Since we don't have Air NZ Airpoints now, nor are we ever likely to, any discussion of them is really moot for us. But we will definitely be flying AUS-NZ and NZ-AUS on ANZ metal, the only question being whether we do it with UA or ANA miles, both of which we do have in sufficient quantity.

ANA has availability for our dates, UA doesn't, so we will be ticketing through ANA, the current plan being to go SYD-CHC-ZQN outbound, CHC-AKL-CNS return. The ANA rep told me we needed to ante up 30K for this itinerary, not the 20K we were first told. He explained it was because we were going on connecting flights rather than non-stop ones (i.e., SYD-CHC of with 20K, but SYD-CHC-ZQN would take require 30K). Now I wonder if that rep had the right answer (30K), but for the wrong reason (really about "stopovers" or "open jaws" rather than "connections" vs "non-stop" flights. UA can't get us the seats on dates that work for us, but if they could it would be 30K with them too because the rules only permit one stopover or open jaws and our itinerary would be in effect two open jaws as they see it (starting SYD, ending CNS = first, arriving ZQN and departing CHC = second). So, if I understand, SYD-CHC (not on to ZQN) and CHC-(AKL)-CNS would only be 1 open jaws and cost us 20K.

Will call ANA again tomorrow to see if that last alteration would mean 20K rather than 30K with them too. (If the ANA rep, who said it was all about ANZ rules, is right that it is about "connections," then the alteration should not matter, it should still be 30K with them.) OK, we will see if UA and ANA have different rules for an itinerary all on ANZ or it was a misunderstanding between us about what the relevant rules as far as an itinerary are for 20K vs 30K award.

Thanks for your responses. Without them, without them I wouldn't have thought to investigate this further, calling UA as I did and comparing their answer to the ANA one. I assumed a *A award was a *A award no matter the FFP it came from (and maybe it is).

[Not going to ask about an Air Pass, since I was told those are only available when one is arriving to NZ on a paid ticket. I guess swimmers and sailors are out of luck for this, along with those traveling on award tickets.]

OK, I have my answer, and there is a big difference between going through UA vs through ANA to get an award ticket to fly ANZ AUS-NZ RT:

With an ANZ award through UA, one can fly from AUS to and/or from any NZ city, including those that require a cnx to reach (e.g., SYD-CHC-ZQN), the limit being only one stopover or open jaws is permitted. This will cost 20K miles.

With an ANZ award through ANA, one can fly from AUS to and from any NZ city not requiring a cnx for 20K miles. If one wants to fly to and/or from an ANZ city requiring a cnx (international flight between AUS and NZ along with domestic flight within NZ), then the award will cost 30K. Apparently, one or two open jaws (arrive A-B, return C-D) don't matter, it is domestic segments in addition to the international ones that take it from 20K to 30K.

I think this is a very substantial difference (20K vs 30K) for the same itinerary. But ANA has the inventory, UA doesn't, so no choice other than to pass on award tickets and pay for the travel. Travel worth > 2 cpm, not great return on the miles, but will pull down the awards with ANA.