Flights to New Zealand

The reasons to visit New Zealand are endless: vast national parks, towering mountains, rolling coastline, outdoor pursuits and world-renowned wine to name a few. It’s not surprising to find out that due to it’s distance from the UK, cheap flights are not that easy to come by. Plan ahead and you can discover the natural beauty of New Zealand’s spectacular landscapes without blowing your budget on the flights.

Search for a flight to New Zealand

New Zealand flight times

No airlines fly directly to New Zealand, all times below are connecting flights to Auckland (AKL).

• From London: 24 hrs+
• From Manchester: 25 hrs +
• From Glasgow: 25 hrs +
• From Cardiff: 26 hrs +
• From Belfast: 27 hrs +

Airlines that fly to New Zealand

No airlines fly directly to New Zealand.

• United
• Emirates
• British Airways
• Korean Air
• Air New Zealand
• Virgin Atlantic
• American Airlines
• China Eastern

New Zealand insider flight tips

You can’t fly directly to New Zealand from the UK, so you will need to made a stopover on your way there. Many routes fly through Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, but you can also fly through the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, the Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Singapore Changi Airport and others. Since New Zealand is on the other side of the planet, you can actually fly either way round, over Asia or America.
There’s a free bus or a 10-minute walkway between the International and Domestic terminals at Auckland Airport for those taking an indirect flight to their destination.

How to get from the airport

Visitors travelling to the respective cities can do so easily via public transport, private airport shuttle or taxi from New Zealand’s four major international airports: Auckland (AKL), Christchurch (CHC), Queenstown (ZQN) and Wellington (WLG). You can pre-book transfers online or just decide on arrival; many services run 24 hours a day. The above airports are all 20–30 minutes’ ride from the city centre, with the exception of Auckland which takes up to an hour. Taxis can be a cheaper option if travelling in a group.

You can undoubtedly get the best out of your holiday in New Zealand by choosing to self-drive. Many rental companies let you pick up a car or campervan directly from the airport terminal – there is a lot of competition so shop around. The hills and windy roads give visitors some of the most impressive views of the scenery that New Zealand is famous for.