How to Fly to New Zealand for Cheap

Last Updated: September 3, 2022 References

New Zealand (Aotearoa) is a beautiful trip destination, with plenty of tourist destinations and a rich cultural history. And, with a little research and preparation, flying to New Zealand can be budget-friendly. Planning your vacation during the off-season, searching for the cheapest flight tickets, and buying your tickets at the right time can all help make your flight to New Zealand more affordable. Once you've bought cheap plane tickets, you can travel to New Zealand without breaking the bank!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing the Cheapest Travel Times

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Visit New Zealand during the "shoulder seasons" for inexpensive tickets. The shoulder seasons, or off-seasons, are 3-4 month periods where flight tickets and traveling expenses in New Zealand are cheaper. To save money on plane tickets, visit between March and May, June and August, or September and November.^{[1]
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- Although less expensive, New Zealand is still busy during shoulder seasons, especially at popular tourist destinations.^{[2]
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2
Avoid visiting during the busy season, New Zealand's summer. Because New Zealand is located on the southern hemisphere, its summer runs from December to February. Try not to plan your vacation during this time, as it's when flight tickets will be the most expensive.^{[3]
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- New Zealand's busy season, however, is the time with the best weather and tourism opportunities. If you're set on visiting during the busy season, you can still take steps to find the cheapest tickets possible for that date.
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3
Plan your vacation around international holidays. New Zealand is a popular destination during holidays or school breaks around the world. Avoid visiting on or around international holidays, particularly holidays during New Zealand's summer, for cheaper plane tickets.^{[4]
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- Christmas and New Year's Day and generally the most popular (and expensive) dates for New Zealand trips.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Checking Flight Comparison Sites

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Use a flight search engine to compare deals on upcoming flights. Searching one plane company after another can take time. To look at several flight options on the same day and choose the cheapest, visit a reliable flight search engine and look up the date of your choice.^{[5]
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- Popular flight search engine sites include Kayak, Adioso, Google Flights, Hipmunk, Momondo, Hotwire, and Expedia.^{[6]
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Look several months out for the best deals. Generally, flights within the next several days or weeks will be the most expensive. If possible, plan your vacation at least 2-3 months in advance so you can search for the greatest deals possible.^{[7]
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- If you can't plan your trip several months in advance, avoid going during the busy season when short-term tickets will be at an annual high.
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Keep an eye out for budget airlines tickets. Budget airlines are companies that provide cheaper plane tickets at the cost of fewer in-flight accommodations. If your flight search airline allows you to filter for budget airlines, choose the appropriate filter. Check for budget airlines in your country and in New Zealand if you can't find search by budget flights.^{[8]
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- You can find a list of budget airlines at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_low-cost_airlines.
- Budget airlines in New Zealand include Pacific Blue, Jetstar, Freedom Air, Kiwi Airlines, and Air New Zealand.
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Check the flight search engine for fare combinations. The cheapest flights to New Zealand are usually near coasts. Check your flight search engine for flights to your area's coastline nearest to New Zealand to determine whether 2 separate flights may be the cheapest option.^{[9]
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- If you live in the United States, for example, the cheapest flights to New Zealand will usually be from the West Coast.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Booking an Inexpensive Flight

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Book your flight at least 6 weeks before you plan to go. Once you've located a flight, plan on buying the tickets 6-8 weeks in advance. After 6 weeks, the flight will likely increase in price until the departure date.^{[10]
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- If you're leaving on short notice, book your tickets as soon as you finalize your trip dates.
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Check the flight prices in New Zealand's currency. Sometimes, flight prices will be cheaper in the currency of the country you're departing to. Use the flight search engine to find the price in New Zealand's currency, the New Zealand dollar, and make a transaction in their currency if possible.^{[11]
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- Keep in mind that in some cases, paying in a foreign transaction with your debit or credit card may incur fees.
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Buy tickets on a Tuesday or Wednesday, if it fits with your schedule. The most expensive dates to book flights are usually weekends, and the cheapest are during the middle of the week. If you can, check for flight prices on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and buy the cheapest tickets.^{[12]
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Purchase your flights in bulk, if applicable. Some airlines offer discounts for buying multiple tickets at once. If you're planning a trip for multiple people, buy all of the tickets at once for the cheapest price.^{[13]
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- Return tickets are also usually cheaper than one-way tickets.

Expert Q&A

Question

What are some of the budget airlines that fly to and from New Zealand?

Andrea Thompson
New Zealand Resident
Andrea Thompson has been living in New Zealand for over five years, after moving there from England. She enjoys spending time outdoors in New Zealand and exploring the South Island's coast, bush and mountains alike.

Andrea Thompson

New Zealand Resident

Expert Answer

As far as I'm aware, Jetstar is the only one. Because NZ is just so far from anywhere else, budget airlines just can't operate routes. Note that from the US, you'd have to get to Honolulu first. Jetstar do fly to China and Japan.