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Consumer NZ is urging travellers to check and use any remaining Air New Zealand COVID-19 flight credits, warning millions of dollars’ worth are close to expiring.
As of June 2025, Air New Zealand was holding $192 million in unused credits from flights cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the airline says around 88 per cent of customers have already used their credits, remaining balances are typically small, with most under $1,000 and about half under $100.
Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy says travellers with unused credits need to act quickly.
“If you have a credit with Air New Zealand from during COVID lockdowns, now is the time to use it,” says Jon.
“We recognise flights are a lot more expensive now than during the COVIDlockdowns, so you may not be able to travel as far, but there are still multiple options for using your credit.”
He says credits can be used to book travel up until December 2026, including flights for other people, flight changes or upgrades, but bookings must be made before the expiry deadline, which is less than two weeks away.
“If you don’t know when or where you want to travel yet, one option is to purchase a flexi fare before your credit expires,” says Jon.
“You won’t be able to get a refund on fares purchased with your credit, but a flexi fare gives you the ability to change your flights later.”
Consumer NZ says some travellers may still be eligible for a refund in specific circumstances.
“If you can’t fly due to a serious medical condition or financial hardship, you could have grounds to have your credit refunded,” says Jon.
He notes Air New Zealand’s customer care teams have discretion to assess refund requests on a case-by-case basis, and Consumer NZ has helped secure refunds for elderly travellers, new parents, overseas tourists and people experiencing financial difficulty.
Travellers can contact Air New Zealand via live chat or by phone, or through their travel agent if the booking was made that way. Those who are dissatisfied with the outcome of a hardship or medical refund request can also seek help from Consumer NZ.
Consumer NZ has previously called on airlines to refund customers for flights cancelled during the pandemic. While the law does not require refunds, Jon says Air New Zealand did extend the expiry date on Covid credits by two years and has made ongoing efforts to contact affected customers.
“However, we’d like to see Air New Zealand drop expiry dates on outstanding COVID-19 flight credits entirely, similar to what Jetstar has done,” he says.
