How to Earn Airpoints Dollars in 2024

Are you a frequent traveller looking to earn more Air New Zealand Airpoints dollars?

Or a new traveller looking to dive into some revenge travel in 2024? Either way, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ways to earn Airpoints, including credit card rewards programs, airline partnerships, and how to make every dollar you spend in everyday life work harder.

By the end of this article, you’ll better understand how to maximise your Airpoints earning potential and get the most out of your travels.

So, let’s get started!

What is Airpoints?

Airpoints is Air New Zealand’s loyalty programme that allows you to earn Airpoints Dollars on eligible flights and with partner airlines and other Airpoints partners.

It is free to become an Airpoints member. You can then use your Airpoints Dollars to book flights, purchase OneUp upgrades, or shop at the Airpoints Store.

There are several ways to boost your Airpoints Dollar balance. The easiest way is to book eligible flights with Air New Zealand or partner airlines.

You can also earn Airpoints Dollars by using an Airpoints earning credit card, shopping at Airpoints partners, or filling up your car at Z or Caltex petrol stations.

Additionally, you can earn Airpoints Dollars by booking rental cars, hotels, and other travel activities through Air New Zealand’s travel partners.

The more you travel and spend, the more Airpoints Dollars you can earn, which means more rewards and other benefits for you.

25+ Ways to Earn Airpoints Dollars

Here are some of the most popular ways to boost your Airpoints balance:

1. Qualifying Flights

One of the easiest ways to earn Airpoints is by taking qualifying flights with Air New Zealand.

You can earn both Airpoints Dollars and Status Points when you fly with Air New Zealand or one of its partner airlines when taking international flights.

The number and value of Airpoints Dollars and Status Points you earn will depend on the distance flown, the fare class you book, and your Airpoints status.

2. Partner Airlines

Air New Zealand has partnerships with more than 30 airlines, including some through the Star Alliance, which means you can earn Airpoints Dollars on flights with these airlines.

Use the Airpoints calculator to quickly look up how many Airpoints Dollars you could earn on specific flights.

Each airline partnership comes with unique benefits and options for Airpoints members.

3. Shairpoints Pooling

Air New Zealand Airpoints members can pool their Airpoints with family and friends via Shairpoints.

Shairpoints is a program that allows New Zealand residents to create a Shairpoints account with up to four other New Zealand-based Airpoints members.

Two members need to live at the same postal address, while up to two members can live at a different address. By pooling Airpoints, members can reach their rewards faster.

I have my husband and children added to my Shairpoints. As I’m the Enabler (the person who opened the account) and I make all our flight bookings, this makes more sense.

4. Travel Partners

This includes hotels, rental car companies, and more.

Simply provide your Airpoints number when you make your booking or reservation, and you’ll earn Airpoints Dollars on your purchase.

Remember, when booking with travel partners, usually only direct bookings are able to claim Airpoints dollars.

For example, you wouldn’t be able to earn Airpoints dollars if you were to book one of the above hotels via Booking.com or another third party.

We recommend you book direct, but always ask the hotel to match the price you’ve seen on a third-party site.

This way, you get the best price while growing your Airpoints balance.

5. Airpoints Credit Card

With an Airpoints earning credit card, you can earn Airpoints Dollars on all your purchases, not just those with Air New Zealand.

You can also earn bonus Airpoints Dollars when you spend with Air New Zealand or its partners.

These are the current (2023) Airpoints earning credit cards:

Credit Card	Annual Fee	Airpoints Earn Rate
Kiwibank Air New Zealand Airpoints Platinum Visa	$180	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $115 spent
Kiwibank Airpoints Low Fee Visa	$50	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $200 spent
ANZ Airpoints Visa Platinum	$150	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $110 spent
ANZ Airpoints Visa	$65	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $170 spent
Westpac Airpoints World Mastercard	$310	Spend up to $15,000: A1 = $95 Spend over $15,000: A1 = $190
Westpac Airpoints Platinum Mastercard	$125	Spend up to $7,000: A1 = $110 Spend over $7,000: A1 = $220
Westpac Airpoints Mastercard	$70	Spend up to $3.500: A1 = $150 Spend over $3,500: A1 = $300
American Express Airpoints Card	$0	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $100 spent
American Express Airpoints Platinum Card	$195	1 Airpoints Dollar for every $59 spent

All information from the above table is sourced from here; any mistakes are mine.

6. Debit Cards

If you prefer to use a debit card instead of a credit card, you can still earn Airpoints Dollars.

Air New Zealand partners with Westpac to offer an Airpoints debit card.

With this card, you will earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every NZD $300 spent.

7. Airpoints Mall

The Airpoints Mall is an online shopping portal where you can earn Airpoints Dollars on purchases from a variety of retailers.

Simply log in to the Airpoints Mall website, choose the retailer you want to shop with and make your purchase.

You’ll earn Airpoints Dollars on every purchase you make.

8. Everyday Spend

You can earn Airpoints Dollars on your everyday spending with Air New Zealand’s partners, and this is where you can really boost your earn rate and increase that balance.

We recommend storing your Airpoints number on an app like Stocard for easy shopping access.

New World

You’ll earn 0.185 Airpoints Dollars for every $25 qualifying spend at New World.

A qualifying spend excludes Christmas Club deposits, cash, gift cards, prepaid debit cards, travel card top-ups, phone card top-ups, tobacco products and New Zealand Lotteries tickets.

You must use the Airpoints branded Clubcard, or your Airpoints card in-store to collect Airpoints dollars.

Smiths City

You can earn 1 Airpoints Dollar™ for every $100 spent at Smiths City, both online and in-store.

Tower Insurance

New and existing customers can earn on insurance policies with Tower.

Keep an eye on promotions that offer an initial bonus for new members. When you’re a Tower customer, you’ll earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $100 spent on your premium for each eligible policy you purchase.

Mitre 10

Airpoints members can earn A1 per NZD$115 spent at Mitre 10.

Mitre 10 often has double or triple Airpoints promotions running, which is excellent for stocking up on paint and renovation supplies.

Also, they have a price-beat policy, which I took advantage of to save 15% on a new espresso machine.

This was timed with a triple Airpoints dollar promotion, so I was well-chuffed with myself.

Spark

Earn 50 bonus Airpoints Dollars when you join selected Spark Wireless and Fibre Broadband plans online for a limited time.

AIA New Zealand

For every $100 of premium paid on any eligible AIA policy, you will earn 1 Airpoints Dollar.

AIA customers with eligible insurance can join AIA Vitality, a science-backed health and wellbeing programme that supports you daily to make healthier lifestyle choices and enjoy rewards.

As an AIA Vitality member, you can earn up to 560 Airpoints Dollars per membership year on top of the Airpoints Dollars earned from your insurance premium.

Audi

During Airpoints promotions, Airpoints members can earn a minimum of 250 Airpoints Dollars on nominated vehicles at participating authorised Audi dealerships.

Airpoint dollars can also be earned during service or accessory promotions throughout the year or otherwise at the discretion of authorised Audi dealerships.

Bayleys

Earning Airpoints Dollars when you sell a property

Earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $2,000 of the sale price of their property (capped at 500 Airpoints Dollars per sale).

Earning applies to residential, commercial, industrial, rural and lifestyle properties listed with Bayleys.

If more than one person owns the property, you can decide how many Airpoints Dollars each person earns.

Earning Airpoints Dollars when you lease a property

Earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every 1 m² of space leased (capped at 1,000 Airpoints Dollars per lease transaction) on participating properties listed by Bayleys.

Liquorland

Airpoints members who shop at Liquorland can earn 0.185 Airpoints Dollars cumulatively for every $25 spent (so when you spend $150, you’ll earn 1.11 Airpoints Dollars).

Cumulative earning means that Liquorland will keep track of the amount you spend and anything under $25 will be allocated towards your next purchase (within 12 months).

Patridge Jewellers

Earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $75 spent at Partridge Jewellers.

Pet Direct

Earn 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $100 spent at PetDirect.

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As well as the above options, Airpoints for Business members can earn Airpoints dollars on behalf of their business at Dicker Data, Komatsu, Gilmours and Trents.

9. Fuel Purchases

Sign up for a Pumped Rewards account and link it to your Airpoints number to make your fuel purchase go further by growing your Airpoints balance and saving money on your purchase (6c a litre, stackable).

Then, use your Pumped card to pay for your fuel purchases at participating Z and Caltex petrol stations, and you’ll earn 1 Airpoints Dollar per 100 litres (or part thereof) of eligible petrol or diesel you buy.

Airpoints Dollar and Status Points

When you become a member of Air New Zealand’s Airpoints loyalty programme, you can earn both Airpoints Dollars and Status Points.

These two types of points are earned in different ways and can be used for different purposes.

Airpoints Dollar

Airpoints Dollars are a type of currency that can be earned and used to purchase flights, upgrades, and other rewards.

You can earn Airpoints Dollars by flying with Air New Zealand or its airline partners, as well as by using an Airpoints earning credit or debit card when you shop.

You can even earn twice on a single purchase if you use both an Airpoints-earning credit card and an Airpoints-earning online partner.

The amount of Airpoints Dollars you earn depends on the fare class you book, the distance you travel, and your Airpoints membership status.

For example, if you book a Flexi fare on a flight from Auckland to Sydney, you could earn up to 70 Airpoints Dollars.

Status Points

Status Points are earned when you fly with Air New Zealand or its airline partners and determine your membership tier in the Airpoints program.

There are four membership tiers: Gold, Elite, Elite Partner, and Koru.

Each tier comes with its own benefits, such as lounge access, priority check-in, and extra baggage allowance.

The number of Status Points you earn depends on the fare class you book, the distance you travel, and your Airpoints membership status.

For example, if you book a Flexi fare on a flight from Auckland to Sydney, you could earn up to 20 Status Points.

To move up to a higher membership tier, you need to earn a certain number of Status Points within a 12-month period. For example, to reach Gold status, you need to earn 900 Status Points within 12 months.

Earning both Airpoints Dollars and Status Points is vital if you want to get the most out of your Air New Zealand Airpoints membership.

By earning Airpoints Dollars, you can enjoy rewards such as flights and upgrades, while earning Status Points can help you move up to a higher membership tier and enjoy more benefits.

FAQ – Earning Airpoints

What is the fastest way to get Airpoints?

According to the search results, the fastest way to earn Air New Zealand Airpoints is by using an Airpoints earning credit or debit card when you shop.

This allows you to earn Airpoints Dollars and Status Points balance quickly.

How much do you need to spend to earn Airpoints?

The amount you need to spend to earn Airpoints varies depending on the method of earning.

It depends. You can earn Airpoints Dollars by flying with Air New Zealand or its partner airlines, using an Airpoints earning credit or debit card, shopping online, buying fuel, groceries, hardware, dining out, and more.

The number of Airpoints Dollars you earn per dollar spent also varies depending on the method of earning.

For example, with an Airpoints earning credit card, you can earn up to 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $59 spent.

How many Airpoints is $1?

According to the search results, one Airpoints Dollar is equal to one New Zealand Dollar. Therefore, $1 is equivalent to 1 Airpoints Dollar.

Can you earn Airpoints at Harvey Norman?

Harvey Norman is no longer an Airpoints earning partner. If you need to buy electronics, check if Smiths City or Mitre 10 carry the product.

Both retailers are Airpoints partners and have price-match policies meaning they can match or beat the price offered at Harvey Norman.

25+ Ways to Earn Airpoints Dollars in 2024