Flight to New Zealand: How to book the best ticket?

Overview

• Intro
• Step 1 - Understand ticket options
• Step 2 - Choose a ticket option
• Step 3 - Book the ticket
• Others - Book on time
• Others - Tips for the flight
• Others - I need help
• Frequently Asked Questions

Nils (Team KiwiQuest)

Questions? Contact me!

Eine Frage stellen

The flight to New Zealand is one of the biggest expenses in your preparation. So pay attention, because you can easily waste 500 euros (or more) here.

At the same time, it’s really not easy to get an overview of the topic of flight tickets. Because you’re bombarded with marketing texts and advertising messages from every side.

Trying to compare prices and services sensibly looks something like this.

Since we’ve been through it all before, this article is meant to be a guide for you. Enjoy!

Intro

Step 1 - Understand ticket options

First of all, it’s important to understand what options are available. This already sheds a lot of light into the darkness. Basically, you have three options when choosing your flight ticket.

Option 1 - Book Open-Return or Annual ticket

Option 2 - Book individual direct flights

These are your options. Armed with this knowledge, you can face the flight industry with much more clarity. So quickly write it down and never forget it again!

Got it, what's next?

Now you just need to decide which of these options is the most sensible for you. And to find that out, simply see which ticket option best fits your planned trip.

So, let’s do that now!

Step 2 - Choose a ticket option

Finding out which ticket option best suits your planned trip is actually not that hard. Just answer the following questions briefly with "Yes" or "No".

1. Question 1 - Are you thinking about emigrating?

   Then a direct flight is the right choice. This way, you are completely flexible, as you only book the return flight when you want to return to Germany. If you want to stay in New Zealand, you just don’t book a return flight.

   Here are some disadvantages that come to mind:

   Disadvantage #1: Price

   If you want to return to Germany, you pay significantly more here than necessary because you depend on seasonal prices. This way, your flight to New Zealand can quickly become expensive.

   Disadvantage #2: Lack of flexibility

   You are bound to the return flight or have to pay the respective airline’s cancellation fee.

   Other:

   Additionally, when applying for the visa, you must ensure you have sufficient funds for a return flight without a valid return ticket.

2. Question 2 - Do you want to visit other countries too?

   If the stay is not meant to last several months, an annual or open-return ticket makes sense here too. Because both usually include a so-called stopover included.

   Here are some disadvantages with this approach:

   Disadvantage #1: Choice of countries

   When choosing the countries for your stopover, you are bound to the respective offer. You can’t simply choose a country of your choice. However, most tickets offer a selection of several countries.

   Disadvantage #2: Choice of duration

   The duration of the stopover is also bound to the respective offer. Longer stopovers (more than a week) often cost extra.

3. Question 3 - Is flexibility most important to you?

   Then an annual or open-return ticket is the most sensible alternative for you. With both, you are flexible regarding the return flight date, which can be a great advantage for longer trips.

   Here are some disadvantages with this approach:

   Disadvantage #1: Need for support

   You can’t book such a ticket on your own. This means you either need an (expensive) travel agency or someone with expertise in the flight industry. Finding someone trustworthy can be tricky.

   Disadvantage #2: Extra contact

   Not really a disadvantage, but for the final booking or rebooking of your return flight date, you have to contact your contact person at the travel agency or airline again.

4. Question 4 - Is price the most important to you?

   Then it’s worth getting offers for all ticket options, and possibly checking multiple portals and websites. This way, you get the best price comparison.

   Here are some disadvantages with this approach:

   Disadvantage #1: Time-consuming

   It’s fairly time-consuming and incredibly annoying. Here’s a realistic depiction of how searching and comparing feels: The search.

   Disadvantage #2: Marketing

   You’ll have to wade through tons of marketing nonsense and constantly be on the lookout for hidden costs. It’s super annoying!

Got it, what's next?

Once you’ve decided which ticket option best suits your trip, it’s about finding the right place or the right contact person.

So, let’s do that now!

Reward

Oh, and the following option is also worth considering:

open me

Step 3 - Book the ticket

Awesome! Now you just have to book your ticket! The question remains: Where can you find the best places for your flight to New Zealand? Since we’ve already been through it all (including the Jetlag), here are simply our personal recommendations:

Option 1: Book an Annual/Open-Return Ticket

Since you can’t book such a ticket by yourself, the only place left is the (expensive) travel agency. Or is it? Great news, you wonderful, little llama! Because we have a much cooler solution for you!

Instead of the ridiculously expensive travel agency:
Find a flight ticket expert.

Option 2: Book direct flights

Such a ticket can be easily booked by yourself. It’s generally just about finding the online comparison portal that can find the best prices for you. So, um… compare comparison portals.

Or just use our recommendations:
Compare direct flights with Skyscanner or Momondo.

Others - Book on time

We definitely recommend looking for cheap offers well in advance. If possible, at least three months before your departure. Otherwise, it can quickly become unnecessarily expensive. And that would be mega sad, wouldn't it?

Others - Tips for the flight

Otherwise, we have a small collection of insider & secret tips for the flight itself, which we have collected over the years or received from employees in the flight industry. Enjoy!

Others - I need help

Is it all too complicated for you and you’d prefer support to find the perfect flight to New Zealand? Understandable. Because comparing flight tickets and offers is really not the most fun thing in the world.

That’s why we always have our current recommendations here. All properly checked and regularly updated. We hope we can save you some work and stress!

Yes, yes, we’re awesome.
We know! :-)

Frequently Asked Questions

What other KiwiQuesters wanted to know...