This does not mean you should book trips with inconvenient travel dates. Cheaper travel fares lose their value if they force you to skip the reasons you wanted to visit New Zealand in the first place. The goal is to travel at may viable times, and not travel at just any time if it destroys the purpose of a trip.
For travelers looking to visit New Zealand, most travel planning starts with deciding on one of many entry points such as the Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch airports. For most international travel, Auckland is the assumed first city to search, but that’s not always the cheapest option or even the best option. For travel that focuses on the South Island, the best itinerary may include travel to an airport closer to the travel entry point. The opposite may also be feasible for travel that focuses on the North Island.
An open-jaw ticket, or fly in to one city and fly out of another city, can even eliminate unnecessary travel to an airport to catch a flight. This may save time and money on travel arrangements.
An itinerary that begins on one island and ends on the other is more time efficient than returning to the original arrival airport to take an international flight.Comparing gateways should not be applied to build a complicated itinerary with several self-managed transfers. Having to combine multiple tickets may save money, but is a risky strategy. Travelers assume that a ticket is valid for the duration of their stay, but airlines have no obligation if the flight is delayed.
Separate tickets can offer savings, but only if the savings are significant and the connection is reasonable. An overnight stop may be reasonable for travelers wanting to break up a long journey, but it will add to the overall cost of the trip. A narrow same-day connection on separate bookings is certainly a gamble and generally is not a good deal.
In general, it is assumed that the fewest stops will lead to the least expensive tickets. However, in certain circumstances, a one-stop itinerary may be worthwhile if it significantly reduces total travel time, cuts out an inconvenient overnight layover, or protects a sensitive connection. A two-stop itinerary is not necessarily bad if the stops are reasonable and the ticket is booked as one itinerary.
Comparing gateways should not translate to a complicated, multi-segment itinerary. Separate tickets can prove to be valuable, but only if there is an adequate tier time to connect. An extended itinerary coupled with an exhausting connection and a long travel time may not be worth the savings. A larger saving for a well-timed, protected additional connection may be perfectly rational. Pay more attention to airports rather than just airline logos when considering connections. What looks like a short connection on paper can become a stressful connection if it requires changing terminals, clearing immigration, checking bags again and even if it is just a transfer to another airport. Conversely, having a longer connection can help provide a buffer to a long and expensive disrupted journey. Be wary of connections that fly under the radar in booking system “self transfers.” These bookings offer total cost savings, but have gray area when it comes to assistance if there is a disruption. In these cases, the booking system may not take any responsibility and offer little or zero assistance, unlike an airline that is responsible for rebooking. Price tracking and use of fare alerts are a no brainer, however, there comes a point where you have to commit to that booking. It's important that you actually purchase the ticket to secure it. This becomes even more important when you know that you have other booking such as accommodation or transport that depend on your availability. If you’re waiting for a price drop that could give you a slight advantage on airfare, there is a good chance you’ll end up paying much more elsewhere. A fair analysis of airfare would likely mean analyzing it in relation to the New Zealand package deal as a whole. A safe, practical rule would be to establish a hard max on what you are willing to spend upfront. Then, factor in baggage costs and other expenses that you will incur. Once a fare price hits your maximum, do not go search after the perfect fare and cost yourself more time.
Baggage should be especially noted when talking about New Zealand travel. A lot of people go on longer trips to New Zealand with hiking boots and gear, sports equipment, camera gear, and supplies. A fare with little baggage allowance can be appealing then you add a checked bag for the outbound and return flights.
It is always better to check the baggage fees when booking travel and not assume you can do it later. Many times the fees are higher and baggage allowances are different between airlines for the same route. If you are taking multiple airlines you must find out which policy applies for each leg of your travel.
There is a good chance you need to carry more with you than just a small personal bag for an extended travel trip that is going to take you through a variety of changing weather and outdoor activities. Cabin bag travel is a good way to keep the price of your travel lower if you are traveling to a city where you can do some laundry.
The right answer is not always “take less.” It is “buy the fare that matches what you will actually carry.”
International airfare is one of the more significant costs to travel to New Zealand, but it's not the only cost. There are costs associated with cheap flights that can include spending the night at a hotel, driving, or taking another domestic flight before you can start your itinerary. Costs like these should be taken into account when deciding if a flight is worth purchasing. As a relative example, if flight options are located far away from where you plan to be, see how the cost of every flight stacks up for the trip to your final destination. A potentially very expensive international flight may be worth it if it means you avoid taking a domestic flight or going on a long "positioning flight" (a flight taken just to get to your international destination). Additionally, you may have taken a more exhausting flight that takes a longer time to actually get to your first destination. You also don't want to avoid booking cheap international flights if you don't have to take a domestic flight just to get to the airport that is closest to your final destination. You can think of your trip in segments. Domestic flights can even make a cheap international flight more cost effective. A full trip view for your last flight itinerary may save you time and money when booking and traveling back to your starting destination. New Zealand has a varying appeal that depends on the region, the season, light, and activities, so a lower fare might include some trade-offs you care about. If your trip is centered around a specific experience, check if the cheaper period supports it. When travelers are saving on flights, it’s not a win if timings ruin the reason why they traveled. However, if your itinerary is more flexible, you can take advantage of lower flights in off-peak times, and check out accommodation deals as well. The most important thing is to prioritize. If you want to save the most money on a flight, you’ll have to be more flexible on dates and connections. If you want to travel at a specific time, during a specific event, or on specific holidays, you’ll have to plan around fewer flight deals, and try to avoid hidden costs here as well. A good, cheap flight to New Zealand will usually have a low hidden cost itinerary, clear total price, an airport arrival that supports your onward transport, good flexibility on the the dates and timing of the trip, functioning baggage allowance, and a protected itinerary. It isn’t necessarily the absolute cheapest. However, it often is the most reasonable for travelers. That is, the cheapest flight with the least number of expensive surprises that saves your time. Most travelers think the goal of a flight booking is to get the absolute cheapest price, and there is some merit to that. However, getting the absolute cheapest flight also often means making many trade offs, so it is better to save money on expenses once you are in New Zealand, and get a balanced price on your flight. Flight searches make passengers concentrate on a single large price, and ignore smaller costs and risks. Because of this, flight search engines and airlines profit. Smart travelers go beyond. Before booking, review: total fare with baggage and seating and any extras, one versus many ticketed flights, connection durations and airport changes, overnight layovers, airport changes involved in the connection(s), and booked departure and arrival airports and . . . versus your final New Zealand itinerary. Commercial transport routes are almost always more efficient than open jaw so . . . check the itinerary. Review the change, cancellation, and refund policies. Review the support coverage of the booking provider and go with third party booking if the support is adequate. Does the low fare create lost time, added costs to domestic travel, and accommodation?