New Zealand Travel Bubble Announcement

[burmans]

Yes good news , though I suspect most people want a return rather than a one way flight.

 

[henrus]

Should be a lot of flights now into Sydney with no more quarantine

I wouldn't say a lot more. It'll be more like November/December last year when one way flights operated from AKL to SYD. These were typically 4x weekly with Air NZ (sometime surging up to daily depending on freight), Qantas threw in a handful of flights operated by QF and JQ.

 

[burmans]

My view is that they will start like this and if if there is demand they will put on more flights but the fact that its a one way bubble will undoubtedly be a factor in this.

 

[justinbrett]

I wouldn't say a lot more. It'll be more like November/December last year when one way flights operated from AKL to SYD. These were typically 4x weekly with Air NZ (sometime surging up to daily depending on freight), Qantas threw in a handful of flights operated by QF and JQ.

My understanding is there's quite a lot of Australians stuck in NZ. There's definitely some on this forum.

 

[Berlin]

My understanding is there's quite a lot of Australians stuck in NZ. There's definitely some on this forum.

Yep- finger high up in the air. And getting pretty desperate too. So if anyone gets news of when we can expect seats into Sydney to be released, please let us know. I am on the edge of my seat in excitement after the announcement today.

 

[justinbrett]

You also have to wonder if ANZ will want to tap into the Australian - US market (via AKL), easy way to keep their international trade going.

I also believe they're still permitted to fly Australia - USA direct, so could even go back to the SYD-LAX route while they wait for their own market to resume. But via AKL much more likely. Might even be preferable for BNE/ADL who don't have their own international flights.

Yep- finger high up in the air. And getting pretty desperate too. So if anyone gets news of when we can expect seats into Sydney to be released, please let us know. I am on the edge of my seat in excitement after the announcement today.

I would keep checking - QF1/11 for 01 Nov only just appeared this morning.

 

[henrus]

You also have to wonder if ANZ will want to tap into the Australian - US market (via AKL), easy way to keep their international trade going.

I'd only consider this if it had a 30 minute transfer time in Auckland.

Currently those who arrive on non quarantine free flights into NZ and are transiting are taken to a "waiting area". This waiting area is down near gates 15/16 and currently features a couple of vending machines, a counter where you can order food from a single joint the main terminal (they'll bring it to the satellite area) plus a small duty free shop.

During your transit you can't access any showers, other shops, other food or the lounges. Fine for 30 minutes but would get very boring if it involved a 2-3hr transit time as was the case with the previous AU-NZ-LAX schedule.

 

[henrus]

Spoke way too soon above.

Air NZ already look to be loading in LAX-AKL-SYD and vv flights with longish layovers. Right now they're Zeroed out in all classes but I expect sales will start soon. What is unclear is if they'll just sell AKL-SYD.

At this point the AKL to SYD will be a twice weekly 787 service using the code NZ751. It'll leave LAX on a Wed and Fri.





On the way to the US it'll be a Friday from SYD only.



NZ7xx is a code we haven't seen recently but I guess this will become the new code for services to/from NSW. Current convention is that NZ8xx flights are red zone quaratine services whilst NZ1xx and NZ2xx are green quarantine free services.

In December the Air NZ schedule is messed up because some days from SYD to AKL have got flights with NZ7xx (these new ones that link to long haul flights), NZ1xx services (bubble flights that'll likely be canceled) plus some NZ8xx (passengers traveling into NZ hotel quarantine).

 

[Berlin]

Spoke way too soon above.

Air NZ already look to be loading in LAX-AKL-SYD and vv flights with longish layovers. Right now they're Zeroed out in all classes but I expect sales will start soon. What is unclear is if they'll just sell AKL-SYD.

At this point the AKL to SYD will be a twice weekly 787 service using the code NZ751. It'll leave LAX on a Wed and Fri.


View attachment 262155
View attachment 262156

On the way to the US it'll be a Friday from SYD only.
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NZ7xx is a code we haven't seen recently but I guess this will become the new code for services to/from NSW. Current convention is that NZ8xx flights are red zone quaratine services whilst NZ1xx and NZ2xx are green quarantine free services.

In December the Air NZ schedule is messed up because some days from SYD to AKL have got flights with NZ7xx (these new ones that link to long haul flights),

Where do you get this info from- Matrix Ita or some sort of GDS? I've now found the once daily 787 flight on the former but no sign yet on Air NZ. Any idea when they will release those for booking?

 

[henrus]

Where do you get this info from- Matrix Ita or some sort of GDS? I've now found the once daily 787 flight on the former but no sign yet on Air NZ. Any idea when they will release those for booking?

Screenshots above are from the matrix. Also showing as zeroed out in expert flyer.

Typically it takes them a few hours to release them although it's hard to tell if they start sales today or wait for more info. I'd expect a trade release in the next couple of hours to explain this.

 

[justinbrett]

I can't see it on EF flight availability (either for LAX-SYD or AKL-SYD) but I can see it in timetables and on google flights. Not searchable for AKL-SYD, but it will attach to NZ5.

Normally zeroed flights will still appear in flight availability with, well, zeros...

 

[Berlin]

Screenshots above are from the matrix. Also showing as zeroed out in expert flyer.

Typically it takes them a few hours to release them although it's hard to tell if they start sales today or wait for more info. I'd expect a trade release in the next couple of hours to explain this.

Thanks a lot!

I've checked business class inventory on Matrix now for November/December and that's what I get:


Now- this looks very odd to me, proper daily flights only from December onwards (that's what has shown up the whole time during Lockdown as well). If I end up with those seats for $966 a pop- fine, I need as much luggage allowance as possible anyway (I'm only Silver with *Alliance) and am happy for a nice seat, plus got about half of that in credit vouchers anyway. But $3019 is most certainly not fine

So checking hourly now to see when flights show up on their site. And hoping it will be daily rather...

 

[henrus]

I've checked business class inventory on Matrix now for November/December and that's what I get:

At the moment because seats are not being sold you'll need to tick the box to turn off "Only show flights and prices with available seats".

But $3019 is most certainly not fine

If you click on that $3k option you'll find it's actually a Fiji Airways service connecting in Nadi.

As a side point. The Air NZ business class baggage allowance is fixed 3x 23kg bags (even Gold don't get more than this), the most any individual can check on an Air NZ service is 3 bags regardless of extra status allowances.

Booking a regular Economy fare ~$300 and then adding 2 extra bags $140 ($70 each) works out much cheaper than business class if you're just after the baggage. Additionally Rates for overweight (more than 23kg but under 32kg) bags significantly dropped for tickets booked after 29 September 2021, overweight fees across the Tasman are now $40 (was $170).

What this means is that you could buy a regular economy fare, add two bags and then pay the overweight fees at the airport. This would work out at around, $560 for an economy ticket with 3x 32kg checked bags (totalling 96kg).

 

[Berlin]

At the moment because seats are not being sold you'll need to tick the box to turn off "Only show flights and prices with available seats".


If you click on that $3k option you'll find it's actually a Fiji Airways service connecting in Nadi.

As a side point. The Air NZ business class baggage allowance is fixed 3x 23kg bags (even Gold don't get more than this), the most any individual can check on an Air NZ service is 3 bags regardless of extra status allowances.

Booking a regular Economy fare ~$300 and then adding 2 extra bags $140 ($70 each) works out much cheaper than business class if you're just after the baggage. Additionally Rates for overweight (more than 23kg but under 32kg) bags significantly dropped for tickets booked after 29 September 2021, overweight fees across the Tasman are now $40 (was $170).

What this means is that you could buy a regular economy fare, add two bags and then pay the overweight fees at the airport. This would work out at around, $560 for an economy ticket with 3x 32kg checked bags (totalling 96kg).

Thank you so much- I'm not quite that knowledgable when it comes to AirNZ as I am with Oneworld so very useful. I'll probably still rather go Business as I care about the better seat (and, if it's back, the champers and food) but the info on the overweight fees is extremely useful nevertheless.

We'll ship the car and a stack of boxes separately so for the first few weeks back, whatever we have on us, is what we have to live with.

 

[burmans]

My understanding is there's quite a lot of Australians stuck in NZ. There's definitely some on this forum.

Undoubtedly there are some but the experience last time was that after booked out planes the first few days the demand dropped off rapidly to travel to Oz.

 

[Berlin]

Undoubtedly there are some but the experience last time was that after booked out planes the first few days the demand dropped off rapidly to travel to Oz.

I must admit that even though I'm one of the affected, I am not all too worried to not get a seat once the caps are gone. How many pax roughly fit into a 787- 300 roughly? I'd think that backlog would be cleared after a week of daily flights max.

 

[justinbrett]

You're not tempted to have a quick holiday in the US before coming home? I know I would be.

 

[justinbrett]

@Mattg @Berlin


This is not a drill

 

[Berlin]

@Mattg @Berlin


This is not a drill

View attachment 262172

Yep- bookable, but it says "Managed isolation required unless transiting".

 

[Mattg]

@Mattg @Berlin


This is not a drill

View attachment 262172

Thanks. Still not seeing anything before 5 November on NZ's website but I am keeping an eye out!



@Berlin do you think the seats will sell out fast? Not sure whether I should book now or wait for more flights to be added.