T R A V E L

USA → Queenstown, NZ (ZQN)

  • Air New Zealand is the main airline in NZ (there is also Jetstar, they usually have cheaper rates but are the equivalent to Spirit Airlines). Air NZ is partnered with United.

  • Air NZ/United operates direct flights between Auckland and San Francisco (12.5 hours), LA (12 hours), and Houston (14.5 hours). I recommend taking the red eye so you can sleep on the plane and land in the morning local time.

  • Arriving in Auckland: unless you’re staying to explore the area, you’ll need a connecting flight to Queenstown (in the South Island, about a 1.5 hour flight).

    • Make sure you have enough time in Auckland for your connection as you’ll have to clear customs and transfer terminals (you’ll want ~2+ hours of a gap minimum to be safe). In my experience, customs and general airport operations run pretty smoothly here (just don’t bring any food with you through customs!!)

  • Arriving in Queenstown: Wanaka is a 1 hour scenic drive from Queenstown Airport. 

    • I recommend reserving a rental car from the airport

    • You’ll adjust to driving on the opposite side of the road faster than you think 

Booking Tips

Sign up for deal alerts on the Air NZ website! They have sales several times throughout the year. 

  • Time zones: Keep in mind you will lose a day flying from the US to NZ. 

    • i.e. if you were to fly out on Wednesday Nov 12, you won’t arrive in NZ until Friday Nov 14, the day before the wedding. 

    • But flying back saves time!

Entering New Zealand

You won’t be able to enter NZ without applying for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)! 

  • Costs ~$10.00 

  • Processed within 72 hours 

  • Digitally attaches to your passport, so you don’t need to bring any paperwork with you when you arrive 

You’ll also want to make sure your passport will not expire until at least 3 months after your trip.