Recognition Upgrades
Recognition Upgrades are aligned to your tier status and valid for your membership year. If you're entitled to Recognition Upgrades through your Airpoints™ status, they'll be visible in your Airpoints account.
Allocation of Recognition Upgrades
- Elite members receive two full Recognition Upgrades and one Elite short haul Recognition Upgrade per membership year, plus the ability to gift these to anyone on their gifting register.
- Gold members receive two full Recognition Upgrades per membership year.
- Silver members receive one full Recognition Upgrade per membership year.
How Recognition Upgrades can be used
- On 777 or 787 aircraft operating between New Zealand and Eastern Australia or many of the Pacific Islands, members can move from Economy to Business Premier using one Recognition Upgrade (excluding flights to Perth, Tahiti, Honolulu and Bali or between Sydney and Rarotonga).
- For medium or long haul flights on 777 or 787 aircraft, members can combine two of their Recognition Upgrades to move from Economy to Business Premier.
- Recognition Upgrade requests are made for each sector of a journey.
Requesting a Recognition Upgrade
To request a Recognition Upgrade, sign into your Air New Zealand Airpoints account and go to the My Bookings section, or request through the Air NZ App. Alternatively, you can call our contact centre (service fees may apply).
To improve your chances of having your Upgrade confirmed, it's best to make a request at the time you book or at least seven days before your flight. This will allow us to assess your request prior to processing any OneUp Upgrades.
If you would like to use your Recognition Upgrade in conjunction with a passenger on your booking who is using an OneUp Upgrade, please call our contact centre. They will divide your booking and apply your request. Also, if you are looking at using a combination of Recognition Upgrades and OneUp offers for different sectors of your journey then you will need to request your Recognition Upgrade first, then you may make a OneUp offer on the remaining sector. The timing of Recognition Upgrade and OneUp upgrade confirmations may differ.
Upgrade reviews
Elite
Up to 355 days prior to the scheduled flight time if the upgrade booking class is available.
Gold
Up to 7 days prior to the scheduled flight time after Elite upgrades are confirmed.
Silver
Up to 7 days prior to the scheduled flight time after Elite and Gold upgrades are confirmed.
If your Recognition Upgrade isn't able to be confirmed, your upgrade will be refunded back into your Airpoints account, providing it hasn't expired due to retaining or changing your tier status.
Upgrades are subject to availability and high load factors may prevent us from confirming Recognition Upgrades in advance. When this happens, Elite, Gold and Silver upgrade requests are prioritised at the airport for any remaining seats by order of tier status.
If your Recognition Upgrade request is unsuccessful, the fare conditions of your original booking applies.
Please note: Airpoints upgrades are not guaranteed. Due to operational requirements, we may need to make changes which could result in a change to your seat number or cabin, even if you hold a confirmed upgrade.
Other things you should know
Air New Zealand upgrades are only available on Air New Zealand operated and ticketed flights. Airpoints members will earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points according to the earn rate of the original fare purchased.
Airpoints upgrades cannot be requested for travel industry fares, prize and promotional tickets, grabaseat™ greenlight fares and flights booked in certain discounted or low cost booking classes, including F class.
If your upgrade request is successful, you'll be able to select a seat. Some of our premium cabins have Preferred seats which may incur an extra charge.