What to do with airpoints dollars?

[Cappuccino99]

When I lived in NZ, I travelled a lot for work so achieved status quite quickly. I'm no longer living there but still at Silver and with over $1000 airpoints dollars.

As I'm now living in Australia with no current plans to visit NZ, I'm ok letting my status drop back but what would be the best use of the dollars? Can I use them on partner airlines originating in Australia? Will they expire if I don't use them soon?

 

[henrus]

Yes it's possible to use them on Virgin Australia domestic flights and Star Alliance flights out of Australia however a really bad award chart applies.

Airline partner reward chart - Paying for flights with Airpoints Dollars™ - Spending Airpoints Dollars™ - Airpoints™ | Air New Zealand – Australia

With your $1000 apd you'd be lucky to get oneway to Europe in Economy and a return to Asia is not even possible in economy.

 

[dajop]

With your $1000 apd you'd be lucky to get oneway to Europe in Economy

Impossible! One way to Europe listed on chart is only valid on single flight number, which in theory could have been used on VS SYD-LHR, but this is no longer possible. Closest you get is via North America .. 555+505 pts.

I've always found the Asia-Europe in business class best value for 1090 apd + (usually this means Singapore-IST on TK, Bangkok-Europe on TG or China-Europe on CA), But then you need to find your own way to Asia and own way home ...

 

[serfty]

I was *Elite for 5 years before Airpoints was ruined for oz residents as a program whereupon I soft landed back through the ranks until my remaining $0.02 expired.

Almost the entire use I had was for upgrades.

Domestic VA would may be your best bet.

 

[Cappuccino99]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Happy flying

 

[NZflygirl]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Happy flying

If you still have an airpoints card like Kiwibank you could just pay $5 and top up to an award you value? Check the chart. It’s 1:1 APD. I would check availability first with UA search then call Air NZ. Don’t know if they hold awards while you purchase APD top up and if the top up is instantaneous. I think it’s $100 for the booking per sector. No fuel surcharges according to another post.

 

[serfty]

If you still have an airpoints card like Kiwibank you could just pay $5 and top up to an award you value?

Australian members do not have that option.

 

[NZflygirl]

Australian members do not have that option.

I thought it might be an option giving the OP was living in NZ previously. I'm not sure how long ago or whether they have shut the accounts down.

 

[serfty]

It's one of the several reasons I gave up on Airpoints - NZ residents could simply "buy" points for their oneups ... where I could not ...

 

[NZflygirl]

It's one of the several reasons I gave up on Airpoints - NZ residents could simply "buy" points for their oneups ... where I could not ...

I get that. The reverse is true where I have felt disadvantaged by living in NZ and not having access to Oz cc. But I feel at an advantage when I pay AKL-xx_-PER and it's cheaper than your transcon SYD-PER in J. I'm jealous Oz has cheaper pricing on NZ to the Americas which is a tough destination to get to in premium cabins.

I would honestly be worried if Air NZ introduced significant ground earnings (eg decent credit card earn or SP earn) for Australians mainly because you have a large population and the route you'll be using them on is likely to be the Americas. A route people already have issues clearing upgrades (although not entirely impossible). You'd introduce crazy competition to current perks. I don't think our NZ population of QF or VA flyers impacts on your flyers perks much at all. Just a numbers game.... and an assumption.