What Are The Cheapest Days To Fly To New Zealand in 2024?

New Zealand is a stunning destination to visit, but it’s too far away from the rest of the world, and the flights aren’t super cheap, in fact, they are bloody expensive. In addition, there are limited flight options, and most of them are overpriced. Don’t worry; there is a science to finding the cheapest days to fly that we are happy to show you.

The cheapest days to fly to New Zealand in 2024 are weekdays during August. Keep your travel dates flexible, and then search online for your destination to find good deals for traveling to New Zealand during a working day in August.

Generally, flight prices are unpredictable and constantly changing. You will get the best deal when booking as early as possible. Read on to find out how you can save heaps on booking your next flight to New Zealand. 

Also read this article about flight times to New Zealand from different parts of the world.

The cheapest days to fly to New Zealand

Based on various destinations and flight routes, your best bet is to book a flight in August to fly to New Zealand. Since we are already almost mid-way through the year, August would get you reasonable rates for your air tickets.

That said, many people believe there is a specific day of the week with lower than average ticket prices, but it’s not true. Airlines price their flights randomly, and booking a ticket on Tuesday won’t save you money.

August doesn’t coincide with any major holidays or special seasons, so few people visit New Zealand around this time. The weather is not super ideal, as it’s winter, so visitors who are trying to see the beauty of New Zealand would rather wait for summer before visiting the land of Kiwis.

In fact, summer is the most popular time to travel to New Zealand, especially in January and February.

August also falls between the school terms and university calendars, so students and their families are not likely to travel during this period. Business travel is also not at an all-time high, so it’s an ideal time.

Taking visitors, students, and business people out of the equation, it’s a low time for airlines, and they will be happy to offer cheaper rates if you are booking a flight ticket to New Zealand. However, remember not to leave it too close to the booking date because then the rates are likely to go up.

The trick to cheaper flight fares is to give yourself at least a month or two before your flight date. If you book your ticket too close to the flight date, it will be very difficult to find a cheaper rate.

How to find the cheapest days to fly to New Zealand from your destination?

Depending on when you want to travel and which destination you are flying from, you can find some really decent deals on Sky Scanner. Here are some steps that you can take to find the best rates:

Step 1: Open the Sky Scanner website or download the Sky Scanner app.

Step 2: Enter the departure city and arrival city. 

Step 3: Search for one-way tickets (we know that you want to fly back home, but eventually, we are going to show you how to find the cheapest return ticket – this is just a step along the way)

Step 4: For departure, instead of selecting a single date, select “Whole month” – this way, you will see the approximate price for each day. Just go through all dates to find the cheapest fares by hitting “Search flights.”

With these four easy steps, you will see a view similar to the one below. This is data for a one-way flight from New York to Auckland.

You can see the fare details for each day, and if you have a little flexibility in terms of your travel dates, feel free to click between the months and see if you find a better deal.

What is the cheapest month to fly to New Zealand?

August will give you a better deal for your flight tickets because it doesn’t fall in the ideal travel season, is away from the school holiday time, and is considerably far away from major events and holidays.

Seasonal variations can be seen in the rates you can get for your flight ticket to New Zealand. Summer is the worst season because everyone is trying to travel to New Zealand or to other parts of the world from New Zealand. Flight tickets are at an all-time high during summer. 

School holidays also show an increase in the number of travelers, especially families. So, if possible, take a look at the school holiday calendar and avoid those to get a cheaper rate. There are 4 school terms for Kiwi school kids.

The summer or year-end break is longer (and, as we explained, not a good time for travel). The other three-term breaks are two weeks long each. So, while booking your ticket, avoid these two weeks in 2024, which fall into the school holidays:

• 7 April – 23 April 2024
• 1 July – 16 July 2024
• 23 September – 8 October 2024
• 20 December onwards

In addition to school holidays, it’s also a good idea to avoid special holidays if you want to find a cheaper rate. Easter break, new year/Christmas, and Waitangi can also show a rise in air fares, so don’t book air travel to New Zealand if you are looking for cheaper flights.

Flight Time To New Zealand From Different Parts of The World [2024]

Tips for booking a cheap flight to New Zealand

Here are some tips which will surely save you some of your hard-earned money.

Grab a deal

As mentioned, there are limited airlines that fly to this destination, and the airfares are not super cheap. So, your best bet is to find deals. The good news is that you do not need to go to a booking office to find insider deals; you can do the research online from the comfort of your home. 

Here are some links where you can find deals for booking your flight to New Zealand:

• Skyscanner – largest search engine for flights that also displays low-cost airlines and cheapest, yet not always, simple routes.
• Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) – Many people use it to find ideal deals for traveling to New Zealand from the US.
• Airfare Watchdog – This website is also recommended for finding a good deal for traveling to New Zealand for US travelers.
• The Flight Deal – This is a great resource for global travelers.
• Holiday Pirates – If you are seeking European flight deals, try this website.
• Secret Flying – You can find deals for flights from around the world on this website.

Add more stops

There are hardly any destinations that offer direct flights to New Zealand (and those, too, aren’t cheap). The trick to getting cheaper air tickets is to add more stops. 

Most often, flights with 2 or more stops are much cheaper than direct flights or flights with one stop. If you can find flight options with multiple stops, go for it, and you will find better rates.

Another pro trick is to opt for longer stay flights. Most travelers avoid flights with longer layover times, and thus airlines sell these tickets for cheaper. So, if you can opt for more stops with more extended stays, it will surely save you money.

Go for multiple airlines

If you are okay with long stopovers, do give it a go and search for multiple airlines. Maybe one airline can take you half the way for cheaper; you can explore that destination and then hop on the next cheaper flight to New Zealand.

Considering the visa requirements, the cost of exploring the stopover city, and adding the two flights together, maybe multiple airlines can get you a better deal.

Search in incognito mode

If airlines (and search engines) suspect that you are interested in air tickets for a particular destination, then after a little while of searching, the airfares go up. Some avid travelers even report finding suitable air flights, but the fare increases when making the final selection and payment.

The tip to avoid this hassle is to search for suitable airfares and options in the incognito mode of your preferred browser. In this way, you can scroll around and hunt for the best deals. Once you have landed on the one you want, you can open it in a normal browser and proceed with payment.

Avoid holiday period

As mentioned above, if you avoid peak holiday periods, school holidays, Easter and Christmas, and summer, you will find better deals. Don’t try to compete with holidaymakers for that seat on the plane.

Keep your travel dates flexible so that you can find the cheapest deal that works for you.

Travel mid-week

Since most travelers prefer flights on the weekends (because of school, work, etc.), our tip is to search for flights during the weekdays. The weekday flights will be cheaper compared to the weekends.

Avoid hidden traps

Some websites may show you ridiculously cheap rates, but there may be hidden traps like booking fees, less luggage weight, meals, etc. To find good rates yet avoid these loopholes, the tip is to book via the official airline website once you have selected the best deal.

Set a price alert

Some websites also allow you to save your search, and they will notify you once there is a cheaper fare available for your destination. This keeps you from coming back to find the best deal. However, check all the details before getting too excited about their solution.

Lastly, if you book a flight to New Zealand or elsewhere, I would highly recommend using Skyscanner as they display the cheapest routes.