Airpoints Credit Cards

Earning Airpoints

Signing up for Airpoints is free, and anyone can join. Airpoints is a pretty flexible programme, making it easy to earn points whether you travel frequently on Air New Zealand flights or not. Want to know how you can earn Airpoints Dollars? Let’s take a look.

Airpoints Credit Cards

Using an Airpoints earning credit card when you shop is the fastest way to build your balance, allowing you to earn both Airpoints Dollars and Status Points. By being smart with your spending, shopping at the programme’s many partners, you can even earn twice on a single purchase.

Flying With Air New Zealand

When you purchase Air New Zealand flights, you’ll earn Airpoints Dollars and Status Points. But it’s not just Air New Zealand flights – you can also earn Airpoints Dollars and Status Points on many Star Alliance and partner flights around the world.

Travel

Airpoints has an array of partners within the travel industry, allowing you to earn Airpoints Dollars as you travel the world. Paying for hotels, rental cars, taxis, parking, duty free, insurance, and more with Airpoints partners will help you boost your Airpoints balance.

Shopping

Airpoints also has more than 60 retail partners, including Z, Mitre 10, New World, Mercury and Harvey Norman. Shopping with these partners will build your Airpoints balance, as will shopping online at the Airpoints Mall. Here you can shop at places like The Iconic, ASOS, Ezibuy, and many more.

Exclusive Member Specials

Keeping an eye out for exclusive member specials provides another way to boost your Airpoints Dollars earning. These partner deals change frequently, allowing you to take advantage of amazing offers, while topping up your Airpoints balance.

Earning Status Points

Within the Airpoints programme, there are membership tiers that provide extra travel benefits and privileges to members. To climb these tiers (and maintain tier status) you must earn a certain number of Status Points each year, taking you to Silver, Gold, then Elite status.

Each tier offers a number of privileges to members, such as lounge access and flight upgrades, priority wait-listing and increased baggage allowances, with each tier stepping up the extras to offer more as you climb the ladder.

You can earn Status Points in two main ways. Firstly, you’ll earn Status Points every time you fly with Air New Zealand, or on selected services from Star Alliance and other partner airlines. You can also earn Status Points on certain Airpoints credit cards. You must meet a certain ratio of each type to earn and retain each tier.

Redeeming Airpoints

One of the great things about the Airpoints programme is its simplicity. While other frequent flyer programmes maintain complex systems for calculating what each point earned is worth, Airpoints keeps it simple. Making it very easy to remember, every Airpoints Dollar you earn as a reward is worth NZD $1. So, what can you spend these Airpoints Dollars on?

Flights

As you would expect from Air New Zealand’s frequent flyer programme, a popular option for redeeming Airpoints Dollars involves flying with Air New Zealand. You can redeem your Airpoints Dollars for available flights on almost any Air New Zealand flight – and some Star Alliance and partner airline flights.

Airpoints Flexipay

If you’re planning a trip but don’t have enough Airpoints Dollars to cover the flight, you can utilise Airpoints Flexipay to pay with a mix of Airpoints Dollars and cash.

Upgrades

Upgrading between classes is another popular redemption option within the Airpoints programme. You can use your Airpoints Dollars to purchase a seat of your choice or make a OneUp upgrade offer.

Rental Cars & Travel Insurance

Using your Airpoints Dollars as you travel can provide an excellent way to cut costs. You can redeem Airpoints Dollars with programme partners to cover the cost of anything from rental cars to travel insurance.

Retail Therapy

You can use your Airpoints Dollars at the Airpoints Store, where you’ll find a huge range to choose from, with easy delivery to your door. Other options include using your Airpoints Dollars to shop at Mitre 10 instore and online, to buy merchandise at the Air New Zealand merchandise store, or to stock up fine New Zealand wines, spirits and more, with delivery available worldwide.

How To Compare Airpoints Credit Cards

Now you know how Airpoints works, let’s take a closer look at how you can find the best Airpoints credit card for you. Here’s what you should compare when making your decision.

Earn Rate

Each Airpoints credit card will offer a certain earn rate, which will determine how many Airpoints Dollars you will earn on your card spending.

Points Cap

Some Airpoints credit cards feature a points cap, which will limit the number of points you can earn per month, or per year.

Annual Fee

The account fee or annual fee is the amount you will pay to use the card. Calculate your annual spend to work how much you will earn in Airpoints Dollars. Make sure this total is higher than the annual fee on the card.

Whether you are a frequent traveller or not, an Airpoints credit card could really help to boost your Airpoints Dollars account. Want to compare the options? Check out the range of Airpoints credit cards here on CreditCard.co.nz to apply today.