Air New Zealand Koru and Airpoints: Complete Guide

Koru is Air New Zealand’s loyalty programme, and Airpoints is the currency members earn and spend in it. Here’s how Airpoints are earned and spent, how the Koru status tiers work and when Airpoints expire.

What Are Airpoints (formerly “Airpoints Dollars”)?

Airpoints are Air New Zealand’s loyalty currency, earned and spent within its Koru loyalty programme (the programme moved from the “Airpoints” name to “Koru” from April 2026). Air New Zealand says every Airpoint earned is equivalent to NZ$1, but its terms let it set and change the rate used for flight rewards.

Older material (and some headings in this guide) may still refer to “Airpoints Dollars”. Air NZ’s announcement describes Airpoints as “currently Airpoints Dollars”, and it still describes each Airpoint as equivalent to NZ$1 when spending with Air NZ, though its terms say the flight redemption rate can change.

What a balance is worth depends on how it is spent: Air New Zealand sets the flight redemption rate and can change it, and non-flight rewards may be priced differently from their cash prices.

How to Earn Airpoints Dollars

1. Flying Air New Zealand

Earn Airpoints Dollars on Air NZ flights based on:

• Whether the flight is operated by Air NZ or a partner airline
• The booking class and product type purchased
• The route and booking class (Air New Zealand’s Koru earnings calculator shows the Airpoints for a flight)

Air NZ says the Airpoints earned on a flight vary with the booking class, the product type and the date of travel. Flights bought with Airpoints earn no Airpoints.

2. Credit Cards

On $12,000/year household card spending:

• Amex Platinum: ~171 Airpoints
• ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum: ~109 Airpoints
• ANZ Airpoints Visa: ~71 Airpoints

3. Partner Network

Air NZ’s Koru partners page lists more than 40 partners where Airpoints can be earned, including:

• Car hire: Avis, Budget, Apex
• Hotels: Accor, IHG, Marriott and Quest, among others
• Shopping: retailers such as Mitre 10
• Food delivery: DoorDash
• Petrol: Z Energy (with linked Airpoints card)
• Telecommunications: Spark (Spark Broadband, online)

Earn rates differ by partner. The Koru partners page on airnewzealand.com has the current list; the Airpoints Store is where Airpoints are spent.

How to Redeem Airpoints Dollars

Flights

Air NZ says each Airpoint is equivalent to NZ$1 when spending with Air NZ. The rate for flight rewards is set by Air NZ and can vary with the booking class and time of travel.

Domestic example: Wellington to Auckland return economy, at the stated NZ$1 equivalence a $300 fare would be about 300 Airpoints, though the actual number is set by Air NZ. You can mix Airpoints and cash with Flexipay (e.g., use 100 Airpoints and pay $200 cash), as long as your Airpoints cover at least 20% of the airfare. Flexipay is only available in New Zealand and Australia.

International: Airpoints can be used for flight rewards on most Air NZ operated flights, including international, subject to availability.

Other Redemptions

Airpoints Store (non-flight) rewards are priced separately from flights, and Air NZ says their redemption rates can differ from the cash prices partners charge for similar items. Air NZ lets you spend Airpoints on flights, upgrades, a Koru Club membership or Airpoints Store items.

Status Tiers: Koru Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Black

Air New Zealand moved its programme to a five-tier Koru structure from April 2026, with the earlier Silver, Gold and Elite tiers becoming Koru Silver, Koru Gold and Koru Platinum. Gold became Koru Gold and Elite became Koru Platinum, and a new entry-level Bronze tier and a top-end Black tier were added.

Status Points earned on an Airpoints-earning credit card count towards your total Status Points balance, but not towards the minimum that must come from qualifying flights for each tier. Always check airnewzealand.co.nz for the current exact thresholds, as loyalty programme terms can change.

Status Points vs Airpoints Dollars

These are separate currencies:

• Airpoints Dollars — your spendable currency for flights and rewards
• Status Points — determine your tier; cannot be redeemed for flights

Status Points are earned on flights and with a Status Points-earning credit card, and the amount earned on flights changes depending on the ticket purchased. They’re used to work out tier qualification, and can’t be shared or transferred to another person.

Airpoints Expiry Rules

Under the Koru terms and conditions, Airpoints expire on a fixed four-year schedule, with exceptions below:

Each Airpoint stays valid for four years from the date it was accrued, then is removed on the anniversary of the day you joined the Koru programme. How active your account is does not change this, unless an exception below applies.

The main exception: Airpoints earned by the nominated earner on certain Direct Earn financial products (e.g. an Airpoints-earning credit card) don’t expire for as long as that person remains the nominated earner on the product, but once that stops, any Airpoints that were earned four or more years ago expire immediately. Airpoints also do not expire while you retain Koru Gold, Koru Platinum or Koru Black status.

Air NZ can change its terms, so check the current Koru terms and conditions at airnewzealand.com for your own account’s expiry dates.

Ways to Earn Airpoints

1. Airpoints Credit Cards

Airpoints credit cards earn on everyday spending. At 1 Airpoint per $170 (ANZ Airpoints Visa), $800/month in groceries and petrol earns around 56 Airpoints a year. A card with a higher earn rate (like the ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum at 1 per $110) earns more on the same spending, with a higher annual fee.

2. Koru Partners

Airpoints are added when you quote your Koru number with a partner:

• Z: add your Airpoints card in the Z app
• Accor and other hotel groups: quote your Koru number when booking

3. Redemptions

Air NZ says each Airpoint is equivalent to NZ$1. Rates for flight rewards can vary, and non-flight rewards can be priced differently from partners’ cash prices.

4. Business Award Fares

Silver members and above can use Airpoints on Discounted Business Award Fares in Business Premier, which have strictly limited availability and are not on all routes.

Airpoints vs Other NZ Loyalty Programmes

Air NZ states that each Airpoint is equivalent to NZ$1.

Airpoints Dollars vs Status Points — The Key Distinction

Many people confuse these two currencies. They work very differently:

Status Points determine your tier (and the benefits that come with it), but Airpoints are what you spend on flights.

How Much Is Your Airpoints Balance Worth?

As a general rule:

• 1 Airpoint = NZ$1, Air NZ’s stated equivalence when spending Airpoints with Air NZ
• Part-payment is possible with Flexipay, so you don’t need exactly the right amount

Example redemption:

• Auckland to Queenstown economy return = $340
• You have 200 Airpoints Dollars
• Pay with 200 Airpoints + $140 cash

There’s no minimum for Airpoints Store purchases, but to use Flexipay on a flight your available Airpoints must be at least 20% of the airfare.

Where the Value Can Differ

Air NZ’s terms say:

• Airpoints Store (non-flight) redemption rates can differ from the cash prices partners charge for similar items
• The flight redemption rate is set by Air NZ and can change

Earning Airpoints on Air NZ Flights — The Rate Table

The Airpoints you earn per flight depend on the booking class, the product type and the date of travel, and on whether it is an Air NZ operated or partner airline flight.

Domestic Flights (NZ)

Flights bought with Airpoints earn no Airpoints, and a flight paid with Flexipay (a mix of Airpoints and cash) earns at 20% of the standard rate.

International Flights

Earning on international Air NZ flights varies with the booking class, the product type and the date of travel. Air NZ’s earnings calculator shows the Airpoints a specific international flight would earn.

Credit Card Strategy for Airpoints Earners

The table below shows how much a card with each earn rate would earn on $3,000/month of spending.

Spending Example: $3,000/month card spend

At $3,000/month spend, the Amex Platinum earns ~514 Airpoints per year.

Annual fee vs earnings trade-off

At $3,000+ a month, the Amex Airpoints Platinum’s rate of 1 Airpoint per $70 gives the most Airpoints of the four cards in the first table. For moderate spenders ($1,000–$2,000/month), the ANZ Airpoints Visa has the lowest break-even spend in the table above.

Which Businesses Don’t Accept Amex?

Amex’s acceptance page lists a selection of brands and says Amex is accepted at over 100,000 locations nationwide.

Airpoints and Overseas Travel

Earning While Overseas

Your Airpoints credit card can still earn Airpoints on overseas spend, though purchases of foreign currency and travellers cheques are excluded.

Warning: Some credit cards charge a foreign currency conversion fee, which can offset the Airpoints value, so check your card’s fee.

Redeeming on Overseas Flights

Airpoints can be used on most Air NZ operated flights, including international ones, and on Star Alliance and other partner airline flights, subject to availability. On partner airlines, Airpoints can be earned on eligible fare classes as well.

Partner airline flights must be requested at least 3 business days before departure.

Using Z Energy With Airpoints

Z Energy and Airpoints have a partnership that allows earning on fuel purchases:

• Airpoints members link their Airpoints membership to their Z App
• You earn Airpoints Dollars on fuel purchased at Z stations
• Fuel earns 1 Airpoint for every 100 litres

At that rate, a driver who buys 1,000 litres of fuel in a year would earn about 10 Airpoints from fuel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Airpoints expire?

Yes. Each Airpoint expires four years after it was accrued, regardless of ongoing account activity. The exception is Airpoints earned by the nominated earner of certain Direct Earn products such as some credit cards, which don’t expire while that person stays the nominated earner. If you’re sitting on a large balance, don’t assume occasional card use keeps everything alive, check your account’s expiry dates and redeem your oldest Airpoints first.

Can I transfer Airpoints Dollars to someone else?

Airpoints can’t be sold or transferred to another person for cash or other payment, or moved to another airline’s programme. Members can gift flight rewards to people on their Gifting Register, and can combine Airpoints with up to nine other members in a Shairpoints account.

What happens to Airpoints if Air New Zealand collapsed?

The Koru terms say that if Air New Zealand ceases to operate as an airline, it may terminate Koru membership at any time without notice. The Koru terms also say Airpoints expire four years after they were accrued unless an exception applies, so a large balance left unspent is exposed to both.

How do I join Airpoints?

Join through the Join Koru button at airnewzealand.co.nz/koru. If Air NZ accepts your application, you’ll get a Koru number to quote when you book flights or shop with Koru partners so the Airpoints are added.

Related Guides

• Airpoints Credit Cards Compared
• ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum Review
• NZ Banking Home