Air New Zealand new partner

[snufl]

I couldn't see this reported previously. Just received notification by mail from Amex. Air New Zealand will be an airline rewards partner from March 2009. There are no details about redemption rate at this stage.

 

[futaris]

American Express Australia – MR – Air NewZealand

100 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar = 1 Australian Dollar
2000 Membership Rewards points = 20 Airpoints Dollars

Much better than the SPG:Airpoints rate:

1000 Membership Rewards points = 330 Starpoints
65 Starpoints = 1 Airpoints Dollars

2000 Membership Rewards points = 660 Starpoints = 10 Airpoints Dollars

NB, I think someone already mentioned Air NZ as a new partner in one of the other threads here or on Flyertalk.

 

[dajop]

American Express Australia – MR – Air NewZealand

100 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar = 1 Australian Dollar
2000 Membership Rewards points = 20 Airpoints Dollars

.

Not as good as Altitude (using Amex) though (unless you are on a 1.5x earn rate).

Altitude:
160 Altitude Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar
on Altitude Amex = $1 spent = 2 Altitude points
therefore $80 spent = 1 Airpoints Dollar

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Not as good as Altitude (using Amex) though (unless you are on a 1.5x earn rate).

Altitude:
160 Altitude Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar
on Altitude Amex = $1 spent = 2 Altitude points
therefore $80 spent = 1 Airpoints Dollar

I think after March 31 that depending which card one has that Amex earn rates will be at 1.0, 1.25 and 1.5 per $ for most cardmembers.

So with:
100 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar = 1 Australian Dollar

Is the transfer rate based on an earn rate of 1.0, 1,25 or 1.5?

I would guess at the 1.0 rate.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

So with:
100 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar = 1 Australian Dollar

Is the transfer rate based on an earn rate of 1.0, 1,25 or 1.5?

I would guess at the 1.0 rate.

Huh? Where does 1.0 come in? (or 1.25 or 1.5?).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Huh? Where does 1.0 come in? (or 1.25 or 1.5?).

Different cards earn at different rates as per the matter raised by the poster mentioning Altitude and which I was refering to.

The 100 MR points can be earnt by different spend amounts depending on your earn rate.

The example is just a 100 points (which could be gained by various spend depending on your earn rate of your Amex).

 

[dajop]

Yes for those who have an Amex card that earns 1.5 MR points per dollar, $66.67 spend = 1 NZ airpoint dollar, for those at 1.25 MR points per dollar $80=1 NZ airpoint dollar, for the rest of us the ratio is $100:1

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yes for those who have an Amex card that earns 1.5 MR points per dollar, $66.67 spend = 1 NZ airpoint dollar, for those at 1.25 MR points per dollar $80=1 NZ airpoint dollar, for the rest of us the ratio is $100:1

Disclaimer: I am not at all familiar with the NZ scheme.

But from a quick look you buy fares with the Airdollars and so with Airdollars this would give a MR point value of 1.0 cent.

Which in general would mean that better value can be gained elsewhere such as on SQ (as you can geta lot better value than 1 cent and particularly with Business redemtions)....or with Amex card that goes to QFF even.

From those that are familiar are there ways of get good value redemptions??? ie it mentions upgrades???

 

[AviationNZ]

Am I misreading this, or are the longhaul redemption rates absolutely absurd??? SYD-SFO for 173,300 MR points in Y, where as you can get this on QF in J for 192,000 and SYD-LAX on VA for 188,000. Even transferring points to VS and booking NZ will get you to LAX or SFO for 125,000 points return in J.

 

[dajop]

Am I misreading this, or are the longhaul redemption rates absolutely absurd???

In J they usually are. Main benefit of NZ program is if earning points flying in J or F

When NZ have sales Y redemptions may be OK, and if you book using their partner redemption tables the +++'s are minimal (govt/airport taxes only IIRC). Other than that, I see the main benefit of NZ being a partner just to top NZ points earned by other means.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Am I misreading this, or are the longhaul redemption rates absolutely absurd??? SYD-SFO for 173,300 MR points in Y, where as you can get this on QF in J for 192,000 and SYD-LAX on VA for 188,000. Even transferring points to VS and booking NZ will get you to LAX or SFO for 125,000 points return in J.

Yes, but I believe that NZ has something similar to AnySeat rewards. So you can book any seat that's available at that price using Airports. QANTAS has a restriction on the number of J seats it will make available at Classic award rates.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Different cards earn at different rates as per the matter raised by the poster mentioning Altitude and which I was refering to.

The 100 MR points can be earnt by different spend amounts depending on your earn rate.

The example is just a 100 points (which could be gained by various spend depending on your earn rate of your Amex).

The equation 100 MR = 1 airpoint = 1 AUD means that 1 airpoint buys you $1 worth of airfare (see the examples that are cited in the page linked to in the first post).

How much you originally have to spend to get the 100MR is neither here nor there in the context of the equation that you quoted.

 

[haydensydney]

Um, I don't think this is good at all. Lets use a trans tasman example:

Sydney - Auckland return on AirNZ = say $2000 AUD return in J

NZ Airpoints: with 1.5 burn rate calculates at $66.67 spend per $1 AP
To buy above route on Airpoints = $133,340 spend

KrisFlyer: with 1.5 burn rate calculates at $0.67 spend for 1 KrisPoint
To buy above route @ 35,000 Kris Flyer points = $23,450 spend

Am I right in the above calculations?

 

[JohnK]

Other than that, I see the main benefit of NZ being a partner just to top NZ points earned by other means.

I think that just about sums the Air NZ partnership with Amex.

I cannot see too many people transferring Amex MR Points to Air NZ to redeem awards, like one would for QF, SQ, DJ, VS, VA, if they don't already have a healthy balance in Air NZs FF program.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The equation 100 MR = 1 airpoint = 1 AUD means that 1 airpoint buys you $1 worth of airfare (see the examples that are cited in the page linked to in the first post).

How much you originally have to spend to get the 100MR is neither here nor there in the context of the equation that you quoted.

You are off on a tangent and are only looking at one part of a post replying to dajop which was discussing Altitude vs Amex earn and then conversion to Airports.

So your Amex earn rate effects your final number of points converted and for some may influence the choice of card that they use if they wish to earn Airpoints.

May I suggest that you look at the spirit of what a person posts rather than getting hung up on your interpretation of just once sentence :idea::idea: and in particular when subsequent posts have already clarified the meaning of what was intended to have been written.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I think that just about sums the Air NZ partnership with Amex.

I cannot see too many people transferring Amex MR Points to Air NZ to redeem awards, like one would for QF, SQ, DJ, VS, VA, if they don't already have a healthy balance in Air NZs FF program.

Yes it would seem that it will not be that valuable to most of us.

Still it is good to have the option. One never knows what may pop up...ie ANZ may say have a special on buying flights with Airpoints that makes it temporarily attractive.

 

[JohnK]

Still it is good to have the option. One never knows what may pop up...ie ANZ may say have a special on buying flights with Airpoints that makes it temporarily attractive.

Please don't misunderstand me the more options we have for MR points the better for exactly the reasons you mention....

 

[dajop]

ie ANZ may say have a special on buying flights with Airpoints that makes it temporarily attractive.

One way specials ex-NZ (which have minimal +++'s) are one such example. If you look at QF's 18K equating to $180 AUD airpoints, if you can get a oneway fare for less than $216NZD that is better than the QF option. There have also been some good HKG-LHR return fares that would be attractive, and recent MEL/SYD-LAX/SFO fares around the $1k mark, but little else.

SYD-JFK on UA ... $1580 return with only $100 in +++'s used to seem reasonable. Big problem with NZ though is the program - for partner awards - is not moving downwards in line with fares at the moment - 12 months ago $1580 return to LAX or JFK seemed reasonable compared to cash, now it seems an expensive option.

(btw the only reason I know all this is that have followed it for a while as I have tried to assess the merits of 5,628 SQ pts vs $150 NZ Airbucks... for J flights between SIN and MEL.. at this ratio it is line ball and I've been splitting my flights between the two programs, but on the Amex conversion of 100:1, 5,268 SQ pts or $58.26 NZ Airbucks - I can only see it useful for topping up).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks Dajop for that.

I also am interested in use of Altitude points for even though I currently do not use my Altitude Cards (they are free due to a mortgage, but since they halved the earn rate, other cards are better) I do have 80K of points sitting there awaitinga good home (currently most likely SQ).

 

[AnonymousCoward]

You are off on a tangent and are only looking at one part of a post replying to dajop

I am looking at your entire post. You asked:

So with:
100 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar = 1 Australian Dollar

Is the transfer rate based on an earn rate of 1.0, 1,25 or 1.5?

I would guess at the 1.0 rate.

And the answer to your question is that the transfer rate isn't based on any particular earning rate of MR points per dollar spent. What rate your earned MR points at is irrelevant.

May I suggest that you look at the spirit of what a person posts rather than getting hung up on your interpretation of just once sentence :idea::idea:

I read your entire post, not a single sentence. And it pretty much consisted of a single question. Sorry that you thought I was jumping on you, but your question really didn't make any sense to me.