Bookings FAQs

I'm getting a session timeout. What's happening?

I didn't receive an Electronic Ticket when I made my online booking. What happened?

Can I get a quote for flights via email?

Air New Zealand does not provide quotes for flights via email because there are many variables involved in quoting fares and flight availability. Factors such as travel dates, seat availability and promotional offers influence the final price. For information on fares for your proposed travel we recommend you visit our homepage and enter your travel dates to see which fares and flights are currently available.

You can choose Fare Hold to enable you to reserve fares at the displayed price for a fee. Fare Hold gives you time to free up funds, or confirm travel and accommodation details with your travel companions, without having to worry whether the fares might go up in price.

How do I receive confirmation of an online booking?

At the end of the online booking process a booking confirmation page will be displayed on your screen which will include a booking reference (e.g. MGB3XH). It is a good idea to print off a copy of this page for your records as it shows the flight details, any car or hotel rentals requested, and your booking reference. These details may be required for country entry requirements.

An electronic ticket will sent to the specified contact email address entered during the booking process - if not immediately, then usually the same day or within 24 hours. Please ensure you enter your email address correctly when making your online booking.

If you have not received your ticket within this period or your travel departure date is less than five days away please contact Air New Zealand and have your booking reference available so that we can check the ticketing status of your booking. For your local free calling number including TTY details, please visit the Help & Contact page.

Which payment methods can I use when booking online?

Payment is via credit card. We also accept payment by debit card on our UK site.

When you complete a booking you will be asked for payment details and your credit card (or debit card) is automatically debited at that stage. The credit cards that are accepted are: American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard. The debit cards that are accepted on the UK site only are; Switch/Maestro, Visa Delta/Debit and Visa Electron.

Travelcard/UATP payment is available only if your booking is initiated via the Fare Finder on the homepage. At present you can only use UATP cards issued by Air New Zealand, branded as 'Travelcard'.

If you would like to use another form of payment you can make and pay for your tickets at your local Air New Zealand Travelcentre.

I don't understand the fare rules, what should I do?

Fare rules are presented to you throughout the online booking process. If you have any queries about fare rules, please call the Air New Zealand Contact Centre Reservations.

For your local free calling number, visit Help & Contact.

They will be able to explain the rules that apply to the fare you have selected. If you have already purchased a ticket, you may also call us to confirm or clarify your fare rules.

I am worried about making a mistake when I book online - what can I do if this happens?

How do I get the fare I want?

The online booking system will not process my credit/debit card, what should I do?

There may be various reasons as to why we are unable to process your credit card or debit card.

These vary from an invalid credit card number, an invalid CVV2 number (3 digit security code), card type, expiry date, start date (found on some debit cards only) or the name on your card being entered incorrectly into any of the required fields.

If you have entered all your card details correctly and continue to receive an error message then we recommend you contact the bank who issued your credit or debit card to ensure sufficient funds are available for you to complete this purchase.

Some European banks enforce a daily limit on debit/credit cards which could prevent your card from being processed. Please contact your bank for further information.

If you are still encountering problems, then please contact our Air New Zealand Reservations centre (UK residents) or Air New Zealand Reservations centre (European residents) for further assistance.

Can I use Debit Card as a form of payment?

What is an issue number?

Is the card payment fee refunded if I cancel my booking?

How is the card payment fee calculated?

The card payment fee is calculated per passenger per one way journey (infants do not incur a fee). The card payment fee is charged for tickets issued in the UK. The applicable fee is:

£2.75 for long-haul international fares
£7.50 for ultra long haul international fares
£2.00 for Domestic New Zealand, Tasman and shorthaul Pacific Island fares

For example, if you purchase a one-way fare from London to Auckland via Los Angeles, the Card Payment Fee is £7.50 even though the itinerary includes two separate flights.

Similarly, if you purchase a one-way fare from Auckland to Nelson and connect via Wellington the Card Payment Fee is £2.00 even though the itinerary includes two separate flights. The Card Payment Fee for a return fare from London to Auckland is £15.00 per person, and the Card Payment Fee for a return fare from London to Los Angeles is £5.50 per person.

Land only product such as Rental Cars and Campervans do not incur a Card Payment Fee.

When will my online booking payment go through?

Paying by credit or debit card

If you've paid with a card, you'll see the transaction on your account immediately. This will be a hold on the funds, which may show on your account as "Pending" or "Hold". The transaction itself will go through at the end of the next working day.

Paying with Airpoints Dollars

If paying with Airpoints Dollars, the amount will be debited from your Airpoints account as soon as the booking is made.

Paying with POLi

Your payment will go through immediately.

How do I reprint my e-ticket?

There are lots of ways to access your e-ticket.

If you're a member of Airpoints™, or if you know your six character booking reference, you can open and print your ticket online. Otherwise, contact us. Our team will ask for your flight details, and then email you your e-ticket.

Use your Airpoints™ account

If you entered your Airpoints membership number when you booked your flight, you can open and print your e-ticket online.

Sign in to your Airpoints account
A box will appear at the top of the page, with a link to "Your bookings" at the bottom right
It shows you all your coming flights. Click the one you want to view
Click 'Manage this booking' to request a copy of your ticket. You can store your ticket in an e-wallet or print it out to keep it handy on your trip

If you can't see your flight, you might not have entered your Airpoints number when you booked.

Enter your booking reference online

You can also enter your reference number yourself, and open your e-ticket online.

Enter your booking reference and family name
We'll show you your booking
Under 'Manage booking' select 'Request ticket copy' and enter your email address

We'll send your e-ticket to you immediately.

Use the Air NZ mobile app

If you download the Air NZ mobile app, you can turn your phone into your ticket, store your boarding pass and much more. If you already have the app, you can find your e-ticket there. You can also check-in before you arrive at the airport, and use an e-boarding pass.

Get the Air NZ app here:

How can I find my booking reference?

Did you book online?

We've sent you a confirmation email. It includes your booking reference, as well as your e-Ticket and itinerary. Can't find it?

It may have gone to your spam folder
You may have deleted it by mistake - check your deleted emails
We may have an incorrect email address

Are you an Airpoints™ member?

If you entered your Airpoints membership number when you booked your flight, you can see your booking online.

Sign in to your Airpoints account
A box will appear at the top of the page, with a link to "Your bookings" at the bottom right
It shows you all your coming flights. Click the one you want to view
Click 'Manage this booking' to request a copy of your ticket

If you can't see your flight, you might not have entered your Airpoints number when you booked.

No luck? Give us a call.

If you can't find your booking, contact us. Tell us your flight details, and we'll tell you your booking reference.

Why does Air New Zealand charge a card payment fee?

Why can't I see the low fares you advertised when I book online?

Can't book a flight for the low fare you saw advertised? There could be three reasons why:

The fare applies to a different travel period

Our low rates usually apply for certain dates. If you're booking for a different date, you'll see our normal low prices.

To check when a low fare applies, see our flight deals. We show the travel period under each fare.

There aren't enough low fares available for your group

When you book a flight for a group of people, everyone buys the same type of ticket.

Sometimes there may be one or two low-price seats available on special, but you won't be able to see them if there aren't enough for all of your group.

To get those last special seats, you could always split your group into smaller bookings. Remember to use Seat Select if available, so you can all sit together on your flight.

We might have sold out

Our flight specials are very popular. It might be that all of our available special tickets have sold out. Keep an eye on our flight deals to see what's available. You can also register for low fare email alerts. Tell us where you want to fly, and we'll let you know when there's a special.

Can I make an online booking for a large group?

You can book flights for up to nine people online, if all of your journey will be with Air New Zealand.

If parts of your journey involve other airlines, you can book for up to four people.

Your group will all need to fly in the same cabin class. You can give some or all of your group preferred seats or even Skycouches if available.

Do you have a larger group?

If you have a large group, or children flying with adults other than their parents, call our Group Bookings team on 0800 767 747 (within New Zealand) or contact our local sales team.
You could also split your group into several online bookings. Each separate group will have their own booking reference and will need to check in together.

Why do I have to pay a service fee for bookings not made on the website?

What will it cost to change my international flight?

If your plans have changed, you can update your international booking online.

Depending on your type of ticket and the new flight details, there might be additional charges.

These guidelines apply to our long-haul flights. There are different rules for flights between New Zealand and Australia, as well as the Pacific.

Updating your booking online or on mobile

You change your international booking online or on our mobile app. It's an easy process, and we'll step you through it clearly. If there are any extra costs, we'll let you know before you commit to the change. If you decide not to go ahead, your original flights won't be affected.

You can make your changes online as long as:

You booked your flights online with airnewzealand.co.nz
Your travel started in New Zealand
You haven't checked in already
The changes apply to everyone in your group
You aren't booked on a Skycouch
Your trip doesn't have multiple destinations

If you can't do it online, call us instead.

Calling us to change your international flight

If online changes aren't an option, you're welcome to call us. You'll need your booking reference, ticket number, or your existing flight details.

If you're in New Zealand, call 0800 737 000. Outside New Zealand, call +64 9 357 3000. We're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our team can help change your flights, if possible, and let you know any costs.

Your possible costs

Changing your flight could involve different types of costs.

Different destinations or dates. If your new flight normally costs more, you will need to pay the difference
Your ticket. If you have a Global Flexi ticket, you can make changes without any additional fees. Other tickets usually include a change fee. We show your ticket type on the e-Ticket and itinerary we sent you by email. Sometimes your booking class is shown by a letter
Contact centre fees. When you make a change through our contact centre, there can be an additional service fee.
Some countries have different fare change rules. You may have to pay more or less, depending on where you booked your tickets

We'll show you any costs so you can decide whether to go ahead with your change.

How much will it cost to change my domestic flight?

Changing your domestic flight might involve some extra costs.

If you have a flexible ticket you might not have to pay anything. You can also save by making the change yourself, either online or on the using the Air NZ mobile app.

Different ticket prices

If our standard fare for your new flight is higher, you need to pay the difference.

Flight change fees

These fees depend on your type of ticket.

Flexi Time ticket. On the day of travel you can switch to an earlier or later flight at no cost. Changes before the day of travel cost NZ $50 per person, per flight changed
Flexi Date ticket. You can change the day you travel without paying a change fee. If your new travel date normally costs more, you may have to pay the difference
All other tickets. You can change your flight before the day you travel for NZ $50 per person, per flight changed. You can't change your flight on the day you travel

Service fee

There's an additional service fee when you change a flight with the help of our Contact Centre - you'll pay NZ $30 each way.

The fee is NZ $30 for each person and flight, and applies to all ticket types.

There's no charge if you change your booking online or on the Air NZ mobile app.

Whether you make your change online or with our team, we'll tell you the cost upfront. If you decide not to go ahead with the change, your current booking won't be affected.

Can I change or cancel my New Zealand domestic, Tasman or Pacific Island flight?

You can change or cancel your booking online or with our Air NZ mobile app.

There may be costs for changing or cancelling your ticket

You can see our cancellation and change policy for your booking on the last page of your e-ticket.

Managing your booking online

If you're an Airpoints member, sign in to your Airpoints account, go to your current flights and follow the options there. You can also use the Air NZ mobile app.

Otherwise, use your six character booking reference, ending in "H", to manage your booking online. You can find your booking reference on your e-ticket.

Can't do it online? Call us.

If you can't change or cancel your flight online, please contact us. There is an additional service fee of NZD $30 per person.

At this stage there are some bookings you can't manage online:

Economy Skycouch™ bookings
Multi-stop bookings
Promo code bookings

What happens if I miss my flight?

We understand that things can go wrong and disrupt your travel plans. If you can see you're going to miss your flight, we may be able to help. The key thing is to take action early.

We'll do everything we can to get you to your destination, but you may have to pay some additional costs.

Switching to the next available flight

If you have a Flexi-Time ticket, you can change to the next flight that day and pay no fees. If the normal cost for your new flight is more expensive, you'll have to pay the difference.

If you have any other ticket, we'll do what we can to secure you a seat on the next available flight. Unfortunately if your ticket is non-refundable, you may need to pay for your new fare.

If there are no seats available, we'll put you on standby. If you miss out, we'll put you on the next available flight at no extra charge.

Cancelling your flight

You can cancel your trip rather than reschedule.

If you have a Flexi Date ticket, we'll give you a full refund, excluding any card payment fees, charges from airports or government. Our other tickets are non-refundable.

Will you refund the domestic flight I had to cancel?

We can refund your FlexiDate ticket if you need to cancel your trip. There is no refund fee unless you cancel on the day of travel. We may not be able to refund government levies, airport charges or other third party fees if they have already been charged.

Unfortunately, our other domestic fares are non-refundable.

The only exception is if you need to cancel your flight due to the death of an immediate family member. We can refund your unused tickets on the death of:

An immediate family member of yours or one of your travelling companions
One of your travelling companions

Immediate family means your spouse, children (including adopted children), parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, sons-in-law or daughters-in-law.

Remember, your travel insurance may cover you for cancellations. Check your policy to see if you can make a claim.

How can I avoid paying the card payment fee?

Does Air New Zealand make automated calls?

No, we don't use automated calling.

If you receive a pre-recorded 'robot' call claiming to be from Air New Zealand, it's a scam.

The call might say you've won an Air New Zealand prize. They'll then ask for personal details, like your Airpoints login details, your credit card number or your bank account.

Hang up on the robot and call one of our real people. We'll take note that scammers are targeting our customers, in case other people call.

If you gave your credit card or bank details before realising it was a scam, call your bank immediately. If you shared your Airpoints login details, change your password as soon as possible.