The Stakes Are High And Oh-So-Sweet With The Air New Zealand Sweetstake

Aotearoa will get a little sweeter this October as a giant lolly jar makes its way around the country giving New Zealanders the chance to win a share of one million Airpoints Dollars™ (APD) in the Air New Zealand Sweetstake.

The giant jar will be popping up in 11 locations around the country, from Whangārei to Invercargill.

Air New Zealand General Manager Domestic, Scott Carr says Air New Zealand lollies are an iconic part of our culture.

“Our humble hard-boiled lolly has sparked many important discussions in its time. What’s the best flavour? What’s the acceptable number of lollies to take? Do you suck yours or chew it?

“Well, we’ve got one more – how many lollies are in the Air New Zealand lolly jar?

“Kiwi from around the motu can come along to see the biggest lolly jar they might have ever seen, do some careful calculations, and submit their guess online.

Whoever correctly guesses the number of lollies in the jar, or gets closest to it, will claim the grand prize of 50,000 APD.

“The odds are stacked in your flavour with the ability to submit a guess daily, so why not sweeten your chances of winning?”

Those who can’t see the lolly jar in person can join the guessing fun with a virtual AR version.

“If you’re using your mobile device you can ‘drop’ the giant lolly jar into your backyard to get a sense of how big it actually is, or you can view it on a desktop device, before submitting your guess online.”

The lolly jar is over 4.5 metres tall from top to bottom and every single lolly inside has been counted by hand.

The lolly counting took place with an external partner who had a team of lolly counters tallying up each and every lolly. Not a single lolly was left behind!

Along with the grand prize of 50,000 APD, the deal is sweetened with additional daily prizes of 10,000 APD up for grabs online, a 10,000 APD prize at each location the jar pops up in, as well as hundreds of 500 APD spot prizes to be won.

“The best thing about Airpoints Dollars is they can be spent on so many different things.

“You can spend them on domestic flights around New Zealand or a dream holiday overseas, buy a Koru membership, book a rental car, or treat yourself or your whānau with something from the Airpoints store.”

The Air New Zealand Sweetstake runs from 1 – 20 October and is open to anyone who is a New Zealand based Airpoints member. You can join Airpoints for free by signing up at airpoints.co.nz.

Air New Zealand Sweetstake activation schedule:

How to enter:

· Participants will need to be an Airpoints member and logged in to their Airpoints account to enter.

· Those visiting in person can scan the QR codes on-site with a mobile device, and submit a guess

· To participate online, visit airnzsweetstake.co.nz between 7am and 11pm to access the virtual AR version to enter a guess

· Participants can enter once a day in person, and once a day online for the competition period

About the Air New Zealand Sweetstake:

· Air New Zealand is giving away one million APD from 1 October – 20 October

· Ways to win:

o Grand prize of 50,000 APD for the person who guesses the correct (or closest to it) number of lollies in the giant jar

o A 10,000 APD prize is up for grabs at each of the 11 locations the jar visits

o A daily prize of 10,000 APD to be won online

o Hundreds of 500 APD spot prizes for those entering online and in-person

· If more than one person guesses the correct number of lollies, or closest to it, the grand prize of 50,000 APD will be split amongst the winners

· Winners of the spot prizes will receive an instant notification after they enter, and an email. APD will appear in their account within 24 hours of winning

· The grand prize winner will be contacted the week commencing 21 October

· Air New Zealand Sweetstake Terms and Conditions apply

Sweet stats:

· The Air New Zealand lolly comes in five classic flavours: Strawberry, Peppermint, Lime, Lemon, and Orange

· Lollies were made for flying; sucking one activates the muscle that opens your eustachian tubes, relieving pressure in your ears at high altitude

· Air New Zealand customers enjoy 19 million lollies per year

· Air New Zealand has been serving these iconic hard-boiled sweets for over half a century

· From top to bottom, the giant lolly jar is over 4.5 metres tall

You can download video content here.

About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It’s a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 8.7 years. Air New Zealand’s global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2023, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2024 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline’s laser-focus on safety and won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand in 2023 – the 9th year in a row.  

Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Frameworkhelps guide the airline’s efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand’s loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn AirpointsDollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience. 

About Star Alliance

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers 17,500 daily flights to over 1,150 airports in 189 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner Juneyao Airlines.

For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com.

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