Extended freeze on new international bookings to New Zealand
Air New Zealand has extended its hold on new bookings on international services into New Zealand following a request from the New Zealand Government to 9 August 2020.
Air New Zealand is working closely with the New Zealand Government to support the efforts to contain COVID-19 at the border. Extending the new bookings hold until 9 August 2020 ensures the country is able to provide appropriate managed isolation accommodation for inbound passengers for the 14-day period.
This extension may mean some customers will need to be moved to another flight.
If you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident who requires consular assistance please contact MFAT.
International Route Changes
Due to the deep impact of COVID-19 on forward travel demand we have made the following changes to our International Route network across the following services:
- Auckland-Buenos Aires flights, that are currently suspended to 30th June, will not resume operation.
- Los Angeles-London flights will not be resumed which will see us exiting this route earlier than the planned month of October 2020.
- The non-stop Auckland-New York service will be postponed from October 2020 until late 2021 at the earliest.
- Auckland-Melbourne flights are currently suspended between 1 July – 14 July 2020 due to Australian Government restrictions. Melbourne to Auckland services will continue to operate during this period.
We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and ask for your patience as we work through these changes with customers who are directly impacted.
Customers booked via a travel agent, including a third-party website (e.g. Expedia, Booking.com) should speak with their agent.
Air New Zealand is currently operating a limited international network through to 31 August to keep air links open for essential travel and cargo movement on key trade routes. Total capacity has been reduced to 95 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels and demand will be reviewed on a route-by-route basis before services are resumed.
International flight schedules
Air New Zealand is extending the timeframe for its significantly reduced network, with its minimal international operations to continue through to 31 August 2020.
This schedule will now apply through to 31 August 2020, with a few exceptions which extend beyond this date. All services are subject to change as governments change travel and border restrictions.
Domestic services into Auckland continue to be scheduled to allow travellers to connect onto Tasman and Pacific routes.
You can also search for flight schedules via origin, destination and date on our flight schedules page.
The airline’s international schedule through to 31 August 2020 will be as follows:
| Australia services | (per week) |
|---|---|
| Auckland-Sydney | Four return services |
| Auckland-Brisbane | Three return services |
| Pacific Islands services | (per week) |
|---|---|
| Auckland-Niue | One return service (through until 31 October) |
| Sydney-Norfolk | One return service (through until 24 October) |
| Brisbane-Norfolk | One return service (through until 24 October) |
There are a number of restrictions in place around passenger services to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Rarotonga, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. If these restrictions end, Air New Zealand is likely to operate one return service per week from Auckland.
| Long haul services | (per week) |
|---|---|
| Auckland-Los Angeles | Five return services |
| Auckland-Hong Kong | Two return services |
| Auckland-Tokyo | One return service |
| Auckland-Shanghai | One return service |
| Auckland/Christchurch-Singapore (Transit service) | One-way transit service – See travel requirements |
The airline is retiming its Hong Kong service to a night operation from Auckland and Hong Kong to maximise connection opportunities for cargo.Stay up-to-date with Travel AlertsCheck if your travel is impacted by these major eventsSee travel alerts
What you need to know
Changes to inflight services
More than ever, we’re focussed on the health and safety of our people and passengers. We’re therefore making temporary changes to our service offering on board.
These changes have been made to keep our crew and customers safe and provide a simplified plan for our catering partners, who are also working with reduced resources.
We will continue to provide special meals. Please request them when you book, as normal.
- When you fly businesspremier™ we will serve a simplified version of our menu that is delivered on a single service tray. This reduces movement and contact in the cabin, but you will still be enjoying businesspremier quality dining
- We have paused parts of our service which increase interactions between crew and customers, such as the offering of a hot towel or pre-take off drinks from a tray in the cabin
Physical distancing between customers
We are working to support government guidance around physical distancing by allocating seating to allow additional space around customers where possible. We recognise there will be a need to keep families and some travelling companions together and will continue to support this wherever possible. We also ask that customers follow crew instructions when onboard our aircraft.
Children travelling alone
With global travel restrictions still in place we are unfortunately still unable to accept unaccompanied minors for international travel.
Travel requirements resources
Before making your booking, please check the latest travel restrictions of your local and destination country for the most up to date entry requirements and government advice. We have listed some of our recommended official health and travel sites to look into first. Please be aware these do not cover all situations and we strongly advise you to undertake independent country-specific exit, entry, and transit requirement research before making a booking with us.
New Zealand Travel Resources
- New Zealand Government COVID-19 travel restrictions
- New Zealand Government Ministry of Health website
Global Travel Resources
- World Health Organization (WHO) – Official global health advice related to COVID-19.
- International Air Transport Association (IATA) – Find the latest travel regulations for your destination and transit countries.
- Advice for New Zealanders living overseas
Manage your booking
You’re welcome to change your booking if you’re flying internationally before 31 July 2020. You can change the date or destination once, without paying any change fees or service fees. You will need to pay for any difference in the fare. Note, bookings between New Zealand and Australia must have the credit requested or change made by 30 June to be eligible.