How common is the knowledge that you can build extended stopover transits into itineraries?

As you say, it doesn't always work. But last December we went AKL-SIN. Then flew Air Asia (no comment) from KUL to Indonesia as it afforded us a trip through Peninsula Malaysia and no need to fully backtrack to SIN.

With the knowledge you've imparted upon me through today's discussions, Air NZ's multi-city engine suggests that I could have instead booked AKL-SIN-long stopover-CGK and essentially got a "free" flight SIN-CGK. Full service airline no less. This seems totally nuts.

The only reason I'm not completely kicking myself is that the opportunity cost would have been having to backtrack to SIN from the top of Malaysia where we ended up.

Very common for frequent flyers who understand this stuff.

It's a bit like buying RTW fares and using them over the course of a year for trips.. Or buying flights from Australia to the US (or UK when NZ flew there) when you're NZ based.

In 2018/2019 when it was very common for Air NZ to advertise sales in Australia with PE and BP sales to the US and UK that were often thousands cheaper than booking from NZ I mentioned this to a friend who then started booking several trips this way.

He'd book a R/T SYD-LAX and then book a one way positioning ticket to SYD. The result was frequent trips to Aussie that were actually free and saving him money vs buying AKL-LAX fares.

ie Jan - > Fly AKL-SYD-AKL for the weekend

Feb -> Fly AKL-LAX-AKL for a planned work trip

Mar -> Fly AKL-SYD-AKL for the weekend with the flight from SYD-AKL being the first sector of his next US trip a couple of months later.


He also flew to LHR and threw away the last sector back to SYD

This is when using a travel agent can be very helpful for the general public as they should know the rules with what cities are permitted stopovers, how long stopovers can be etc.

I was helping a friend who's travelling to HAN, and onwards to BOM book an open jaw on multi-city.

He initially wanted to book WLG-AKL-SIN-HAN, (then HAN-SGN on a separate VN ticket), then SGN-BOM, and finally BOM-SIN-AKL-WLG

I told him this was not possible as HAN/SGN are not permitted stopover points on NZ, and the most "legal" and costs effective way was to book an open jaw WLG-AKL-SIN-HAN and BOM-SIN-AKL-WLG, with a separate SGN-BOM ticket.

Easier for us to understand who have been there, done that plenty of times, but a harder concept to grasp for the once every 3 years family holiday traveller.

Sorry quick side question to avoid starting a fully brand new thread for 1 question - are these transit stopovers available on any Air NZ domestic legs *at all*?

Pretty sure you can with the multi stop thing. I have only used it to position to AKL the night before a NRT or SIN when didn't want to deal with NZ402, when the timings were such there was only really only the one flight that would make it without running gate to gate.

Thanks - to clarify, your situation is domestic connection to international (useful, thanks).

How about DUD-CHC-stopover-HKK for example?

If Domestic - DOmestic what is the point? As domestic are all one ways. A one way vs a return isn't cheaper.

Yes but just wondering if (for example) a "free" stop over in Christchurch would be possible at same cost of DUD-HKK

No. A one-way DUD-HKK (via CHC) will very likely book the same fare class for both sectors (married fare), whereas multi-city will book the lowest fare class for each sector. Have a play around.

I have looked at MixandMatch.co.nz as they will quite often offer long connections that the NZ booking engine doesn’t.

Hmmm I know there are no crystal balls but what are the chances of any Air NZ or Qantas trans-Tasman sales in the near future?

Wasn't there an Aussie sale last week?

Though outside New Year and Black Friday. They are pretty ad hoc and small date ranges hitting gaps in their load.

You just missed one last week that ended on the 18th Midnight.

pretty sure QF is running Double-status promotion right now (meaning their sale would've also just ended), so not quite a sale but if you're keeping status there would be worth a punt

https://www.grabaseat.co.nz/?region=...nqC79D6ASRJc1Q

Maybe not helpful being GAS - but some deals here anyhow...

there�s actually a concurrent business sale (at least ex-NZ) at same time as DSC this year�so jump in on that