Trans-Tasman availability post NZ border opening

[jpp42]

Hi folks,

The NZ government is greatly promoting their reopening to Australian tourism on 11 April, but in attempting to take advantage of this, are finding that the airlines are offering very few seats, and predictably sky-high prices on the remaining ones. Prices don't seem to normalise until around mid-May, I guess once all the school holidays are over.

I'm surprised they aren't adding additional capacity to take advantage - we saw huge capacity jumps domestically in Australia when borders started opening. Yet Qantas for example still has only one SYD-AKL per day for the month of April as best I can tell. Google Flights is helpfully offering me options via Nadi, or even Singapore, as seemingly reasonable options! The best I can actually consider at the moment is $1200 return via ADL.

Any thoughts as to what gives?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Easter is always busy trans Tasman. But little capacity now. A lot less than 2019. QF only has a few flights. JQ & VA not flying. Air NZ far less capacity and a lot to/from AKL. Prices twice and more compared to what they were ~2019.
But for ADL-AKL non stop look at Qatar (not Qantas)

NZ Govt should have talked to the airlines first before the "visit NZ" promotion. Wasted at this time. With NZ opening to Au from 13 April, and no CV19 testing going back to Au from 18 April, was always going to be a lot of demand around Easter NZ-AU school holidays. 1000's have effectively been stuck in NZ or AU for ~2 years other the short time the 2 way TT bubble was in effect.

An other NZ thread-->NZ Blocked to non-residents/NZ citizens, AU until Apr 13, others May 2 2022

 

[burmans]

Both Air NZ and Qantas don’t seem to have added any additional flights for April, all the additional flights are for May which aligns with the real opening up. I tried to book SYD to WLG for my daughters over Easter (amazingly we have long standing reward flights). No direct flights and what is available is >$2000 each. Cheaper to go to Europe!!