Retaining Air NZ Status Points

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#1211534 10-Jan-2015 11:27

rayonline: I just use the APD system for my credit card for the occasional fare to AKL or SYD. I use a overseas programme for rewards easier and for gold easier too like Aegean or Asiana. Only requires 1.5x return to Asia and back or 1x to further North America I think per year on average (for Gold). Asiana does it each 2yr cycle though. The best thing for me is to go for grabaeast fares primarily for 60% off fares like $699 Tokyo return even thou earns no APD, does earn SP but bugger all. Pay my own money for that. I'm not getting a Plat card and pay the higher annual fee for SP earing on the card - wont' get enough.

I have Aegean. Just been told that I need one round the world trip to keep Gold ... haven't decided whether to keep or not. (mind you better than 3 times round the world!)

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khull

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#1211542 10-Jan-2015 11:44

I like how sbiddle puts it, don't get fooled by Air NZ implying more dollars spent equals more status points because it is not true for different routes and different booking class. Mileage running especially domestic routes between main cities is still feasible

sbiddle

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#1211631 10-Jan-2015 18:06

rayonline: I just use the APD system for my credit card for the occasional fare to AKL or SYD. I use a overseas programme for rewards easier and for gold easier too like Aegean or Asiana. Only requires 1.5x return to Asia and back or 1x to further North America I think per year on average (for Gold). Asiana does it each 2yr cycle though. The best thing for me is to go for grabaeast fares primarily for 60% off fares like $699 Tokyo return even thou earns no APD, does earn SP but bugger all. Pay my own money for that. I'm not getting a Plat card and pay the higher annual fee for SP earing on the card - wont' get enough.

Aegean and Asiana loopholes to gain *G are long gone, and with most low cost fares not counting towards miles for *A accrual it's pretty pointless.

I also see far more benefit in having my status with Air NZ and not another carrier as I get some significant benefits from that - 2 x RU in effect have a monetary value of $1000 (that's the cost of 2x standby upgrades to BP), I get an extra carry-on bag, and I get lounge access at some partner lounges which are non *A lounges so Aegean *G isn't going to gain access when flying on Air NZ.

rayonline

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#1211676 10-Jan-2015 18:57

sbiddle:
rayonline: I just use the APD system for my credit card for the occasional fare to AKL or SYD. I use a overseas programme for rewards easier and for gold easier too like Aegean or Asiana. Only requires 1.5x return to Asia and back or 1x to further North America I think per year on average (for Gold). Asiana does it each 2yr cycle though. The best thing for me is to go for grabaeast fares primarily for 60% off fares like $699 Tokyo return even thou earns no APD, does earn SP but bugger all. Pay my own money for that. I'm not getting a Plat card and pay the higher annual fee for SP earing on the card - wont' get enough.

Aegean and Asiana loopholes to gain *G are long gone, and with most low cost fares not counting towards miles for *A accrual it's pretty pointless.

I also see far more benefit in having my status with Air NZ and not another carrier as I get some significant benefits from that - 2 x RU in effect have a monetary value of $1000 (that's the cost of 2x standby upgrades to BP), I get an extra carry-on bag, and I get lounge access at some partner lounges which are non *A lounges so Aegean *G isn't going to gain access when flying on Air NZ.

Was it easier before? I just checked Asiana it still requires only 40,000Miles over 2yrs. Auckland to HKG is about 5500Miles one way so 3x (return) is required, when one hits Asiana Silver (after 20,000Miles) the bonus earn rate helps you. AirNZ W Class is still on the earning table is still earning 100% miles. These are are the $1800-2300 type of fares, yeah .. I didn't expect the real cheap fares to be included. Still easier than AirNZ.

By the way what is RU and BP in your last post? Not up to date with the acronyms.

Edit - I usually go to Asia. Under the Airpoints systems the grabaseat fares only earn SP which is little point for me, they don't earn APD's. So it is similar situation right? I don't know how cheap of a fare until AirNZ provide APD but generally the AirNZ airfares to Asia cost between $1800-2,000 for a W class isn't it. A promotion of maybe $1,600 does AirNZ give APD and not Asiana?

Re: AirNZ SP. If a common NZder travels W class fare 2x a year and nothing else. They only earn 56 one way or 112 return, so 2 trips is 224 SP. Status is not something they can reach anyway.

nathan

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#1211683 10-Jan-2015 19:05

Ru recognition upgrade for having Nz Gold/gold elite

Bp business premier / business class (J class?)

wsnz

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#1211937 11-Jan-2015 14:07

nathan: Ru recognition upgrade for having Nz Gold/gold elite

Bp business premier / business class (J class?)

BP uses C,D,Z or J for paid fares, with I and R used for redemption fares and award upgrades respectively.

gmball

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#1211948 11-Jan-2015 14:40

I must admit, I still like the ability to use airpoints dollars to purchase any seat on any flight. I remember the days when there were only a handful of redemption seats on each flight, which made it almost impossible to book fares less than a month before travel.

With airpoints dollars now, I can decide to fly tomorrow and provided there is one seat left, I can book and pay with points.

I agree, I don't think you should be able to accrue airpoints dollars and status points on tickets paid with points. On the other hand, if you have a airpoints credit card which earns status points, depending how much you spend on your credit card, its fairly easy to accrue have the status points required for silver and gold status, or 40% of the status points required for gold elite. There's really not that much more flying require to earn the remainder of the points which need to be earned on Air NZ flights.

jarledb

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#1211995 11-Jan-2015 18:16

I thought airpoints from using your creditcard could only be used to purchase trips and did not count as status points for membership levels? Has that changed?

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gmball

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#1211997 11-Jan-2015 18:18

jarledb: I thought airpoints from using your creditcard could only be used to purchase trips and did not count as status points for membership levels? Has that changed?

This from the Air NZ website:

"As an added bonus Status Points can also be earned on selected Airpoints credit cards. Status Points earned on credit cards count towards 50% of the Status Points you require each 12 month period to retain or upgrade your tier status for Silver and Gold Members. Status Points earned on credit cards count towards 40% of the Status Points required each 12 month period to retain or upgrade your tier status for Elite members."

rayonline

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#1212018 11-Jan-2015 19:05

jarledb: I thought airpoints from using your creditcard could only be used to purchase trips and did not count as status points for membership levels? Has that changed?

Taken off the Gold cards, still available on the Platinum cards.

Depends on how much you spend / travel really. 2x global saver economy international to LAX with the kids to Disney would get bugger all SP, unless you wack up the credit card spending and or go Economy Flexi or Premium Economy.

Batman

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#1212071 11-Jan-2015 19:51

We are a family of five. Everything is on the CC. Rack up the 50% SP easy. But we don't fly so ... No status haha

rayonline

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#1212117 11-Jan-2015 21:15

500sp for silver. Half that 250, $250 each .... Needs quite a bit. I wonder though if a family has multiple family members on one credit card to max up the SP only the primary card holder get status right?

khull

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#1212144 11-Jan-2015 22:09

Don't rely on credit cards as the main source for status points. Unless you have means of loading all expenses against it

gmball

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#1212163 11-Jan-2015 23:26

rayonline: 500sp for silver. Half that 250, $250 each .... Needs quite a bit. I wonder though if a family has multiple family members on one credit card to max up the SP only the primary card holder get status right?

450 status points for silver or 900 status points for gold. At least 50% of the status points to achieve either tier status need to be earned on Air NZ flights.

We use a Kiwibank Platinum Mastercard, $200 per status point, 1 airpoints dollar per $75 spent, and 2x Koru lounge entry passes once we have accumulated $20K spent on the card and for every $20K after that.

It obviously does depend on what you use your credit card for, but quite easy for anyone running a business to quickly clock up 30-40K spent per month, $30K would be 150 status points in one month.

We regularly have status points far in excess of what we can put towards status as only 50% can be used for silver/gold or 40% for elite.

We don't fly Air NZ regularly enough to actually achieve their tier status, but it would certainly make achieving status fairly straight forward, 1x return business class trip to LAX for Gold status, 2x business class return trips to LAX for elite (once status points from flights are combined with those from credit card).
With a return AKL/LAX business class trip costing around $7K, it basically means elite status is achievable by spending $14K with Air NZ and combining those status points earned on flights with those from your credit card.

$14K seems a small price to pay to achieve Air NZ's top tier, perhaps a little too easy to achieve.

MikeB4

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#1212186 12-Jan-2015 07:31

My wife gets a load of points from her Amex Card, 150 to 200 per month but these are not status points. Good for flight purchases.

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