Key takeaways
- Koru is Air New Zealand's loyalty program, which uses Airpoints as its currency.
- Convert points from eligible Australian Amex ANZ NAB or Westpac cards.
- Airis worth AUD$1 and expires after four years; use them for flights or upgrades.
Koru is Air New Zealand's frequent flyer program. It allows members to earn Airpoints when they fly with Air New Zealand or with one of the 25 Star Alliance member airlines. (The entire scheme was known as Airpoints before switching to Koru in April 2026.)
Once you've racked up enough Airpoints, you can use them to:
- Redeem flight rewards with Air New Zealand and its partners
- Upgrade your cabin class
- Rent cars with certain brands
"While you can't earn Airpoints directly on an Australian credit card, some will let you transfer points into the scheme - worth considering if you fly to New Zealand regularly."
How do you become Koru member?
It's free to join the Koru program. You just need to complete and submit the form online at the Air New Zealand website. It only takes a few minutes and you'll need to provide some personal information including your full name, date of birth, country of residence, address, email address and phone number.
How you can earn Airpoints
You can earn Airpoints and Status Points every time you fly with Air New Zealand. The number of Airpoints 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 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 plus 299 to 449 Status Points.
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 in the Star Alliance. While you'll earn Airpoints, you may be unable to earn Status Points with some partner airlines. Airpoints from partner airline flights can take longer to show in your account — Air New Zealand recommends waiting three to four weeks before submitting a missing Airpoints claim.
You can see the full list of airline partners below:
- AEGEAN
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian
- Avianca
- 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 Air Lines
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways International
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
Credit cards
Credit card sign-up bonuses are an easy way to earn a large amount of frequent flyer points, especially when you're just starting your frequent flyer journey.
While there aren't any credit cards with which you can earn Airpoints directly, if you have an American Express, ANZ, NAB or Westpac rewards credit card, you can exchange your points for Air New Zealand Airpoints. 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
Compare other products
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked theseHotels and holidays
If you're earning Airpoints on flights, you may as well earn them on hotels too. Earn Airpoints with over 10,000 partner hotel properties when you book via Air New Zealand. Partner chains include Accor, Marriot and Quest.
How much are Airpoints worth?
Air New Zealand says 1 Airpoint is worth the equivalent of AUD$1.
How many Airpoints do I need for a free flight?
Because Airpoints are worth $1, working out how many Airpoints you need for a free flight is as simple as looking up the cost of a flight.
What are the other ways can you spend your Airpoints?
- Partner flights. You can also use your Airpoints for a range of flights with Star Alliance partners and other partner airlines including Etihad 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 for a travel companion.
- Onboard purchases. You can use your Airpoints 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.
- Car rental. You can use your Airpoints to book a car rental with Avis, Budget and Apex. Booking service fees may apply if you book through the Air New Zealand contact centre.
Can you use Airpoints to upgrade to business class?
Yes, you can. However, you'll need Elite Status to do so. Elite members can upgrade from one class to the next using Airpoints at a fixed rate.
Yes, you can — upgrade options and eligibility depend on your Koru status tier. Members with Koru Platinum and Koru Black status can request upgrades using Airpoints, while Koru Gold and Koru Silver members have different upgrade options and conditions.
How do Airpoints' status credits and status tiers work?
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.
Can you transfer Airpoints?
You can share Airpoints with friends and family through Shairpoints. You can gift Airpoints to others if they live at the same address by adding them to your Gifts Register.
Frequently asked questions
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I have some flights on hold Bris to Vancouver
Just wondering of I can join FF program
The customer service operator thought fees were waived at the moment
Can u advise
Thanks, Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your question.
According to the Air New Zealand Airpoints site, there is currently no joining fee for the program.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
We signed up for the ANZ air points program the last time we were in NZ but can’t find our membership or numbers. Booking flights today, how can we get the numbers to enter with our reservations? Thank you
Hi Alicia,
Thanks for your question.
You’ve come through to finder.com.au, and online comparison service. Please contact the customer service team at Air New Zealand for all membership enquiries.
Cheers,
Shirley
Thanks!
Please can you tell me what MILES table does NZ use for pax flying with them, and wishing to earn miles on their frequent flier programme? For instance if one is a member of another Star Alliance carrier’s FF – such as Air Canada for example – does NZ credit miles like every other carrier I have flown. I cannot get an answer over the telephone with NZ staff.
Thank you!
Hi Runzel,
thanks for the question.
I was unable to find a chart showing all of the miles members of other star alliance programs will earn when flying on Air New Zealand. If you go to the website of your frequent flyer provider and view the section which lists how you can earn frequent flyer miles, it’ll usually list how many you’ll earn for flying on different partner airlines. For Air Canada for example you can earn up to 125% of the miles you fly when flying on Air New Zealand. More information can be found on the Aeroplan website.
I hope this helps,
Marc.