Qantas launches major sale for Kiwi customers with cheap flights to 16 destinations
The sale comes after Qantas last week announced a new route between Auckland and Adelaide with seasonal direct services set to take off in October 2025 through to May 2026.
As part of the launch, a special fare is available starting from $699 Economy return with select blackout periods until March 28, 2026.
Punters can also purchase discounted Premium Economy tickets between Auckland and Brisbane, starting at $999 return.
The same return ticket would start from $2301 with Air New Zealand.
These fares coincide with the introduction of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on flights between the two cities for the first time from August 2025.
This will become the airline's second transtasman route to operate a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner, following flights between Auckland and Sydney as part of the airline's popular QF3 and QF4 service.
Those planning to splash the cash for a Business Class flight will be set back $1199 for a trip from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
Flights from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington to Los Angeles and San Francisco via Sydney will start from $6499 return while flights from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington to Dallas Fort Worth via Sydney will cost $6999 return.
Sale fares are available until 11.59pm, June 2 and include travel from May to April 2026 with select blackout periods.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
6 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Tourism boom, finally? Flight Centre says four countries crucial as new campaign unveiled
Courtney said the new partnership between Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand aimed to build on existing awareness and connections in the four target countries. 'They're four of our strongest leisure markets that we operate in.' The campaign also aimed to boost visitor numbers in the 'shoulder' season around peak tourist times. November, December and February usually had the highest tourism numbers, and July tended to be busier than other months in the middle of the year. Courtney said data showed many visitors from the four chosen countries made repeat visits to New Zealand. She said many Canadians, South Africans, Australians and Britons viewed New Zealand as a key destination. 'We are targeting predominantly Flight Centre brand, which is a pretty mass-market brand in terms of the customers that we attract,' Courtney said. 'Tourism New Zealand have been working with our luxury brands as well, but it's really around targeting all customers.' The group includes Travel Associates, Cruiseabout, Cruise Club, BYOjet, and Aunt Betty. Courtney told the Herald that airline capacity was a key issue affecting tourism growth potential. 'The biggest challenge we've probably still got is across the Tasman ... It varies during the year with seasonal flights, but really, we're only back to about 90% of our pre-Covid capacity.' Air New Zealand has faced aircraft shortages due to some Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engine maintenance issues. Its chief executive, Greg Foran, previously described the situation as akin to being a league team with players 'in the sin bin'. But the airline has indicated it is making progress, with a new Christchurch to Adelaide service announced in June. 'We know that both Qantas and Air New Zealand have added capacity across the Tasman, but it's still not up to the levels it needs to be,' Courtney said. 'There are similar challenges with capacity in and out of Asia, which then has a knock-on effect to getting up to Europe.' The International Air Transport Association (Iata) in June said aircraft deliveries were 30% behind their peak levels. Iata said the global aircraft backlog was at a record high of 17,000 and could take three to five years to resolve. Tourism NZ chief executive Rene de Monchy said the agency would tap into Flight Centre's global customer network. He also said more international air capacity was crucial for achieving tourism growth. The partnership is expected to run for three years. Meanwhile, Courtney said the Government was showing initiative to drive tourism, but some foreign visitors faced high costs and fees. In June, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Tourism Minister Louise Upston announced $13.5 million in extra funding for Tourism NZ. Courtney said there was room for New Zealand to improve its performance in other markets, especially India and China. Another debate related to charging foreign tourists a $20 to $40 fee to visit some of the country's most popular sites. Courtney said there was obviously a cost to ensuring preservation of the environment. But she said New Zealand, with its geographical isolation, was already a fairly expensive place for tourists to come to. 'As much as possible, we need to try and ensure that we keep New Zealand as competitive as we can with other destinations.' John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Today is a good day': Government celebrates Reserve Bank's OCR cut
Cabinet Minister Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Cries of celebration from the government benches were heard at Parliament today, following the Reserve Bank's cut to the Official Cash Rate (OCR). "Today is a good day," Cabinet Minister Louise Upston exclaimed during General Debate. "We have good news for every New Zealand household and business that their mortgage rates are coming down." "Good news today," her colleague Chris Penk echoed. "Interest rates are coming down. The stimulatory effect for our New Zealand economy is going to be great." As expected, on Wednesday, the Reserve Bank cut its benchmark cash rate by 25 basis points to a three-year low of 3 percent and left the door open for further moves lower. The central bank said the economy had stalled in the past few months with households and businesses cautious because of rising prices, a soft labour market, and global uncertainty. It said underlying inflation pressures were expected to reach its target of around 2 percent, even though headline consumer inflation was edging higher to the top of its broader 1-3 percent band. The Prime Minister and Finance Minister called a media conference at Parliament to respond to the news on Wednesday afternoon, telling media the decision would provide more stimulus to the economy. Christopher Luxon said New Zealand had been through a difficult period, but the "road to recovery looks good." He said homeowners would have more money in their back pocket, and therefore, more money to spend. "We have about 40 percent of people in New Zealand that will be refinancing their mortgages in the next six months, so they will really start to feel the benefits of those lower interest rates transmitting through the economy, which is really fantastic news." Nicola Willis echoed the sentiment, saying: "what we want to see is people having the confidence to be spending in the economy and lower interest rates certainly support that." Willis said the Bank had also forecast more cuts to come. She acknowledged households would make their own decisions when it came to spending or saving, but both her and Luxon thought confidence would increase over time. "It's true that as unemployment is forecast to reduce and as growth is forecast to recover, that will support greater levels of confidence in the economy, and therefore it is likely that many households and businesses will think, yep, this is the time to start spending." Willis said it was "objective data" that said things are "absolutely getting better, and you should feel confident about that." She acknowledged people were still facing high prices at the supermarket, but said Foodstuffs and Woolworths had the "power in their hands" to ensure New Zealanders faced lower prices. "They can exercise it any day they like." Willis also took a swipe at the opposition and those who were critical of the state of the economy, saying "there's a choice" when it came to how the country spoke about the economy. "Do we talk ourselves into an ongoing funk, or do we look ahead and recognize that things will get better?" she said. She said she was conscious households listened to "merchants of misery" and opposition "doomsayers" every day who talked down the New Zealand economy. "Now is not the time to be talking down the New Zealand economy," Willis said. "The data doesn't lie. The Reserve Bank are independent. They are not political." Following the OCR cut, the right-leaning Taxpayers' Union warned the coalition government not to rest on its laurels and to cut in its "reckless spending". Willis shot back, pointing to the Reserve Bank's indication that the government's decisions were making a difference. "I'd encourage the Taxpayers' Union to read the monetary policy statement report, because it explicitly calls out ... that in the medium term, the fact that the government is reducing spending as a share of GDP will reduce inflation pressure. "So it's not just us saying, guys, that our fiscal choices are reducing inflationary pressure and supporting lower interest rates. The Reserve Bank are explicitly calling that out." She said the Taxpayers' Union might think it's a good idea to cut support to Kiwi families who need it, to stop investing in schools and hospitals: "I disagree." ACT leader and Associate Finance Minister David Seymour said the cut would help mortgage holders, borrowers and businesses. "There are lots of people who want this whole thing just to go faster but there are no shortcuts." ACT would have gone further in cutting public expenditure, he said. Seymour said that could amount to $7b or $8b in cuts every year, in line with the alternative budgets ACT released while in opposition. "That sounds like a lot of money, when you consider that the government's currently spending $142b what we're really talking about is about a 5 percent reduction and I still think that's necessary." Unemployment was about where it was forecast to be a couple of years ago, he said, and if the government stayed the course with keeping spending under control the situation would improve. The Greens said some people would welcome the cut, but the Reserve Bank's decision wouldn't help those people being left behind by government decisions, which were leading to an increase in poverty and homelessness. "While the OCR cut will provide some relief for those with a mortgage, the number of New Zealanders left out in the cold continues to grow under Luxon's decisions. "Reports out today show families being forced to choose between unsafe boarding houses, or living on the street," said Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Swarbrick said monetary policy was a blunt instrument, "it is fiscal policy - that is, the government's choices on tax and spend - which dictates who wins and who loses in our economy." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
a day ago
- 1News
Kiwis flock offshore for travel getaways despite cost-of-living crisis
New Zealanders are continuing to prioritise international travel, with Kiwi holidaymakers breaking records – despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting households across the country. Statistics NZ figures show May was the busiest on record for New Zealanders returning from an international trip – exceeding numbers from before the Covid-19 pandemic. Paula Rhodes, owner of Hornby House of Travel, said the appetite for travel remains strong across all age groups. 'A lot of it is about making up for lost time,' she said. 'That older generation especially; there's a sense that you need to make the most of those years. You've got to get out there and live while you can." Trip numbers to Asia have also skyrocketed. ADVERTISEMENT Statistics NZ spokesperson Bryan Downes said short-term trips to Asia by New Zealand resident travellers were up 20% in the June 2025 year, compared with the previous year – driven primarily by more trips to Indonesia, China, Japan, and India. In the 12 months to June, 316,100 New Zealanders travelled to Asia for short-term getaways; a staggering 34% increase on the previous year. Rhodes said much of the Bali surge is due to Air New Zealand offering direct flights to Denpasar. 'It's more accessible than ever, it's an easy destination, and once you're there, it's relatively affordable,' she said. Japan is also experiencing a significant spike in visits from Kiwis, particularly among younger travellers. 'Japan is huge at the moment. People love the cultural difference. It's a real assault on the senses — from traditional kimonos to anime. The Japanese people are incredibly welcoming, and there's so much going on.' Arthur Blake of Christchurch attended the Travel Expo this morning and had already booked a Europe trip for 2026. ADVERTISEMENT 'There's more confidence now, so we can book a month-long holiday. You know you can book a holiday and know that your flights won't be cancelled,' he said. Despite the cost-of-living pressures facing New Zealanders, Rhodes said it hasn't dissuaded Kiwis from booking trips overseas. 'We do sometimes scratch our heads about the cost of living situation — but travel still seems to be very much part of people's budgets. We love to travel — and living at the bottom of the world, that's understandable. Especially with the weather we've had lately in Christchurch — who wouldn't want a bit of heat and sunshine?' she said.
