Travel hack: How to save hundreds on Air New Zealand fares – Stuff

One of the best places to pick up travel tricks is the Air New Zealand Lounge: it's where youll find a group of frequent flyers, after all.

So, when I heard a recent guest talk to an enthralled group of travellers about cheap last-minute fares on Air New Zealand, I was intrigued.

You may remember the national carrier introduced standby fares in 2011 - allowing Kiwis to travel last-minute around the country for $69.

However, that was scrapped in 2013, and cheap last-minute travel was over. Or so I thought.

It turns out Air New Zealand still provides discounted airfares on regional routes - a policy it seems many of us don't know about.

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A last-minute one-way fare from Nelson to Auckland today (October 10) would cost between $313 and $410 for the cheapest fare with bags. However, if you use a little-known trick, you could be on one of these flights for just $169, including bags. And as a little bonus, you even earn Airpoints and Status Points on the trip.

It's known as a Regional Gotta Go fare, and is a scheme that offers $169 flights to and from regional airports. That includes Blenheim, Gisborne, Hamilton, Hokitika, Invercargill, Kerikeri, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Taup, Tauranga, Timaru, and Whangrei.

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Sadly, you cannot use the fares on direct or indirect flights between the main centres: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin.

However, you can use them for multiple sector journeys, such as a flight from Blenheim to Whangrei. This trip would involve two regional flights (Blenheim to Auckland, then Auckland to Whangrei). Booking through the normal process last minute on October 10 would cost between $450 to $513, depending on the time of day. However, using the Gotta Go system a multi-sector journey costs $249.

Air New Zealand has also confirmed you can use the Gotta Go fares on main trunk routes if it includes a regional connection. For example, if youre flying Auckland to Timaru, the route would be Auckland to Wellington on a main trunk service, then Wellington to Timaru on a regional service. In this circumstance, you would be able to book a multi-stop Gotta Go fare for $249.

To get the discounted fares, turn up at the airport 60 to 90 minutes before your flight and ring Air New Zealand's contact centre. If there are spare seats, you'll be offered the deal. If not, you'll need to wait for the next flight and ring again.

MARTIN DE RUYTER/STUFF

The cheap fares apply to regional routes, such as to and from Nelson.

Air New Zealand has struggled with lenghty call centre wait times in recent months as travel comes back in full force, although these are now reducing. To make things easier with wait times, Air New Zealand has scrapped the 60 to 90-minute requirement until October 31, with a spokesperson for the airline confirming to Stuff Travel "customers can try snag one of these fares anytime on the day of departure prior to final check-in."

The scheme was announced back in 2014, as the airline ditched a number of regional routes. The news was buried, with the cut backs receiving most of the attention at the time. I vaguely remember its introduction, but have long assumed the scheme was over, especially with Covid.

Through the years, Air New Zealand has been criticised for the cost of last-minute regional flights. However, the airline argues smaller planes don't have the efficiencies of larger jets meaning regional flights generally cost more to operate per passenger. Even so, this method slashes hundreds off the price.

However, there are a few caveats that passengers need to be aware of. First, you can't game the system and already hold a booking for the same day for the same route.

MARTIN DE RUYTER

Air New Zealand operates a large fleet of regional aircraft.

The second thing people need to be aware of is that flights are sometimes full - meaning you won't travel. You can try and get on the next flight, or may miss them all together. There is, therefore, no guarantee you'll fly - so if you need to go, make sure to book a full fare. They are called Gotta Go fares, but really should be called Probably Go.

But if you're after a last-minute holiday, you could turn up at your local airport and see where an empty seat will take you a travel roulette of sorts.

If you don't like the thought of a last-minute gamble when flying, but are still after a bargain, Air New Zealand's advice is to book early, with lead-in fares starting from $59 to $99 depending on the route.

For more information on Gotta Go fares, head to: airnewzealand.co.nz/domestic-fares

Have you used the Gotta Go fares? Let us know in the comments.

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Travel hack: How to save hundreds on Air New Zealand fares - Stuff