Act fast: Fly to New Zealand from LA and San Francisco from $771 round-trip

New Zealand is high on many travelers’ dream destination lists for several reasons.

The island nation boasts unmatched natural beauty, from endless green landscapes and volcanoes to idyllic beaches, diverse wildlife and, of course, the wine. The only downside to visiting New Zealand from the U.S. is the long and often expensive flight you must endure to get there. However, a brand-new travel deal gives you the chance to make this trip a reality with big savings.

This sale includes steeply discounted flights on Delta Air Lines, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines from California to Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island. The majority of these itineraries come with layovers each way, although we found a few nonstop flights on United during the holiday season.

The main travel window for this deal is October through March of next year, which is when New Zealand has some of its best weather. You may be able to score good prices on some routes in July and August if a summer jaunt is a better fit for your schedule. With these airfares, you get a free carry-on and a checked bag with your ticket.

View of the Skyline in Auckland, New Zealand — LAURIE CHAMBERLAIN/GETTY IMAGES

Deal basics

Airline: Delta Air Lines, Fiji Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines

Routes: Round-trip flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Auckland

How to book: Browse Google Flights, then book directly with the airline

Travel dates: Availability is July-August 2024 and October 2024 through March 2025; some routes include Thanksgiving

Sample flights

July and August have some excellent deals out of Southern California. We found itineraries on Fiji Airways from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Auckland Airport (AKL) for as low as $786 round-trip.

la to auckland google flights — GOOGLE FLIGHTS

According to Google Flights, that’s a huge savings from the normal cost of this route in the summer.

price gauge google flights — GOOGLE FLIGHTS

United enters the conversation with nonstop flights from LA to Auckland in November and December for just $841 round-trip. The route below includes the Thanksgiving holiday, incidentally. While not as big a discount as we found in late summer, it’s still a nice price.

If you live in the Bay Area, there are many options for you in this sale. You can fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Auckland in July for just $856 round-trip on Delta. That’s less than half what this ticket usually costs.

san francisco to auckland — GOOGLE FLIGHTS

August showed even better prices. We found lots of availability from San Francisco to New Zealand on Fiji Airways for only $786 round-trip.

The same price was available in October and November, including the Thanksgiving holiday.

February had excellent deals, too. Here’s an itinerary on Hawaiian for just $771 round-trip.

Maximize your purchase

When you book this deal or any flights, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar spent on travel

Bottom line

Be aware that some routes in this sale have return flights with long layovers. As always, the more flexibility you have in your travel schedule, the better your chance of finding the most convenient flights.

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