

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.
Arriving in Wellington
- If you are flying to Wellington from abroad, you will most likely land at one of its biggest international airportsits main international airport — Wellington Airport
WLG
, located on the southern coast of the North Island, in the suburb of Rongotai - approximately 6.5 km (4 miles) southeast of Wellington's city center.
The airport has a single terminal building, which houses both international and domestic flights. Transport options for getting from the airport to the final destination include Airport Express Bus (around 30min ride to Wellington Railway Station, cost 7.50-9.50 NZD), taxis (available outside the baggage claim area on the terminal's ground floor, around 40-50 NZD for a 20min ride to the city center), car rental (Avis, Europcar, Hertz, and others) and ride sharing (Uber, Zoomy, OLA).
These are also the best (and the cheapest) airports to fly into Wellington. As they are used by many airlines serving the same routes, the competition for passengers is fierce – with decreased airfare as a result. - Once in Wellington, 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 Wellington can be easily reached with regional low-cost carriers (LCCs) by the likes of Jetstar, Air Chathams, and Sounds Air. If you have a layover in Wellington and plan to fly only a short distance to one of its neighboring countries, these budget airlines are an excellent way to save money. However, the “no-frills” carrier may not provide free checked baggage allowance, complimentary food, in-flight entertainment systems, and fast customer support. You may not even get to choose your seats, unless you pay extra.
Airports of Wellington
Airlines flying to Wellington | Air Canada, Air Chathams, Air China, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, ANA, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, China Eastern Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Jetstar, LATAM, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Sounds Air, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Australia |
---|---|
New Zealand airlines | Air New Zealand, Air Chathams, Sunair, Sounds Air, Barrier Air, Stewart Island Flights, Golden Bay Air, Origin Air, Air Auckland |
Airports in Wellington | Wellington International Airport (WLG) |
Regular price (roundtrip) | ✈ €900 – €1400 (from Europe) ✈ $400 – $900 (from USA) |
Flight hacks | 40% — 80% off regular fare |
Airline promotions | See ticket sales & promos available for flights departing from March to May |
The cheapest time to fly to Wellington
The cheapest time to fly to Wellington 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 Wellington, accommodation, rental vehicles, and activities.
The shoulder months from March to May and September to November are also good options to fly to Wellington 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 Wellington 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 Wellington from abroad. You can do this electronically via the New Zealand Immigration website, or your travel agent can arrange this for you.
Flights to Wellington from United States and Canada
- There are no direct flights from the US or Canada to Wellington. However, most major hubs in Asia have non-stop flights to Wellington, as do some larger airports in the Middle East – your journey will have at least one stop.
- Wellington is well-served via one-stop flights from North America. Flights to Wellington 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 Wellington from the US and Canada are: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, ANA, Emirates, Fiji Airways, 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.
- For long-haul flights, the type of aircraft you choose can make a huge difference to your overall comfort on board – especially if you’re flying economy. The best aircraft have comfier seats with more legroom, WiFi, superior entertainment systems, and a better passenger experience in every cabin in general. When booking a flight to Wellington, look for the airlines that use wide-body planes designed for long-haul flights, such as Airbus A350 (best choice), A380, A320neo, or Boeing 767, 777, and 787 Dreamliner.
Wellington from US & Canada
plane ticket prices in 2023/24
Real-time economy class airfares to Wellington from the US and Canada. Shown are the top three deals for flights departing in the coming months (March to November).
Flight hacking
Hacker faresto Wellington
Superdeals airlines don't want you to see:
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 Wellington!
Qantas Explorer Pass: discounted domestic fares in New Zealand
Are you planning to visit more destinations after arriving in Wellington? 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 Wellington, and choose the multi-city option to get access to Explorer Pas cheaper fares.
Traveling from Wellington 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.
Flights to Wellington with stopover
Direct flights to Wellington are, of course, much less hassle than flights that require one or more connections. However, they tend to be more expensive. In a trade-off between convenience and cost, the best option is often to opt for a flight with one layover.
So if you’re looking at a long-haul trip with at least one connection, rather than simply transiting an airport, why not take this opportunity to plan a longer stopover? A stopover is a prolonged layover — more than 24 hours — and it won’t only break up your long journey but will also become a legitimate part of your vacation. If you’re prone to severe jet lag, a one or two-day stopover would help minimize its adverse effects.
When booking flights, many airlines allow you to include a free stopover en route to your final destination in Wellington. Those flights are usually cheaper than non-stop (direct) flights, and you can often choose your stopover at no additional cost — just by looking for multi-city flights with longer layovers.
Some airlines openly advertise stopovers and offer significant discounts and travel perks for passengers to break up their trips: free luxury hotel stays, complimentary domestic flights, or exclusive rates for activities. Start checking for stopover deals to Wellington with government-owned airlines (as they are looking to attract tourists to give the country economic benefits) — such as Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines. Almost every airline’s website has multi-city search functionality, often hidden inside the one-way/return/multi-city switch.
A well-chosen stopover will not only turn one vacation into many but also save you several hundred dollars in airfare. The available stopovers to Wellington will depend on your initial destination (Europe, North America, Asia, etc) and the airline you are flying with. For most airlines, the best free stopover offer will be at their main hub.
Flights to Wellington from UK, Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries in Europe
- There are no direct flights from Europe to Wellington — 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 Wellington (over 18,000km/11,000 miles and 25-35 hours of 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 Wellington we recommend British Airways, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qantas
- Airlines that frequently fly from the UK, Germany, France, and other European countries to Wellington include Air New Zealand, American Airlines, British Airways, Air China, Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar 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 Wellington from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Use European low-cost airlines such as RyanAir, EasyJet, and Eurowings to fly to the hub, then save hundreds of euros by taking a cheaper long-haul flight to your final destination.
We recommend checking prices for flights to Wellington from these European airport hubs: LondonLHR
and ManchesterMAN
in the United Kingdom, FrankfurtFRA
and MunichMUC
in Germany, ParisCDG
and NiceNCE
in France, AmsterdamAMS
in the Netherlands, MadridMAD
and BarcelonaBCN
in Spain, RomeFCO
and MilanoMXP
in Italy, BrusselsBRU
in Belgium, CopenhagenOSL
in Denmark, OsloOSL
in Norway, StockholmARN
in Sweden, ZurichZRH
in Switzerland, LisbonLIS
in Portugal, ViennaVIE
in Austria, WarsawWAW
in Poland, PraguePRG
in Czech Republic, and DublinDUB
in Ireland.
European airports with the cheapest flights to Wellington
Find the lowest prices for flights to Wellington Airport in Wellington from the major airports in Europe — London, Dublin, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Lyon, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, Stockholm, Geneva, Helsinki, Zurich, and others.
Flight hacking
Can't finda good deal?
Get 40% – 80% off airfares from Europe to Wellington:
How to book SuperDeals?
At the Air Traveler Club, our go-to solution for finding cheap airfares to Wellington is Google Flights. Every time we send SuperDeals to our 110,000 members (see some examples), we include links to Google Flights so that each deal can be booked immediately.
Google Flights then showcases various options for booking the deal: you can almost always book directly with the airline (by cutting out the middleman) or – alternatively – with an OTA that offers the same flight at a similar price. Once you have chosen your booking option, you will be redirected to the external website where you can finalize your ticket purchase.
One of Google Flights’ standout features is a color-coded bar that appears underneath the booking options. It provides a visual representation of the price in comparison to the typical fare (for the same route, class, and airline) – indicating whether it is lower, average, or higher.

If the marker falls within the green zone (“price is low”) don’t hesitate to secure this deal as it is significantly – 40% to 80% – cheaper than average and unlikely to drop further.
For more details on how to book deals on Google Flights, check out this video:

If you are not Air Traveler Club subscriber yet, you’re missing out on SuperDeals (we often send deals to Wellington). Signup now to start saving 40–80% on flights. It’s free!
Last-minute flights to Wellington. The real cost of convenience.
Last-minute flights are often touted as a great way to save money, but the reality is far from it. Booking last-minute flights to Wellington almost always never works out. The convenience of being able to book a flight on the fly is a dangerous game of chance, and you will most likely end up paying significantly higher than booking in advance.

The common perception may be that airlines decrease ticket prices to fill empty seats as the departure date approaches. However, the truth is that airfares depend on demand. Based on years of research and current customer data, the airlines know what people are willing to pay for specific flights and dates. They are also well aware that people are willing to pay a premium for flights they need to take immediately. To make the most money, the airline will sell its cheapest fares first and then increase the prices right before the flight to take advantage of business travelers and others who are willing to pay the premium price for late booking.
Occasionally, airlines can put some seats on sale to fill the remaining seats, but these are for unusual times and unpopular places. Popular destinations and dates around peak travel times tend to sell out quickly.
Planning ahead is key to securing a good deal on your flight. Last-minute flight deals are hard to come by, so as soon as you have a tentative travel timeline, book your flight. The earlier you book, the more likely you are to save money. If you are looking for a good deal, the best time to book your flight to Wellington is around 60-90 days before the departure date.
Domestic air travel from Wellington
Most domestic routes in New Zealand are operated by local airlines. When traveling to popular tourist destinations such as Auckland, Queenstown, Christchurch, Rotorua, Dunedin, Nelson, Napier from Wellington Airport, you’ll be flying with one of these domestic air transport companies: Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Sunair, Barrier Air, Stewart Island Flights, Air Chathams, Golden Bay Air, Origin Air, and Sounds Air. In most cases, it is the best (the fastest, the most convenient, and the cheapest) way to travel around the country.
If you plan to fly domestically from Wellington check the latest prices here, then book your flight ticket online.
Flights to Wellington from Bali, Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, and other major hubs in Asia
- There are no direct flights from Asia to Wellington — plan for at least one stop en route. The most convenient option is to choose a layover in Australasia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Auckland have frequent direct flights to Wellington.
- 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 Wellington 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 Wellington 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, and VietJet Air. 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.
Flights from major Asian airports to Wellington
Asia is home to some of the busiest and most connected airports in the world. All major Asian airports have convenient and frequent flights to Wellington — including Changi (Singapore), Dubai (UAE), Hong Kong (China), Incheon (Seoul, South Korea), Indira Gandhi (New Delhi, India), KLIA (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Narita (Tokyo, Japan), Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia), Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta, Indonesia), Ninoy Aquino (Manila, Philippines), Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok, Thailand), Taoyuan (Taipei, Taiwan), and others.
Flight hacking
Fly half-price(or less!)
Get curated deals to Wellington from our flight experts:
Fly now, pay later
Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) plans for flights have become a popular trend in the travel industry, allowing travelers to book flights and pay in installments. Among the airlines that offer this option are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines. They partner with external financial companies to offer their loan services on the checkout page.
The BNPL plans come with varying terms and fees. Some may be interest-free but have fees for late-payments and require forced autoplay on your bank account, while others may have high annual percentage rates (up to 30-40% APR).
When considering BNPL financing for your flight to Wellington, it’s crucial to carefully evaluate the pros and cons, and thoroughly review the terms and conditions.
Proof of onward travel – a simple hack
Travelers who go on long trips often don’t have a set itinerary and fly on one-way tickets. The problem? For many APAC countries, proof of onward travel is a legal requirement. If you arrive at the airport without an onward ticket (from New Zealand to another country), you’ll either be forced to buy one online or forbidden from boarding the plane altogether.
The cheapest solution? Renting an onward ticket! Use the websites such as OneWayFly or OnwardTicket to get a flight reservation for a limited amount of time (usually 2 to 14 days). They work by actually booking you on a real flight out of New Zealand and giving you a confirmable flight reservation with a PNR (Passenger Name Record) under your name. After the time limit, your spot on the flight is automatically canceled. Such “temporary tickets” tend to cost anywhere from $10 to $20.

Lost luggage prevention: Essential tips
Every year, airlines handle millions of bags, and a small percentage of these bags never make it to their final destinations. Globally, airlines mishandle around 0.7% of bags checked in, which translates to seven bags out of every 1,000. Losing the luggage on your trip to Wellington can be a frustrating and stressful experience, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of this happening to you.
- Use GPS-Trackers. A luggage tracking device such as Apple AirTag or Samsung Galaxy SmartTag comes with a smartphone app and is an excellent way to locate your bag if it goes missing.
Apple AirTag and Samsung SmartTag are small, trackable devices that can be attached to the check-in luggage - Label your luggage with your name, address, phone number and the name of your destination airport in Wellington. Put these details inside the case as well.
- Remove old tags. Tags are printed with a barcode for identification and tracking, so the old tags from previous flights can confuse baggage handlers and conveyor belt scanners.
- Avoid tight layovers. Give yourself and your luggage time to get aboard the next plane by picking a flight to Wellington with a longer layover.
- Don’t overstuff your suitcase. Heavy bags are more likely to get damaged and stuck on the belts, causing the bag to be misdirected.
- Make your bag stand out. After arrival at Wellington airport, most people just want to grab their luggage and get out of the airport as soon as possible. In their haste, a case of mistaken identity can sometimes occur.
- Take a picture of your bag and the contents, and keep it on your phone. This can be helpful if you need to make a claim for lost or damaged items.
- Use a TSA-approved luggage lock. This will secure your bags and will help deter theft.
- Keep your valuables in your hand luggage. The airline liability is notoriously low (around €1,000 in most cases) and it usually doesn’t reflect the actual value of the baggage content.
- Consider purchasing travel insurance. It can act as a safety net as it can often cover the full value of your luggage. Travel insurance may also reimburse you for any emergency purchases you need to make while you wait.
Hidden-city ticketing hack
Hidden-city ticketing is a less-known money-saving tactic where you buy a plane ticket with a layover, with the intention to get off at the layover rather than the final destination. For example, a flight from New York to Tokyo might be $600, but a similar flight from New York to Singapore with a layover in Tokyo might be only $350. Choosing the latter and ending the trip in Tokyo would save you $250.
It seems counterintuitive that a fare from A to C via B could possibly be cheaper than a simple fare on a shorter route from A to B. However, airlines use dynamic, computer-driven price models calculated with little human intervention, and such deals happen quite often.
Booking a hidden city ticket isn’t as easy as booking a standard itinerary. There are some things to be aware of: (1) don’t check baggage — bring only hand luggage that can fit under the seat or an overhead compartment; a large checked bag will end up in the final destination C; (2) don’t use it for return flights — airlines often void any subsequent tickets if any segment of the first ticket is missed; (3) Do not overuse this tactic with the same airline — hidden-city ticketing is legal but airlines don’t like it and may try to punish you; (4) Don’t associate your frequent flyer account — the airline might invalidate any miles you’ve accrued with them.
How to find hidden-city tickets? The easiest way is to use Skiplagged website, which was designed for unearthing hidden-city deals — give them a try for your flight to Wellington.

FAQ: Flying to Wellington
Q: Can you fly direct from the UK to Wellington?
A: No, there are no direct flights from the UK to Wellington. One of the most popular airlines that operate the UK to Wellington route – Air New Zealand – has flights departing from London. However, it always involves at least one transit airport. You can choose to have a stopover in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, or UAE.
Likewise, other airlines that serve the UK-Wellington route (American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airlines) offer only 1-stop or multiple stops flights to Wellington.
Q: How many airports are in Wellington?
A: Wellington has only one airport that serves commercial flights: Wellington Airport (IATA code: WLG). It is the primary airport for the city of Wellington, with all international and domestic flights landing there.
Q: Can I transit through Wellington Airport to another country?
A: No, it's not possible to transit through Wellington Airport to connecting flight to another country. The only airport in New Zealand that can be used for transit to another country is Auckland International Airport. Please note that you must stay in the transit area or on board your plane (you cannot enter New Zealand), and the maximum time you can spend in New Zealand as a transit passenger is 24 hours.
Q: Why are flights to Wellington so expensive?
A: The flight prices to Wellington depend primarily on (1) which part of the world you are flying from and the airline you're flying with. Low-cost airlines such as Jetstar Airways tend to have fairly priced medium-haul flights in the region, while premium carriers (Air New Zealand, Qantas, Qatar Airways, etc) offer much better comfort at higher prices.
(2) The time of booking. High demand + low supply = higher fares. Seasonality plays a big part here: if you travel during the peak season (high demand) and book a last-minute flight (low supply - not many tickets left), your flight to Wellington will be costly. Air tickets for high tourist season can be even 2-3 times more expensive (!) than in the off-season.
A big contributor to higher fares on planes are (3) oil prices and the fact that airfares are pegged to the US dollar. These factors are passed on to travelers, making your flight ticket even more expensive.
The various (4) taxes imposed on foreigners and tourists by the government have been a big part of the price increase in the last few years. You may never notice them directly, as they are often worked into airline tickets or the bill you pay at your hotel.
Last but to least, (5) business travelers can influence ticket prices for other passengers. The number of expensive Business Class tickets sold on a flight affects how much money the airline makes and, therefore, how much they charge for Economy Class seats.
Q: Which airport is best to fly into Wellington?
A: Wellington Airport – the primary airport serving Wellington city – is the best airport to arrive. It's close to Wellington center (10 km), has great facilities, a large number of airlines and city transfer journey times are short.
Q: When is the best time to book flights to Wellington?
A: 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, as it will give you a good range of flight times and seat selection choices.
The best time to book flights to Wellington can vary among airlines, but the golden time usually falls between 2 and 6 months before the departure. So, January is the best time to book flights if you want to visit Wellington during the summer.
User Review
4.33 (411 votes)Flights to Wellington
Whether on a vacation of a lifetime or a business trip, flying to Wellington is not as easy as booking local travel.
Most likely you are looking at a long-haul trip — and every layover will add a few more hours if you choose not to take a direct flight. Choose your airline wisely, by reading the online reviews left by passengers who have already taken a similar route. Always look for their in-flight experience: seats (are they comfy and spacious?), menu (was it delicious with plenty of choices for different tastes and diets?), and the entertainment options available onboard (the quality of screens and headphones, the range of movie/music/tv channels on offer, etc).
If you have specific travel dates, it's worth booking as soon as possible. Leave it too late and you might have to pay almost double the price, especially if you want to fly during school holidays and popular times like New Year's Eve. If you're not yet an Air Traveler Club subscriber, sign up now — we'll send you lots of discounted offers for free. Our members often save $500 or more on flights to Wellington!
Pros
- Plenty of airlines flying to Wellington
- Cheap tickets available
- Flight hacks available
Cons
- Long-haul flights can be expensive