If you’ve been inspired by New Zealand’s lush green islands, famed as Lord of the Rings filming locations, then we have good news: From now until September 12, Air New Zealand is offering special fares as low as $799 round-trip from the United States, with travel availability into June 2020.
Flights are available from Air New Zealand’s U.S. hubs: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, and Honolulu. Sale fares can be booked to Auckland alone or to Auckland and an additional flight to Wellington, Christchurch, or Queenstown—for no extra cost. The cheapest advertised fares are in economy class from Honolulu ($799), and tickets are slightly more in the same fare class from California ($849), while hovering near $999 from Chicago and Houston. With the lowest round-trip flights from the United States typically starting around $1,200, the chance to nab these cheaper fares is nothing to sneeze at.
If you’re worried about flying to the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere in a cramped coach seat, consider this: Per aviation rating site AviationRatings.com, Air New Zealand is the world’s second-best airline, earning points from fliers for its 31-inch economy seat pitch and friendly cabin service. Want to spring for a premium economy or business-class seat? Those are on sale, too, with rates from $1,899 and $3,199, respectively. (No matter where you’re sitting, those famed New Zealand wines are on offer—free of charge.)
As for what to do once you’re actually in New Zealand, we’ve got no shortage of suggestions, including renting a camper van to drive up the North Island coast and hiking some of the country’s most iconic vistas. Welcome to Middle Earth. . .
