Airpoints Booking Class Earning Rates - 2009 edition
Aug 30, 2009, 2:20 pm
#1
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,423
Airpoints Booking Class Earning Rates - 2009 edition
An update to the old earning thread is long overdue.
Here is a link to official Air NZ airbucks earning chart, but sadly doesnt give all details of relevant booking classes. More info is found buried in the Air NZ airbucks t&c.
Airbucks are based on routing, distance and class. Only airbucks earned on Air NZ and *A count toward status. (See here for more details.) There is not a simple ratio between earning for disc economy, economy, business and first.
No points on award classes, and upgrades only earn airbucks on the paid class.
Earning on NZ flights is higher than on other flights on the same route. With the exception of Air NZ flights, earning rates for status (where applicable eg not codeshares on non-partner airlines) and airbucks are the same.
In many cases discounted business class is non-earning (usually class Z see below).
Air New Zealand
NZ earning chart
Non-earning: NR (travel industry), IX (awards), any fare paid with airbucks, awards using other FFPs, competition fares & infant fares (on domestic, Tasman & South Pacific routes).
Status points only*: on domestic, Tasman & South Pacific routes - LGSKP (smart saver & sale fares), F (grabaseat)
* these also count towards waiver of annual membership fee
Discount economy: LGSKPF (longhaul only), QVWT (flexi saver)
Economy: YBMH (fully flexi)
Premium Economy: UEOA
Business: CDJZ
Adria Airways
Non-earning: AEFIJLNOPRTUX
Air Canada
Non-earning: DFEGKNPTW
Air China
Non-earning: INORTX
ANA
Non-earning: EINOPQRUVX
Discount economy: includes domestic business class
Asiana Airways
Non-earning: GILNOPRTXZ
Austrian Airlines
Non-earning: AEFIKLNOPRTUXZ
Croatia Airlines
Non-earning: AEFGIJKLNOPRTUXZ
bmi
Non-earning: FINRTXZ, EGW (within Europe)
EgyptAir
Non-earning: VLEGSWTUOIXRN
LOT
Non-earning: AEFIJKLNOPRTUX
Lufthansa
Non-earning: EILNORTX
Mexicana
No status points are earned on any fares.
Non-earning: EFGIJNOPRTUXZ
Economy: includes D (discounted business class)
SAS and blue1
Non-earning: FGIKLNOPRTUWX, all domestic flights in Norway, some domestic flights in Sweden
Shanghai Airlines
Non-earning: GIKNOPQRVWXZ
Singapore Airlines
Non-earning: GINOQVTX
Discount economy: includes all mileage-eligible economy booking classes
South African Airways
Non-earning: AEFINOPRUX
Spanair
Non-earning: INPRX
Swiss
Non-earning: INOPX
TAP
Non-earning: NPX
Thai Airways
Non-earning: EILNORX, GVW (outside Thailand)
Turkish Airlines
Non-earning: IROXNPVUWG
United Airlines
Non-earning: GINOX
Economy: includes Z (discounted business)
US Airways
Non-earning: IX
Economy: includes OJ (discounted first & business)
Virgin Atlantic
No status points are earned on any fares. VS codeshares on Malaysia Airlines (VS 501-504, 522-523) do earn airpoints.
Non-earning: EFGIOPTU, all booking classes except N on LON-JNB/CPT/LOS/PHC/DEL
Economy: includes premium economy
Business: includes upper class
Current as at 31 August 2009. Updated to post #1.
Please advise any additions/corrections.
Here is a link to official Air NZ airbucks earning chart, but sadly doesnt give all details of relevant booking classes. More info is found buried in the Air NZ airbucks t&c.
Airbucks are based on routing, distance and class. Only airbucks earned on Air NZ and *A count toward status. (See here for more details.) There is not a simple ratio between earning for disc economy, economy, business and first.
No points on award classes, and upgrades only earn airbucks on the paid class.
Earning on NZ flights is higher than on other flights on the same route. With the exception of Air NZ flights, earning rates for status (where applicable eg not codeshares on non-partner airlines) and airbucks are the same.
In many cases discounted business class is non-earning (usually class Z see below).
Air New Zealand
NZ earning chart
Non-earning: NR (travel industry), IX (awards), any fare paid with airbucks, awards using other FFPs, competition fares & infant fares (on domestic, Tasman & South Pacific routes).
Status points only*: on domestic, Tasman & South Pacific routes - LGSKP (smart saver & sale fares), F (grabaseat)
* these also count towards waiver of annual membership fee
Discount economy: LGSKPF (longhaul only), QVWT (flexi saver)
Economy: YBMH (fully flexi)
Premium Economy: UEOA
Business: CDJZ
Adria Airways
Non-earning: AEFIJLNOPRTUX
Air Canada
Non-earning: DFEGKNPTW
Air China
Non-earning: INORTX
ANA
Non-earning: EINOPQRUVX
Discount economy: includes domestic business class
Asiana Airways
Non-earning: GILNOPRTXZ
Austrian Airlines
Non-earning: AEFIKLNOPRTUXZ
Croatia Airlines
Non-earning: AEFGIJKLNOPRTUXZ
bmi
Non-earning: FINRTXZ, EGW (within Europe)
EgyptAir
Non-earning: VLEGSWTUOIXRN
LOT
Non-earning: AEFIJKLNOPRTUX
Lufthansa
Non-earning: EILNORTX
Mexicana
No status points are earned on any fares.
Non-earning: EFGIJNOPRTUXZ
Economy: includes D (discounted business class)
SAS and blue1
Non-earning: FGIKLNOPRTUWX, all domestic flights in Norway, some domestic flights in Sweden
Shanghai Airlines
Non-earning: GIKNOPQRVWXZ
Singapore Airlines
Non-earning: GINOQVTX
Discount economy: includes all mileage-eligible economy booking classes
South African Airways
Non-earning: AEFINOPRUX
Spanair
Non-earning: INPRX
Swiss
Non-earning: INOPX
TAP
Non-earning: NPX
Thai Airways
Non-earning: EILNORX, GVW (outside Thailand)
Turkish Airlines
Non-earning: IROXNPVUWG
United Airlines
Non-earning: GINOX
Economy: includes Z (discounted business)
US Airways
Non-earning: IX
Economy: includes OJ (discounted first & business)
Virgin Atlantic
No status points are earned on any fares. VS codeshares on Malaysia Airlines (VS 501-504, 522-523) do earn airpoints.
Non-earning: EFGIOPTU, all booking classes except N on LON-JNB/CPT/LOS/PHC/DEL
Economy: includes premium economy
Business: includes upper class
Current as at 31 August 2009. Updated to post #1.
Please advise any additions/corrections.
zzz
Aug 30, 2009, 8:16 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: NZ*G, MAR Titanium, HLT Diamond
Posts: 3,632
I wish NZ could make discount economy and full economy on partner airlines more transparent. I have had an M class on Air China a few months ago that earned full economy rates. And a B class ANA Japan domestic flight that earned full economy. I fail to understand why J classes only earn discount economy within Japan.
Oct 8, 2009, 6:39 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,362
Fare class "A" on UA domestic?
Great thread Kiwi Flyer
For once I've managed to trick our online travel system at work to book me on a fare that books into domestic first class LAS-LGA on UA. The fare basis is "A", ie discounted First. Does anyone know how that credits to Airpoints? I see it's not one of the non-earning classes, but does it credit as First, business, or even one of the economy levels?
thanks!
For once I've managed to trick our online travel system at work to book me on a fare that books into domestic first class LAS-LGA on UA. The fare basis is "A", ie discounted First. Does anyone know how that credits to Airpoints? I see it's not one of the non-earning classes, but does it credit as First, business, or even one of the economy levels?
thanks!
Oct 8, 2009, 7:38 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LCY
Posts: 1,222
Oct 8, 2009, 11:48 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,362
It's confirmed into First Class so 90 Airbucks for me, hurrah! Thanks, guys 
Thinking about this some more, given that it's a flight with a single number but a transfer and plane change in ORD, could I theoretically use my NZ Airpoints card for the first flight, then at the gate in ORD get them to enter my AC Aeroplan card? Wouldn't that earn me 90 Airbucks for LAS-ORD (which is over 2,000km) plus the 733 miles + COS bonus on Aeroplan?
Has anybody had any experience of doing something similar?
Thinking about this some more, given that it's a flight with a single number but a transfer and plane change in ORD, could I theoretically use my NZ Airpoints card for the first flight, then at the gate in ORD get them to enter my AC Aeroplan card? Wouldn't that earn me 90 Airbucks for LAS-ORD (which is over 2,000km) plus the 733 miles + COS bonus on Aeroplan?
Has anybody had any experience of doing something similar?
Oct 8, 2009, 3:28 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SYD
Programs: Too many golds, no plat: OZ*G, AC*G, NZ*G, VA Gold, QF Gold, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,362
Interesting. It shows up on my itinerary from our booking system as two separate sectors, but on the UA 'My itineraries' page it shows as one flight with a change of aircraft, so presumably it is not booked as separate sectors.
So what do you think would happen if I tried to enter my AC number at ORD having had my NZ number in the booking from Vegas? Would the agent say no, or might I run the risk of deleting my Airpoints credit and getting Aeroplan credit for the whole flight instead?
So what do you think would happen if I tried to enter my AC number at ORD having had my NZ number in the booking from Vegas? Would the agent say no, or might I run the risk of deleting my Airpoints credit and getting Aeroplan credit for the whole flight instead?
Oct 9, 2009, 7:29 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Stanmore, Sydney, Australia.
Programs: NZ Airpoints GE
Posts: 1,360
KiwiFlyer
I owe you a huge thank you - you saved my a**e big time.I booked a J Class SYD ICN LAX VV on OZ in P class for Xmas, totally unaware i would not accrue either AP or Status Points which I need to retain G. I managed to cancel my OZ flights with a cancellation fee - which was partly off set by not having to book a hotel in ICN. I then booked SYD AKL LAX on NZs website for exactly the same fare albiet with only very minor date changes. Plus, it's a much shorter flight.
Thanks once again.
This is why we all love FT.
Cheers
I owe you a huge thank you - you saved my a**e big time.I booked a J Class SYD ICN LAX VV on OZ in P class for Xmas, totally unaware i would not accrue either AP or Status Points which I need to retain G. I managed to cancel my OZ flights with a cancellation fee - which was partly off set by not having to book a hotel in ICN. I then booked SYD AKL LAX on NZs website for exactly the same fare albiet with only very minor date changes. Plus, it's a much shorter flight.
Thanks once again.
This is why we all love FT.
Cheers