Air New Zealand ramps up school holiday schedule with 30,000 extra seats across Aotearoa

Air New Zealand is preparing to welcome nearly half a million customers on its domestic network over the July school holidays as travellers look to make the most of a mid-winter getaway.

Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer, Alex Marren says the airline has added thousands more seats across its operation this July to help connect Kiwis with each other.

“We’ve seen impressive demand for travel across Aotearoa over the school holiday period. To help get customers where they need to be, we’ve added 30,000 seats across 240 domestic flights. That means we have nearly half a million customers expected to travel with us from Friday 5 July until Sunday 21July.”

“The next two weeks aren’t just going to be a busy time in the air, but in our airports as well, and our teams are gearing up to ensure our customers’ journeys are as smooth as possible.

“If you’re travelling with little ones, or if you’re carrying some extra winter gear, allow yourself plenty of time to check in, drop your bags and make your way to the gate.

“The weather at this time of year can also cause disruption, so we recommend customers download the Air New Zealand app for the latest updates on their flight. Of course, it’s always a good idea to purchase travel insurance to ensure you’re protected in the event of a weather-related disruption.”

Topping the list of school holiday hotspots is Queenstown, with 31,000 customers heading to the beloved winter destination.

Dunedin is the place to be for the opening weekend of the holidays, as the All Blacks take on England in the southern city on Saturday 6 July. Air New Zealand has put on nine additional return flights, or 2,250 extra seats over the weekend to get fans to the game.

A further 274,000 travellers will be jetting off overseas over the period, with the Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane emerging as the most popular international school holiday destinations, with Singapore and Fiji also proving to be popular destinations.

Top tips when flying these school holidays

• Double check the personal details on your booking are correct to avoid any airport hold-ups
• Download the Air NZ mobile app and subscribe to its Travel Alert service to keep up to date on the go
• Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and through security as it can take a little longer than usual – especially with extra winter gear
• As always, book travel insurance to ensure you’re protected in the event of a weather-related disruption (which can be more frequent in the winter months!)