scheme and essentially when coming off hold you have a free year of your existing status.

Looks like your dates line up nicely where your elite was coming to an end anyway and you've just got maximum benefit of a few more years elite without having to do the hard yards, well atleast not the earning hard yards but with twins I'm sure you'll be doing the real hard yards.

Best of luck

I�m in the same boat, will be applying for parental status hold in the next 12 months. Does anyone know if status points rollover from the current year carries through to the �refreshed� status year following the hold period?

No idea sorry. I didn't ask that question (although do have rollovers myself). Figured getting basically 2 years Elite status for free was good enough to be honest.

Can confirm it�s basically a free year without being issued a fresh round of recognition upgrades and valet vouchers. Unused recognition upgrades can be used until original expiry (and valet). Ive done it twice now (3 years apart) and for all intents and purposes, you will not know the difference vs. being non-parental elite when booking/seat selection/on board. Boarding pass still shows *G on partner flights and lounge access unchanged. Might have been a glitch in the matrix but my elite partner also got extended to match status hold.

All earnt status points whilst on hold still count up and if you hit enough to requalify Elite, the hold automatically ends. Anything below that just gets wiped at the end of the 12m hold and you start fresh with 0 (but a full year at Elite). All airpoints dollars earnt while on hold still accrue the normal way and are kept after the hold.

It�s exactly what it says it is on the tin and a bloody good benefit for anyone that is eligible!