Air New Zealand Airpoints Frequent Flyer Program
Fly further and save when you earn miles with the Air New Zealand Airpoints frequent flyer program.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Airpoints is Air New Zealand’s frequent flyer program. It allows members to pick up Airpoints Dollars when they fly with Air New Zealand or with one of its 30+ Star Alliance airline partners, book accommodation, car rental and more. Once you’ve racked up enough Airpoints Dollars, you can use them to redeem flight rewards, upgrades and other travel perks. Plus, the more Airpoints you earn, the quicker you’ll climb the tiers and the more perks you can expect.
Whether you want to know the best ways to earn and spend your points or how to ascend the tier levels, our guide will help you get the most out of the Air New Zealand Airpoints frequent flyer program.
How to join Airpoints
You can join Air New Zealand’s frequent flyer program for free online. You’ll just need to complete and submit the form on the airline’s website. The application should only take a few minutes, but you’ll need to include some personal information including your contact details and some info to verify your identity.
How to earn Airpoints Dollars
Flights
Air New Zealand flights
You can earn Airpoints Dollars and Status Points every time you fly with Air New Zealand.
The number of Airpoints Dollars and Status Points you could earn will depend on where you’re travelling to and the cabin class you choose. For example, if you fly from Sydney to LA in Economy Flexi, you could earn between 69.50 and 104 Airpoints Dollars and between 102 and 161 Status Points. If you booked the same flight in business class, you’d earn between 312.10 and 447 Airpoints Dollars plus 299 to 449 Status Points. You can use the Airpoints calculator on the Air New Zealand website to discover how rewarding your next flight could be.
Flights with partner airlines
You can also earn Airpoints when you fly with any of Air New Zealand’s 30+ airline partners. This includes Virgin Australia, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific and Star Alliance partners such as Air Canada, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines and more. You should note that although you’ll earn Airpoints Dollars, you may be unable to earn Status Points with some partner airlines.
You can compare the full list of airline partners below:
Star Alliance members
Air Canada
Adria Airways
Aegean Airlines
Air China
Air India
All Nippon Airways
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Avianca Brasil
Brussels Airlines
Copa Airlines
Croatia Airlines
EgyptAir
Adria Airways
Aegean Airlines
Air China
Air India
All Nippon Airways
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Avianca Brasil
Brussels Airlines
Copa Airlines
Croatia Airlines
EgyptAir
Ethiopian Airlines
EVA Air
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Scandinavian Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
Swiss International
TAP Air Portugal
Thai Airways International
Turkish Airlines
United
EVA Air
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
Scandinavian Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
Swiss International
TAP Air Portugal
Thai Airways International
Turkish Airlines
United
Co-operation partners
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aircalin
Air Rarotonga
Air Tahiti Nui
Air Vanuatu
Cathay Pacific
Etihad Airways
Fiji Airways
Jet Airways
Silk Air
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Australia
Fiji Airways
Jet Airways
Silk Air
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Australia
Points from eligible travel should appear in your account within 72 hours of each completed flight.
How do you claim missing Airpoints Dollars?
If you forgot to include your Airpoints membership number when you booked your flight, you will need to fill out the “claim missing Airpoints Dollars” form within six months after your travel. If you flew with Air New Zealand but belong to another frequent flyer program (such as Virgin Australia's Velocity program) you can submit a "missing points claim form" to earn points from your flight with the eligible program.
Credit cards
If you have an American Express, ANZ, NAB or Westpac rewards credit card, you can exchange your points for Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars. You can compare the different exchange rates below:
| Partner | Exchange rate |
|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards |
|
| ANZ Rewards |
|
| ANZ Business One Rewards Options |
|
| NAB Rewards & NAB Rewards Business |
|
| Westpac Altitude |
|
Compare rewards credit cards that can transfer to Airpoints
Hotels
If you’re earning Airpoints on flights, you may as well earn them on hotels too!
You can collect 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $75 you spend with Expedia. You can also earn Airpoints with over 10,000 partner hotels around the world, with rates starting from 1 Airpoints Dollar per NZD$12 spent. Some of the partner hotels include Hilton, Langham Hotels & Resorts, AccorHotels, InterContinental Hotels and the Pacific Resort Hotel Group.
Car rental
Whether you’re going on a road trip or your car’s in the shop, you can earn three Airpoints Dollars per rental day when you rent a vehicle with partners including Budget Rent a Car, Apex Car Rentals and Avis.
JR/Duty Free shopping
You can earn Airpoints Dollars when you purchase duty free products on arrival and departures from Wellington and Christchurch. You’ll earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every NZD$50 you spend at JR/Duty Free when you present your Airpoints card at the checkout. Please note that you can’t earn points on tobacco products.
Status Points and frequent flyer tiers
You’ll earn Status Points on eligible Air New Zealand and partnered airline flights.
The Status Points you earn will allow you to move up to the Silver, Gold and Elite tiers and take advantage of exclusive benefits including lounge access, upgrades, extra baggage allowances and more. You can compare how many Status Points you’ll need to reach each tier and the perks you can expect below.
How to climb the Status tiers
You’ll need to earn the following Status Points in a 12-month period to reach or maintain your Status tier.
| Tier | Status Points required to reach the tier | Other terms and conditions | Status Points required to retain tier status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 450 | At least half of the Status Points must be earned on Air New Zealand-operated flights, qualifying-partner airline flights or Star Alliance flights. | 405 |
| Gold | 900 | At least half on Air New Zealand-operated flights, qualifying-partner airline flights or Star Alliance flights. | 810 |
| Elite | 1,500 | At least 900 on Air New Zealand-operated flights or qualifying-partner airline flights | 1,350 |
What perks can I ask from each tier?
Silver
- Two complimentary single-use Air New Zealand lounge passes per membership year, which can be used when departing on an Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flight
- One recognition upgrade per year (valid for one year and can be used to upgrade one cabin class for one flight sector, for example to upgrade from premium economy to business premier)
- 10% OneUp Upgrades upweighting, which means your bid for an upgrade will be upweighted by 10%
- You can also take advantage of priority waitlisting and priority airport standby
- Discounted business class fares are available in limited quantities to Silver members
Gold
- Full access to Air New Zealand lounges, Star Alliance and partner-airline lounges prior to departure on Air New Zealand and Star Alliance ticketed flights
- Complimentary frequent flyer seating, which is located towards the front of the cabin on most Air New Zealand flights
- Two recognition upgrades per year (valid for one year and to be used to upgrade one cabin class for one flight sector)
- 30% OneUp Upgrades upweighting, which means your bid for an upgrade will be upweighted by 30%
- One extra carry-on bag and one extra checked bag
- Priority check-in, baggage claim and boarding on all Air New Zealand flights and most Star Alliance flights
- Complimentary hotel voucher for one-room stays and upgrades at participating hotels in New Zealand and Australia
- Complimentary voucher for a car-rental upgrade, which you can use at participating locations in New Zealand and Australia
- Discounted business class fares
- No points expiry
- You can nominate an additional two people to join your gifting register
Elite
- Full access to Air New Zealand lounges, Star Alliance and partner airline lounges prior to departure on Air New Zealand and Star Alliance ticketed flights. As an Elite member, you can invite up to five guests to join you in any Air New Zealand international and domestic lounge.
- Complimentary frequent flyer seating, which is located towards the front of the cabin
- Two long-haul recognition upgrades and one short-haul recognition upgrade each time you reach or retain Elite status (the upgrades are valid for 12 months)
- You can request an Elite Airpoints Dollar upgrade for one cabin class (eg, upgrade from premium economy to business premier) using Airpoints Dollars at set rates
- The ability to gift your recognition upgrades or Elite Airpoints Dollar upgrades to other Airpoints members who are on your gifting register
- 50% OneUp Upgrades, which means your bid for an upgrade will be upweighted by 50%
- Two extra carry-on bags and one extra checked bag on New Zealand domestic and international flights
- Star Alliance lounge access, priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and priority boarding
- Complimentary hotel voucher for one-room stays and upgrades at participating hotels in New Zealand and Australia
- Complimentary voucher for a car-rental upgrade, which you can use at participating locations in New Zealand and Australia
- Discounted business class award fares
- Five evouchers for complimentary valet parking each year. You can use these for Air New Zealand valet parking in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.
- You can take advantage of Status Points roll over, meaning surplus points can be rolled over to retain your tier level for the following year
- When you earn more than 2,400 annual Status Points, you can store Status Points to use when you don't meet the points requirement for the Elite tier
- You'll be rewarded with complimentary gifts, including hotel stays, fine dining experiences or short-haul upgrades, when you reach 3,000, 5,000 and 7,000 annual Status Points
- Make use of the elite partner membership to nominate a family member or friend to enjoy Elite Partner privileges on Air New Zealand flights
Spending Airpoints Dollars
From flight rewards to upgrades, here are some of the travel perks you can redeem with your Airpoints Dollars.
Flights
- Air New Zealand flights. You can spend your Airpoints Dollars on available seats on any Air New Zealand flight. One Airpoints Dollar is equal to one Australian dollar and you can redeem your points for flights by booking online, over the phone or via a travel agent.
- Partner flights. You can also use your Airpoints Dollars for a range of flights with Star Alliance partners and other partner airlines including Virgin Australia, Etihad and Jet Airways. With partner airlines, just make sure to quote your Airpoints membership number and that the flight number begins with NZ.
- Companion tickets. If you’ve already purchased a Business Premier, Premium Economy, Economy Flexi, Flexi Works or Flexi Works Deluxe, you can purchase a discounted ticket with your Airpoints Dollars for a travel companion.
- Onboard purchases. You can use your Airpoints Dollars to purchase food and beverages, merchandise, movie upgrades and more once onboard. Just sign into your Air New Zealand account to compare your rewards options.
Flight upgrades
If you’ve already booked an Air New Zealand flight, you can request to use your Airpoints Dollars to pay for an upgrade to a higher cabin class.
Koru membership
You can also use your Airpoints Dollars to pay for a Koru membership. If you haven’t ascended the Status tiers, a Koru membership can be a good way to travel in style. The benefits range from lounge access to priority check-in and boarding. You can compare the different points below:
| Membership type | Joining fee | One year | Two years | Five years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $255 | $629 | $1,109 | $2,549 |
| Corporate (10+ members) | $155 | $570 | $1,005 | N/A |
| Senior membership | $255 | $465 | $760 | $1,845 |
| Partner renewal membership | N/A | $420 | $735 | N/A |
The prices are the same in Airpoints Dollars and New Zealand dollars.
Car rental
You can use your Airpoints Dollars to book a car rental with Avis, Budget and Apex. You also won’t be charged any booking fees when you use your points.
How does Air New Zealand Airpoints compare to other frequent flyer programs?
Air New Zealand’s Airpoints frequent flyer program offers a number of benefits and rewards, but how does it fare against other schemes? To give you an idea, we’ve compared the benefits you can expect when you reach Silver status with Airpoints, with Qantas Frequent Flyer and with Velocity Frequent Flyer.
| Feature | Air New Zealand Points | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Velocity Frequent Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus points on flight bookings | No | 50% more Qantas Points | 50% |
| Priority reservation waitlist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Priority phone service | No | Yes | Yes |
| Priority check-in | No | Yes | Yes |
| Priority boarding | No | Yes | Yes |
| Preferred seating | No | Yes | Yes |
| Complimentary flight upgrade | Once per year | No (although you do get priority over lower members for upgrade requests) | No |
| Lounge access | Yes, two single-use passes per year | Yes, one single-visit Qantas Club lounge pass each year | Yes, two single entry passes for the Virgin Australia lounge each year |
| Extra baggage allowance | No | Yes | Yes |
| Alliance membership | Yes, Star Alliance | Yes, oneworld | No (although it has its own airline partners) |
Although Air New Zealand Airpoints offers a number of perks, its Silver status tier doesn’t pack as many perks as Qantas or Velocity. However, it does have a longer expiry than the other two, so it could be better if you like to save up your points over time.
Pictures: Air New Zealand and Shutterstock
Back to topMore guides on Finder
-
Virgin Velocity status extension and bonus credits: There’s one big catch
Bonus Status Credits and international flight rewards are coming back too.
-
COVID vaccination rewards from Medibank, Finder, Qantas, Telstra and more
Major names in health insurance and travel have moved fast to offer rewards to people who've received the COVID-19 vaccination.
-
Virgin Australia’s new economy fares explained: How much can you save?
Everything you need to know about the changes to economy fares.
-
Air New Zealand/Qantas price war returns: Who’s flying for less?
EXPIRED: Find out how you can save $76 on a return trip to New Zealand.
-
Flights to New Zealand slashed to $249 with Qantas
EXPIRED: Earn at least 1,000 Qantas Points and 20 Status Credits on your next trip across the Tasman.
-
Stuck with Virgin or Qantas credits? How to take action
With snap border closures continuing to halt the travel plans of many in Australia, we asked seven Finder staff what they’re doing with their travel credits.
-
Qantas sale: $199 flights to New Zealand for snow season
EXPIRED: Kia ora! Pack your bags and jet off to New Zealand for winter adventures.
-
Qantas Frequent Flyer and Afterpay: Everything you need to know
You could earn frequent flyer points with the popular buy now, pay later service – here's how it worked.
-
Best frequent flyer and rewards credit cards June 2020
Imagine what you could do with up to 200,000 bonus points on one of these credit cards.
-
Best frequent flyer and rewards credit cards May 2020
Treat yourself with one of these credit cards offering up to 200,000 bonus points and competitive earn rates for your everyday spending.
Ask an Expert
We have recently returned from a RWT Business Class, flying with Singapore Airlines, Swiss Airlines, Lufthansa & Air New Zealand. As we are members of Air New Zealand points program, can we send the boarding passes for the trip to Air New Zealand. Thank You.
Hi Marian & Stewart,
Thanks for your question.
If you wish to claim your missing points, you will need sign in your account Air New Zealand account and complete a claim missing Airpoints form. Claims for missing Airpoints Dollars from flights may only be claimed once travel is completed, and must be claimed within six months of your original flight.
Cheers,
May
Hi, I have just flown with air New Zealand from Melbourne to San Francisco via Auckland return and I was very impressed with your airline / service / and hospitality, I would like to become some sort of member and get frequent flyer points as the next time we fly to the USA or elsewhere hopefully we’ll be flying Air New Zealand and thank-you for a great service. Regards Kerry – Melbourne Australia.
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for your comment.
Just to confirm, though, you have come through to finder.com.au, not Air New Zealand.
However, you can sign up to the Air New Zealand Airpoints frequent flyer program online via the Air New Zealand website. You’ll just need to fill in a registration form and include some personal information and contact details to sign up.
Cheers,
Sally
My son is an Air NZ Frequent Flyer member. He flew Auck-London recently but did not enter his membership number on booking. He has his boarding pass with seat numbers but not the 13 digit booking number – can he still claim for the points and if so, how?
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for your question.
If your son needs to claim missing miles from a previous flight, he’ll need to sign in to his Air New Zealand account, select “My bookings”, then “Claim missing Airpoints” and fill out the form. He’ll need to provide his flight details including his ticket number, booking class, seat number and booking number.
If your son doesn’t have the booking number, he might be able to find it in any confirmation emails regarding the flight. Otherwise, he might need to get in contact with Air New Zealand directly to confirm the booking number.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Sally
Hi Sally,
Thanks for that – that is what we have done so far.
Who do we contact in AirNZ and what is their phone number.
Thanks
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for getting back in touch.
You can get in touch with the Airpoints Customer Service team on 1800 803 298.
Cheers,
Sally
I am an Air NZ Star Alliance Member and will shortly be booking a flight on Air Canada Vancouver return. Could you please advise if Air Canada is in the Star Alliance, as I cannot see where I would have to check to find out?
Hi Judith,
Thanks for your question.
Yes, Air Canada does belong to the Star Alliance.
Please check our Star Alliance guide to see a full list of the airlines that belong to the Star Alliance.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Sally
I have taken membership of both Air NZ air points and Krisflyer of Singapore airlines. I have booked a flight of Singapore airlines. Do I get points in both airlines or one. If one, I want to get points in Air NZ, how do I get it?
Hi Pallab,
Thanks for your question.
As Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines are partners, you can earn and redeem rewards points with either of the airlines when flying with Singapore Airlines. If you belong to both frequent flyer programs, you’ll just need to quote the relevant frequent flyer number to earn points.
If you’ve already booked the flight, you might need to complete and submit a retroactive miles form after you’ve taken the flight to earn the points. If you want the points to go to your Air New Zealand frequent flyer account, you’ll need to follow these instructions:
– Sign in to your Air New Zealand account
– Select My Bookings in the top right of the page
– On the My Bookings page, select Claim missing Airpoints
– Enter the required details into the form
Please note that you’ll need to provide your ticket number, boarding pass and booking pass.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Sally