Coronavirus: Air New Zealand offers $69 Aussie flights to combat lagging sales

  • 28/02/2020

Air New Zealand has announced "ridiculously good deals" for flying between Aotearoa and Australia to fill the empty seats being left by the coronavirus outbreak.

There are currently nearly 83,000 reported cased of COVID-19 worldwide and the outbreak's death toll has surpassed 2800.

From mid-March 2020, one-way Air NZ flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are available for as low as $69.

The airline's chief revenue officer Cam Wallace says coronavirus has meant less people are flying across the Tasman.

"Like all airlines we have seen some softness in demand on routes like the Tasman where we now have some empty seats due to travellers mainly from Asian destinations not connecting between New Zealand and Australia," he says.

"Kiwis and Aussies are going to be able to head away for holidays or to see family and friends or do business for cheaper than a night’s accommodation at most hotels."

The Air NZ sale includes the following airfares:

  • Auckland-Melbourne: $69
  • Auckland-Brisbane: $79
  • Auckland-Sydney: $79
  • Christchurch-Melbourne: $69
  • Christchurch-Brisbane: $79
  • Wellington-Sydney: $79

The sale launched on Friday and runs until the end of Monday, March 2.

Air NZ and its major Tasman competitors Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have all reduced some of their services as a result of coronavirus.