Many Kiwi families travelled from far and wide to spend time with their loved ones yesterday.
But for a group of unlucky passengers flying from Brisbane to Auckland, what should have been a three-hour flight turned into a Christmas catastrophe.
Tessa Young and Dan Fastnedge's families were looking forward to spending Christmas together for the first time in four years.
Instead what should have been a simple trip from London to Auckland turned into a 78-hour travel nightmare, leaving their families desperate to have them home.
"We've been waiting for two days," says Ms Young's father, Larry Young. "They were due back on the 24th in the afternoon of the 24th, and we are now the 26th."
They paid top dollar to make it home by Christmas Eve, looking forward to meeting Mr Fastnedge's three-day-old nephew, Leo. But after delays on their Emirates flights in London, Dubai and Brisbane, they spent Christmas at Brisbane airport.
They were finally reunited with their loved ones this afternoon, nearly 48 hours late.
"They had a really special day planned yesterday seeing their grandparents and aunts and uncles, and the whole thing has been very disappointing," says Ms Young's mum, Fiona Young.
Passengers took to Twitter using the hashtag "Emirates stole Christmas", saying: "This was as meant to be on a beautiful NZ beach, not a deserted airport at 2:30am."
"We thought we might make it and we were going to make the most of the afternoon, but that soon went out the window, so now its four Christmases without our family," says Tessa.
She and Mr Fastnedge say the biggest issue for them was the lack of communication from Emirates.
"I can't even remember now I'm so tired," he says. "They didn't tell us anything; it was just waiting and waiting and waiting. I think it's just the lack of communication. No one told us anything. It was just pathetic responses."
Emirates says the "Brisbane to Auckland service experienced a 17-20-hour flight delay due to a technical fault. Emirates apologises for any inconvenience."
So it will be belated festivities for the exhausted passengers, and no gifts under the tree for Emirates this Christmas.
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