Tag Archives for new zealand.
New Zealand does not impose an equivalent, conflict-specific questionnaire on visitors from Syria, Sudan, or other nations currently embroiled in conflict. Make of that what you will.
United Airlines is the largest U.S. international carrier, the largest Pacific carrier, and is doubling down on being the largest U.S. airline between Australia and New Zealand by adding several new routes and increasing capacity on several of their existing routes. They were unique among peers in not suspending service to Australia during the pandemic, and with partnerships with Air New Zealand and now Virgin Australia they’re able to connect passengers Down Under as well as across the United States.
American Airlines returns to New Zealand today, with the launch of its new Dallas – Fort Worth to Auckland flight. This is significant for several reasons. But to make money doing it, the addition of more business class seats can’t come soon enough.
Stretched thin as they’ve rebuilt their route network, Qantas hasn’t restarted Los Angeles – New York. They’re planning to fly non-stop to New York using new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft potentially as soon as 2025.
Until then they have a new solution for serving the New York market. They will fly Sydney – Auckland – New York JFK starting in June 2023.
New Zealand has announced its 5-step plan to re-open borders and it includes welcoming American tourists without quarantine starting in July – or earlier.
This upgrades the chances that Australia’s plan to re-open to tourism before Easter will hold. If New Zealand’s Prime Minister can talk about re-opening publicly, then the politics of re-opening across the Tasman have a greater chance of working out as well.
Australia and New Zealand have launched a ‘travel bubble.’ That means citizens of either country are permitted to travel to the other, and then return home without a government-enforced quarantine. There is three times as much travel going from Australia to New Zealand as there is the other way around.
A reader asks why this is considered “lopsided” in media reports when there are 5 times as many people in Australia as there are in New Zealand?
American Airlines has just announced two new flights to New Zealand – Dallas Fort Worth – Auckland and Los Angeles – Christchurch. Since Air New Zealand abandoned its non-stop U.S. – Christchurch flying this will be the only flight between the U.S. and New Zealand’s South Island.
Both flights are non-daily and seasonal, and add to American’s seasonal service between Los Angeles and Auckland (which will see a slightly expanded winter 2020-2021 season starting October 7).
A handful of dates in February and plenty of dates in March – still peak season – have the American Airlines non-stop flights between Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand pricing from $420 roundtrip.
This is an excellent opportunity to visit New Zealand at a bargain fare provided you’re amenable to making the journey in economy.
New Zealand has decided not to tax Air New Zealand airports dollars. Apparently there was some concern over the issue, now that Air New Zealand is rewarding ‘dollars’ instead of points those dollars might have been taxed. That fear has apparently been put to rest.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
