760,000 customers travelling domestically and internationally over the July school holidaysFriday 12 July will be the busiest day for travel, with more than 51,000 customers expected to be travelling
Air New Zealand is preparing to welcome nearly half a million customers on its domestic network over the July school
holidays as travellers look to make the most of a mid-winter getaway.
Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer, Alex Marren says the airline has added thousands more seats across its
operation this July to help connect Kiwis with each other.
“We’ve seen impressive demand for travel across Aotearoa over the school holiday period. To help get customers where
they need to be, we’ve added 30,000 seats across 240 domestic flights. That means we have nearly half a million
customers expected to travel with us from Friday 5 July until Sunday 21July.”
“The next two weeks aren’t just going to be a busy time in the air, but in our airports as well, and our teams are
gearing up to ensure our customers’ journeys are as smooth as possible.
“If you’re travelling with little ones, or if you’re carrying some extra winter gear, allow yourself plenty of time to
check in, drop your bags and make your way to the gate.
“The weather at this time of year can also cause disruption, so we recommend customers download the Air New Zealand app
for the latest updates on their flight. Of course, it’s always a good idea to purchase travel insurance to ensure you’re
protected in the event of a weather-related disruption.”
Topping the list of school holiday hotspots is Queenstown, with 31,000 customers heading to the beloved winter
destination.
Dunedin is the place to be for the opening weekend of the holidays, as the All Blacks take on England in the southern
city on Saturday 6 July. Air New Zealand has put on nine additional return flights, or 2,250 extra seats over the
weekend to get fans to the game.
A further 274,000 travellers will be jetting off overseas over the period, with the Australian cities of Sydney,
Melbourne and Brisbane emerging as the most popular international school holiday destinations, with Singapore and Fiji
also proving to be popular destinations.
Top tips when flying these school holidays
· Double check the personal details on your booking are correct to avoid any airport hold-ups
· Download the Air NZ mobile app and subscribe to its Travel Alert service to keep up to date on the go
· Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and through security as it can take a little longer than usual – especially
with extra winter gear
· As always, book travel insurance to ensure you're protected in the event of a weather-related disruption (which can be
more frequent in the winter months!)