

New Zealand’s borders are fully open
New Zealand is open to vaccinated visitors from anywhere in the world. Unvaccinated travelers are not allowed to enter the country unless they are New Zealand citizens or residents.
Before traveling to New Zealand by air, all visitors must complete a declaration, and receive a Traveller Pass by email. If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
Transit is only allowed through Auckland Airport as long as you stay in the transit area and your next flight is within 24 hours. Some travelers may need to apply for a transit visa.
Practical tips
- If you are flying to New Zealand from abroad, you will most likely land at one of its biggest international airportsits main international airport—Auckland
AKL
, WellingtonWLG
, ChristchurchCHC
, and QeenstownZQN
.
These are also the best (and cheapest) airports to fly into New Zealand. As they are used by many airlines serving the same routes, the competition for passengers is fierce, and airfare decreases as a result.

AKL
, Wellington WLG
, Christchurch CHC
, Qeenstown ZQN
, and Dunedin DUD
. Domestic airports scattered all over the country provide access to distant locations: Nelson NSN
, Napier NPE
, Tauranga TRG
, Palmerston North PMR
, Hamilton HLZ
, Invercargill IVC
, New Plymouth NPL
, Rotorua ROT
, and Chatham Islands CHT
.
- Once in New Zealand, take advantage of frequent intercity flights operated by domestic airlines such as Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Sunair, Barrier Air, Stewart Island Flights, Air Chathams, Golden Bay Air, Origin Air, and Sounds Air. Those in-country carriers typically offer lower fares, operate from smaller airports located closer to city centers (you save on ground transportation) and provide flexible schedules – with a wide range of departure times.
- Planning to explore the region? Popular destinations near New Zealand can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of AirAsia, Jetstar, and Scoot. If you have a layover in New Zealand and plan to fly only a short distance to one of its neighboring countries, these budget airlines are an excellent way to save money.
Flights to New Zealand
from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to New Zealand. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to New Zealand, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop. Direct flights from the US and Canada to New Zealand are about 13-18 hours long (or just about 9 hours if departing from Honolulu). When opting for a nonstop flight, American travelers can only choose from a limited range of flight operators: Air New Zealand (from Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Vancouver), Air Canada (from Vancouver), American Airlines (from Dallas and Lost Angeles), Delta Air Lines (from Los Angeles),United Airlines (from Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco), Hawaiian Airlines (from Honolulu), and Qantas (from Dallas). All those flights arrive in Auckland Airport located in the northern part of the North Island.
- New Zealand is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to New Zealand with one layover depart from most major North American airports, including Atlanta
ATL
, DallasDFW
, DenverDEN
, ChicagoORD
, Los AngelesLAX
, Las VegasDFW
, MiamiMIA
, SeattleSEA
, HoustonIAH
, New YorkJFK
, and San FranciscoSFO
in the United States and TorontoYYZ
, VancouverYVR
, CalgaryLAS
, and MontrealYUL
in Canada. - The best airlines to fly to New Zealand from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, American Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines. They are top full-service carriers, offering exceptional customer service, in-flight comfort, a generous checked baggage allowance, and reliable customer support channels – all included in the ticket price.
40–80% off flights to New Zealand
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What is the best time to book flights to New Zealand?
The best time to book flights to New Zealand is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) for New Zealand flights is 4–6 months before takeoff. Book when you notice a significant drop in price.
Airfare prices for New Zealand flights fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches. The airlines use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales.
Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Most airlines start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – airlines typically start by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by airlines for dates they expect to be popular. Try to avoid the high season during summer and major holidays including holidays in New Zealand. If you must travel during peak times, book your flight well in advance.
Avoid last minute
Avoid booking flights to New Zealand less than 30 days before takeoff. Prices spike sharply then, as airlines are taking advantage of any last-minute travelers who have no choice but to pay up.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights to New Zealand, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. This is the “Prime Booking Window.” After some seats have already been sold, airlines start dropping prices to stimulate demand. They may also offer promotions and sales. This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. Airlines charge higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
To save on airfare, select a late night or early morning (1–5 a.m.) flight. Airlines often offer discounts on their first flight of the morning (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand—most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights tend to have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Flights to New Zealand from Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to New Zealand — you’ll need to get a connecting flight from elsewhere in the Middle East or in Asia. It's a long trip from Europe to NZ (over 18,000km/11,000 miles and 25-35 hours flight time), so all airlines plan at least one stop en route. Choose your airline wisely - look for exceptional in-flight experience and comfortable seats. For the long-haul flights from European countries to New Zealand we recommend Air New Zealand, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways.
- Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to New Zealand include Air New Zealand, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, Emirates, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Philippine Airlines, Royal Brunei, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Thai Airways.
- Consider departure airports in neighboring countries to increase your chance of spotting the best deal. Especially look for large airports that serve as hubs for multiple airlines. For example, if you live in Western Europe, check air tickets to New Zealand from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Leverage frequent promotions from European budget carriers like RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to reach a major hub; from there, take a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination, potentially saving hundreds of euros.
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Airlines flying to New Zealand | Air Chathams, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Vanuatu, AirAsia X, Aircalin, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Jetstar, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, SAS, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic |
---|---|
New Zealand airlines | Air New Zealand, Air Chathams, Sunair, Sounds Air, Barrier Air, Stewart Island Flights, Golden Bay Air, Origin Air, Air Auckland |
Main airports | Auckland Airport (AKL) Wellington International Airport (WLG) Christchurch International Airport (CHC) Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Dunedin Airport (DUD) Nelson Airport (NSN) Hawkes Bay Airport (NPE) Tauranga Airport (TRG) Palmerston North Airport (PMR) Hamilton Airport (HLZ) |
Regular price (roundtrip) | ✈ €900 – €1400 (from Europe) ✈ $700 – $1200 (from USA) |
The cheapest time to fly to New Zealand
The cheapest time to fly to New Zealand is during the low season – June through 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 (high season). The off-peak tourist season sees fewer visitors, and because prices are dictated by supply and demand, typically, you can find some fantastic deals on airline tickets to New Zealand, accommodation, rental vehicles, and activities.
The shoulder months from March to May and September to November are also good options to fly to New Zealand as they offer pleasant temperatures and mostly sunny days but still thin tourist crowds and lower airfares.
To travel in peace, try to avoid school holidays – the two-week periods at the end of July and October, and popular “red days” such as Waitangi Day (8 February), Anzac Day (26 April), Easter, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. If you really have to travel to New Zealand during these peak periods, it’s wise to book the flights well in advance.
South Pacific time travel (the international date line)
The international date line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the Earth’s surface that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole, running through the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It roughly follows a 180-degree longitude and defines the border between one day and the next.
When you cross the ID westward, you gain a day, and if you are traveling eastward, you lose a day. It may seem like you are moving forward or backward in time, but obviously, you’re just adjusting to a different time zone.

IDL is not a straight line, though. It zig-zags back and forth across the Pacific Ocean, so it is not always at the same longitude. Starting from the north, it passes west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of the Marshall Islands. As it moves further south, it reaches the Pacific island nation of Kiribati and makes a major deviation east to encompass the Kiribati and Line Islands. Then it passes between Samoa and American Samoa, keeping the former west and the latter east of the IDL. It then stays parallel to the meridian, keeping to the east of the line so that Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand are all west of the IDL.
Prearrange your New Zealand visitor visa
Passport holders from most countries need a visa to come to New Zealand, even if they are just visiting the country for a short holiday. You might even need a visa to transit through New Zealand to another destination.
The visa must be obtained before traveling to New Zealand from abroad. You can do this electronically via the New Zealand Immigration website, or your travel agent can arrange this for you.
Book domestic flights on airnewzealand.co.nz
When booking Air New Zealand flights, always use its website located at the co.nz domain – irrespective of where you are based.
It’s surprising, but often the domestic flights listed at airnewzealand.co.nz are much cheaper than on the .com, .eu, .co.uk and com.sg sites (sometimes you can save 50% of the ticket price or more). Book your flight on airnewzealand.co.nz when flying to New Zealand!
Qantas Explorer Pass: discounted domestic fares in New Zealand
Are you planning to visit more destinations after arriving in New Zealand? The Qantas Explorer Pass can be an excellent way to save some money. With this pass, you can book multiple domestic flights in Australia or New Zealand at discounted rates – great for hopping between some of the region’s most iconic cities, beaches, and landscapes.
The Qantas Explorer Pass allows travelers to create their personalized itinerary with multiple stopovers, choosing from over 30 destinations, including major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. However, the pass is only available for domestic flights within Australia or New Zealand – you can’t use it to fly internationally between the two countries.
To access the Qantas Explorer Pass, you must be traveling from overseas to Australia or New Zealand with Qantas. Use the airline website to book your international flight to New Zealand, and choose the multi-city option to get access to Explorer Pas cheaper fares.
Traveling from New Zealand to Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia
The Pacific Islands can be divided into three main groups based on physical geography and cultural significance:
- Micronesia (“small-islands”). Located north of Papua New Guinea. It includes Federated States of Micronesia (the Caroline Islands), Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau.
- Melanesia (“black-islands”). Anchored north of Australia, and bordering Indonesia to the east, this region includes Fiji, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
- Polynesia (“many-islands”): This large triangular area of the east-central Pacific Ocean includes American Samoa, Cook Islands, Easter Island, French Polynesia, Hawaiian Islands, Line Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna.
Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, and Easter Island are the most well-connected Pacific Islands and act as hubs when flying from Asia (especially Korea, Taiwan, and Japan), Australasia and the USA. The poorly connected island countries like Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, or Tuvalu are best visited via these main hubs.

Please note that the whole region is expensive to get around. Once you get there, costs can quickly add up to well above that in your home country, especially if you require comforts and imported products (on islands everything comes by plane or by ship).
Arriving and transiting in Auckland, the easy way
Arriving in Auckland with Air New Zealand is pretty straightforward (see this guide).
When transferring to a domestic flight, there’s no need to drag your bags to the domestic terminal. Instead, after collecting them off the plane and exiting customs and immigration, you can check them in at “Zone A” of the international terminal. The bags will be transferred to your domestic flight.
Likewise, if you are flying abroad from an NZ domestic airport, you can ask for your bags to be checked through to your final destination.
Long waiting times when calling the helpline?
Social media is usually a faster way to reach the airline when a problem arises. Use Twitter or Facebook Messenger to contact the airline customer service and get a response and solution within minutes (see detailed guides for Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, and others).
When it comes to Twitter there’s one more trick to get in touch with the airline faster: mention the airline in a tweet about your issue (add “@airline_handle”, for example: “@FlyAirNZ” if contacting Air New Zealand). The social media team will often notice it immediately, ask you for a direct message, and respond privately.
Airlines of New Zealand
The most well-known airline in New Zealand is Auckland-based Air New Zealand (ANZ). According to AirlineRatings, it is the second-best airline in the world for the second year in a row. ANZ flies domestic routes in New Zealand and operates international services to Australia, Asia Pacific, and North America. Awarded for its “constant innovation and industry leadership”, ANZ has been revealing new products recently – including Economy Skycouch (a row of Economy seats that can be changed into a couch) and revolutionary Skynest bunk beds (available from 2024).
When traveling domestically in New Zealand, you may be flying with other, smaller NZ-based airlines, such as Air Chathams (NZ’s largest privately-owned airline with nearly 100 scheduled flights from Auckland and the Chatham Islands), Sounds Air (small regional airlines with daily flights to Wellington, Christchurch, Picton, Blenheim, Paraparaumu, Taupo, Westport, Nelson, and Wanaka), Barrier Air (scheduled and charter flights to/from Great Barrier Island, Auckland, North Shore, Kaitaia and Whitianga), Sunair (covers the North Island), Origin Air (serves Wellington, Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, and Palmerston North), Stewart Island Flights (light aircraft flights between Invercargill and Stewart Island), and Golden Bay Air (serves Takaka Wellington, Karamea and Nelson).
Flights to New Zealand
from major hubs in Asia
- Asia is probably the best continent for short-haul and mid-haul flying. The sheer scale of this most populous region on Earth is reflected in the type of aircraft operating many shorter routes: intra-Asia flyers benefit from comfortable, wide-bodied aircraft by the likes of Boeing 777, 787 or Airbus A350, A330, and A380. When booking your flight to New Zealand look for these bigger planes as they will almost always give you the best experience in every cabin, including better seat pitches, higher ceilings, and larger overhead bin space.
- Asia is also home to most of the world’s best airlines. There are only ten airlines that received the prestigious 5-star mark of quality from Skytrax, and all of them are from Asia: ANA, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines. Choosing one of these airlines for your trip to New Zealand will guarantee a pleasant journey – delicious meals served during the flight, great in-flight entertainment, and above-average airline customer service.
- Asia is extremely well served by low-cost regional airlines. If you are visiting New Zealand and want to see several other countries on a tight budget, they often have great sales with rock-bottom prices, while still offering a relatively comfortable flight experience. Among the best Asian budget airlines you can book without hesitation are AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Citilink, FlyDubai, Indigo, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, SpiceJet. The cons? Being no-frills airlines they may not provide free baggage allowance, inflight meals, or onboard entertainment. The departure times may also be quite inconvenient as they try to save money by flying at off-peak hours.
40–80% off flights to New Zealand
from Asia
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Flights to New Zealand dataset
User Review
4.72 (944 votes)Flights to New Zealand
If you have specific travel dates, it's worth booking as soon as possible. The optimal time to book international flights to New Zealand is 2–8 months in advance, with a "prime booking window" at 4–6 months before departure for the best bargains.
In economy class, medium to long-haul flights to New Zealand range from $150 to $600, and can go up to $1,000 for routes exceeding 6,000 km. Round-trip bookings offer savings between 20% and 35%. Strategic planning like early booking, flying in low-season, booking directly with airlines, or chosing a route with a layover can save an additional 5–30%.
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About the author

Maksim Koval
Aviation industry expert, digital editor at Tiket2 since 2010, and the pioneering founder of the Air Traveler Club.
Maksim is a Bali-based seasoned travel writer, avid flyer, tinkerer, photographer, motorbiker, animal lover, and the truest evangelist of the company. His dedication to providing valuable insights and engaging content has established him as a trusted voice in the industry.
You can contact him via email at maksim[at]tiket2.com.