Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to Book Air New Zealand Koru Awards
Koru is Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, and it runs on two currencies: Airpoints, which members can use across a range of rewards, and Status Points, which move a member through the programme's tiers. [1] [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Koru has two currencies, and only one of them is spent: Airpoints can be used across a range of rewards, while Status Points are described solely as the way members progress through tiers. [1] [2]
- Air New Zealand's own "Ways to spend" summary names three places Airpoints go — flights, an upgrade, and the Airpoints Store — without pricing any of them. [1] [2]
- Partner flying appears only on the earning side, where the United States homepage promotes earning United MileagePlus points on selected flights as reciprocal frequent flyer benefits. [3]
Two balances, one of which buys travel
Koru is Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, and it begins at Koru Bronze and runs across five tiers. [1] [2] Within it there are two currencies: Airpoints, which are earned on flights and through everyday spending with partners and which can be used across a range of rewards, and Status Points, which are earned on flights and by using a Status Points-earning credit card and which determine a member's tier. [1] [2] The pages describe Status Points only in that progression role and set out no way to redeem them, so any booking a member makes with Koru is made with Airpoints. [1] [2]
For a booking, the useful part of the programme site is the "Ways to spend" section rather than the earning material. Air New Zealand summarises the options as spending Airpoints on flights, on an upgrade, or on something from the Airpoints Store, leaving the choice to the member. [1] [2] The pages do not split those uses into named award types, price tables, or separate booking channels, so a reader should treat "flight", "upgrade" and "Airpoints Store" as the published categories and nothing finer. [1] [2]
The tier ladder named in the sources is Koru Bronze, Koru Silver, Koru Gold, Koru Platinum and Koru Black. [1] [2] Air New Zealand's homepage describes Koru as a redesigned loyalty programme for New Zealand, with improved recognition, enhanced benefits and a new top-earned tier for its most loyal members. [3]
Searching: what is published and what is not
Earning and spending are two separate paths, with "Ways to earn" covering flights, coffee, groceries and beyond, and "Ways to spend" covering flights, upgrades and the Airpoints Store. [1] [2] Koru terms and conditions apply. [1] [2]
A reader can therefore work only from the published categories: confirm that the balance to be spent is Airpoints rather than Status Points, choose between the three named uses, and read the Koru terms and conditions before committing to anything. [1] [2] For the general mechanics that apply to award searching at any airline — how to read a calendar of availability and how to sanity-check a routing — the companion pages linked below are the better starting point. Award search workflow award availability
Partners and reciprocal flying
The only partner material in the sources sits on the earning side. Air New Zealand's United States homepage promotes earning United MileagePlus points and describes reciprocal frequent flyer benefits on selected flights. [3] The same homepage presents Koru as a programme for New Zealand, and the programme pages list partner spending as one of the ways Airpoints are earned. [1] [2] [3]
Partner awards depend on the operating airline and on the alliance terms in force at the time. [3]
Limits and open questions
- Sharing Airpoints. Shairpoints lets a member combine Airpoints with up to nine family and friends, is free to join, and is available to all New Zealand based Koru members. [1] [2]
- Airpoints Store mechanics. The programme page says members earn 1 Airpoint for every NZ$100 spent at the Airpoints Store, which describes earning on store purchases rather than the price of any reward. [1] [2]
- Points expiry, fees, taxes and carrier charges.
- Changes, cancellations and no-shows. The sources publish no change, cancellation, refund or no-show rules for Airpoints redemptions. [1] [2]
- Status benefits on an award ticket.
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026.
- Air New Zealand — Koru loyalty programme overview (airnewzealand.com/airpoints), checked 18 October 2026
- Air New Zealand — Koru loyalty programme overview (airnewzealand.com/koru), checked 18 October 2026
- Air New Zealand — United States official site homepage, checked 18 October 2026