Air NZ to continue alliance with Cathay Pacific

[SeatBackForward]

Air NZ to continue alliance with Cathay Pacific, targets Asian tourists

By Joshua Riddiford

Aug. 25 (BusinessDesk) - Air New Zealand's has had its alliance with Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific on the Auckland-Hong route has been extended for another four years after the national airline got sign-off from Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

The carriers each operate one daily return service on the route, increasing to a total of three daily return services over peak months in the northern hemisphere Winter season, Air NZ said in a statement. The agreement has been in place since January 2013 and would now continue until Oct. 31, 2019.

“This alliance has ensured the airlines work together on tourism and marketing initiatives so travellers can continue to benefit from more seats, improved flight schedules, shorter connection times, and reciprocal frequent flyer schemes," Bridges said in a separate statement. "My expectation is that Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific will continue working to show the alliance is in the best interests of consumers."

Air New Zealand will report its annual earnings tomorrow, and provided guidance for normalised pretax earnings of between $520 million and $530 million in the 12 months ending June 30, up from $332 million a year earlier. The airline has benefited from cheap jet fuel prices and persistently strong demand for its services.

The tie-up comes after Cathay Pacific said it will add an extra 13,500 seats on the Auckland-to-Hong Kong route in the 2015/2016 peak summer travel period.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1508/S00875/air-nz-to-continue-alliance-with-cathay-pacific.htm

So you can earn Star Alliance points flying CX?

 

[AviationNZ]

So you can earn Star Alliance points flying CX?

Only for flights between AKL and HKG I believe;

Cathay Pacific - Co-operation Partners - Airpoints - Air New Zealand

 

[SeatBackForward]

Only for flights between AKL and HKG I believe;

Cathay Pacific - Co-operation Partners - Airpoints - Air New Zealand

Hypothetical, book on CX using OWE status, use F Lounges in HKG. Can they change your booking within the lounge to include a *A FF number? The prospect of CX service earning Star Alliance points is interesting.

 

[TomVexille]

I suspect it's airpoints only, unless you are on a NZ operated flight.

 

[AviationNZ]

Hypothetical, book on CX using OWE status, use F Lounges in HKG. Can they change your booking within the lounge to include a *A FF number? The prospect of CX service earning Star Alliance points is interesting.

I've got no idea how easy it is to change a FF number in a booking...

I would imagine the CX lounge staff wouldn't be too happy to do it though, as they reason you got entry was due to your OW status.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The agrement is for HKG-AKL / AKL-HKG flights. So they'll accept your Asia Miles or Air Points number only. Zero earn to any other program or alliance partner.

No wonder Air NZ is making the big bucks again with all the protected routes it has!

 

[Isochronous]

The agrement is for HKG-AKL / AKL-HKG flights. So they'll accept your Asia Miles or Air Points number only. Zero earn to any other program or alliance partner.

No wonder Air NZ is making the big bucks again with all the protected routes it has!

What about HKG-LHR, seeing as NZ flew it previously.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

What about HKG-LHR, seeing as NZ flew it previously.

Pretty sure you have 10's of better options on HKG-LHR

NZ will try to route you AKL-LAX-LHR on it's own metal. It's a New Zealand airline...not an 'international' airline like Cathay.

 

[AviationNZ]

NZ will try to route you AKL-LAX-LHR on it's own metal. It's a New Zealand airline...not an 'international' airline like Cathay.

They probably actually prefer to send you via SIN if possible. The LAX-LHR sector as a stand alone gets better yields that if someone flies all the way from AKL-LAX-LHR.