Booking Air New Zealand redemption with KrisFlyer points

[Jennybel75]

Hi all, wondering if anyone has insight. I am looking to use a KrisFlyer points redemption for 2 pax in Y from WLG-SYD in January. The website is showing availability on the date I want but when I get to seat selection/ payment it throws an error and tells me to call an agent.

I did that and the agent told me that the flights weren’t actually available to book, for them either, and they may become available 3 months or so out. Is this correct? And if so, why are they showing as bookable when they aren’t?

I appreciate your thoughts/ advice.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Air NZ is well know for not releasing award seats to ff partners.
Looked at cash tickets with Air NZ or QF?
January can be busy.

 

[Mattg]

I had the same error recently. There was definitely availability in X class from ADL-AKL, which was showing on United, LifeMiles, Air Canada, etc. The Singapore Airlines website was also showing the availability for booking with KrisFlyer miles. But when you try to book on the Singapore Airlines website, you get an error message and the SQ contact centre says the seats don't exist.

This is different to the usual issue of NZ not releasing seats. I wonder what's going on here?

 

[Jennybel75]

I had the same error recently. There was definitely availability in X class from ADL-AKL, which was showing on United, LifeMiles, Air Canada, etc. The Singapore Airlines website was also showing the availability for booking with KrisFlyer miles. But when you try to book on the Singapore Airlines website, you get an error message and the SQ contact centre says the seats don't exist.

This is different to the usual issue of NZ not releasing seats. I wonder what's going on here?

Yes it seems very odd. The agent I spoke to told me even though they were visible to her as well that they wouldn’t be released until maybe 3 months before the flight date. She also said if she tried to book she’d get the same error. It seems rather strange.

 

[Skyhawk]

I'm having trouble too.

 

[Jennybel75]

I'm having trouble too.

Sounds like it could be an IT error of some sort perhaps?

 

[humley123]

I’ve had the same issue with flights on Air New Zealand showing as available to redeem via KrisFlyer, with the booking failing at point of payment. Multiple attempts on different dates and routings led to the same result. Also had no success getting customer service agents to assist. Very frustrating as I transferred points from Velocity to KrisFlyer (with the steep conversion charge) with a specific redemption in mind which I then couldn’t get the system or agents to process.

 

[tunzafun001]

Any luck with this?

I paid to extend the expiry of my points, but still found nothing (well, again one flight...but not bookable).

Used chat and called up. nothing..not one flight in 355 days in any class to any NZ destination from any Australian city.

Yet heaps of empty rewards seats on AirNZ show up on Gyoza.

I think the Air NZ/ SQ partnership is dead? I feel like I have been scammed into paying an extension for no reason.

Any Ombudsman for this sort of thing?