It’s time to deck the halls with departure calls! Festive flights are approaching as Air New Zealand gears up to welcome nearly three million customers across its network from now until the end of January.
Christmas is a time of excitement and joy for many as whānau reconnect with loved ones. For Air New Zealand, it requires delicate coordination to help customers connect with their loved ones across New Zealand and around the world.
Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren says the airline is proud to play a role in making these connections possible.
“The holiday season is such a special time when families and friends come together, and we’re privileged to play a part in connecting so many people. Our team works hard, planning for months to make sure everything runs smoothly, especially during our busiest days.”
Friday 27 December will be the airline’s busiest day of the year, with more than 50,000 customers planning to take off to destinations across Aotearoa and overseas.
This summer, the most popular domestic destination outside the main cities is Queenstown, with a whopping 250,000 customers set to fly to and from the holiday hotspot over December and January. Nelson will see 155,000 visitors to and from New Zealand’s sunshine state, while Dunedin and Napier are also proving to be popular domestic destinations with over 120,000 expected to travel to and from each region.
Australia tops the international list with more than 450,000 customers booked to travel to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over the holiday period.
Air New Zealand will also be operating flights to Bali over the season for the first time, and more than 12,000 Kiwi are expected to enjoy the island paradise. Tinseltown is also proving popular, with more than 50,000 customers opting to travel to and from Los Angeles. Nearly 50,000 will be travelling to and from Tokyo, marking an impressive increase of 20% on the year prior.
Marren says customers should be well-prepared for travel and seek assistance from the Air New Zealand team if needed.
“Domestic travellers should plan to be at their gate 30 minutes before their flight’s departure, while international customers should arrive at their gate 45 minutes before departure. Some gates might be further than you realise, so we encourage you to please ask for help from our friendly airport team if you are worried about making it to the aircraft on time.
“We look forward to welcoming you on board this season and wish everyone travelling these holidays a safe journey.”
Air New Zealand’s top travel tips:
- Make sure you check your ticket for information on your baggage allowance for checked-in and cabin baggage.
- Travellers with pets, oversized bags or those who require special assistance should allow more time for the check-in process.
- Check the CAA website to ensure your Christmas goodies are allowed on the aircraft.
- Make sure your travel insurance policy is up to date, so you are covered in case of unexpected situations.
- Sign up for Air New Zealand travel alerts in case we need to contact you.
- With so many people travelling over summer, some aspects of air travel can take a little longer than usual, like security screening, so please be patient and respectful to airport staff, crew and other customers.
More of Air New Zealand’s tips on how to prepare for travel this holiday season can be found here.
