Cheap flights to New Zealand (+ flight hacks)
The cheapest flight deals, discounted airfares, and travel hacks
Update on international flights to New Zealand
International commercial flights to New Zealand are available, but are limited as the country’s borders are closed to almost all travelers.
Transit through New Zealand
Transiting through New Zealand is allowed but you may need a transit visa or an NZeTA. Travelers can only transit through Auckland International Airport (AKL), where they can remain in transit for up to 24 hours.
40%–80% off airfares to/from New Zealand
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Best time to fly to New Zealand?
Here are the cheapest months/days to book flights
The best time to fly cheaply to New Zealand tends to be during the low season – June to October. These months are considered the winter season in New Zealand, with shorter daylight hours and much lower temperatures than during the summer months of December, January, and February. The off-peak tourist season sees fewer visitors, and because prices are dictated by supply and demand, typically you can find some great deals on airline tickets, accommodation, rental vehicles, and activities. To travel in peace, try to avoid school holidays – the two-week periods at the end of July and October.
Timing is everything
Bear in mind that plane tickets usually don’t get cheaper closer to the departure date. Even these reasonably priced flights in the low season sell out quite far ahead of the date of travel – it pays to book your ticket well in advance. The best time to buy can vary among airlines but the golden time for domestic flights usually falls between 3 weeks and 8 weeks before the departure. For international flights, give yourself even more time: start checking ticket prices at least 2-6 months beforehand.
There is one main rule airlines’ price algorithm use: the fewer seats an airline has left on a flight, the more expensive those available seats will be. Knowing how the flight ticket pricing work, will give you an advantage when booking the next flight. Watch this video to learn about the science behind the airline pricing strategies:
Reveal the lowest airfare for any route
The flight price calendar below is a good starting point if you want to find the cheapest possible airfare for your route. The prices are updated almost in real time. We’ve only listed three popular routes as examples – feel free to change them.
Use the settings icon to change the departing airport and the destination.
Click the selected month to see the exact date of the deal and to book the flight.
Airlines of New Zealand
Promo Radar™All airlines, all promotions, one place
Before booking a flight, check if any of these promotions applies to you:
- Watch for a good sale. Most airlines publish their web promotions frequently. To get a great bargain be sure to watch the airline sales over the course of several weeks.
- Avoid New Zealand public holidays. Prices skyrocket during holidays in New Zealand – adjust your travel dates to avoid expensive tickets. Cheap flights to NZ are non-existent during popular “red days” such as Waitangi Day (8 February), Anzac Day (26 April), Easer, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
- Fly in the low season. Flying to New Zealand during the low season (April and May) is one easy way to save money on flights. With significantly fewer visitors, everything (including air tickets) is cheaper.
- Fly domestic between larger airports. Domestic flights in New Zealand are cheap and fast; they are also a great way to take in the diverse landscapes. The cheapest to fly to and from are the four largest airports: Auckland (AKL), Christchurch (CHC), Queenstown (ZQN), and Wellington (WGT). Other airports are much smaller and therefore more expensive to use – to save money, choose a flight to a larger airport first, then use one of the coach companies to get to the smaller destination.
- Find the best economy seats. Contrary to the popular view, not all economy seats on a plane are created equal. Some seats have slight advantages over others. It all depends on the aircraft, so we recommend visiting the SeatGuru website, where after entering your flight number you will be presented with a detailed seat map. Hover over individual seats to compare quality, and check out other travelers’ reviews.
- The 80-hour rule for Qantas seat selection. Qantas restricts access to sought-after seats to elite frequent flyers, so you may not see those seats as available during the booking process. But these restrictions are lifted 80 hours before a flight. So, if you want to snap up your favorite seat, log in to Qantas Manage Booking 80 hours before departure, check for previously unavailable seats, and change your seat selection.
- Get an extra checked bag for an infant. Traveling with family? When it comes to infant luggage allowances, Virgin Australia has the most generous policy – a 23kg checked bag and two infant items are allowed.
- Join Air Traveler Club. A proven way to get great prices on flights to New Zealand is to become a member of Air Traveler Club. It is free to join, and deals that the members get every week are priced at least 40% below the average airfare for a given route. Some of these 'hacker fares' can save you up to 80% (!) on your next flight.
- DM instead of the call center. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service. If the problem arises, social media is usually a faster way to contact a real human that can answer your questions. Don't count too much on airline call centers, they are usually super busy (check these tips on reducing times on hold when calling Air New Zealand).
- Use SMS service for Qantas CS. Qantas recently introduced a convenient SMS service as a part of its Customer Support. It appears that SMS-es get replied much quicker than calls, live chat messages, e-mails, or even social media DMs. To text Qantas via SMS, use 0477 QANTAS or 0477 726 827. The SMS service is available to customers within Australia only.
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( votes)Cheap flights to New Zealand
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