$644 Find Cheap Flights from the United States to New Zealand

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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to New Zealand

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to New Zealand to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to New Zealand?

These are the best return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to New Zealand from the United States found in the last 72 hours was to Auckland, at $745 return. The most popular route is New York John F Kennedy Intl Airport (JFK) to Auckland (AKL) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $745.

What is the cheapest month to fly from the United States to New Zealand?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United States to New Zealand, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from the United States to New Zealand is February, when tickets cost $2,269 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $3,033 and $2,933 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United States to New Zealand?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to New Zealand, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below-average price on a flight from the United States to New Zealand, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 37% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 21 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in New Zealand?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in New Zealand is Auckland Intl Airport (AKL), with an average flight price of $1,586.

Good to know

Low seasonAugust
Cheapest flight$644
Best time to beat the crowds (0% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (27% more expensive on average)
Flight from San Francisco to Auckland

Flights from the United States to New Zealand: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from the United States to New Zealand 
Verified travelerFlew with Air New ZealandSFO-AKLJan 2025
Be prepared for a long overnight flight. Ear plugs a necessity. We had many many kids, and several who screamed rather than cried. A tough night. Not the airlines fault
CoryFlew with American AirlinesDFW-AKLNov 2024
don't bring any food you're not going to eat on the plane. stop in the duty free area and get your sim card/alcohol-bags take awhile.
Verified travelerFlew with Qantas AirwaysJFK-AKLOct 2024
Bring plenty of books podcasts and music to read or listen to cause it’s a long flight
Verified travelerFlew with Air New ZealandIAH-AKLMay 2024
Wear comfortable footwear. It's a long terminal walk.

FAQs for booking flights from the United States to New Zealand

  • Do I need a visa to visit New Zealand?

    You won’t need a visa to enter New Zealand if you’re a US national and plan to stay for a duration of less than three months. Longer stays will require a visa.

  • Where should I fly to in New Zealand for easy access to the mountains?

    New Zealand’s South Island is much more mountainous than the North Island, which is served by Auckland Airport. For access to the mountainous regions of New Zealand, your best bet is to fly internationally into Christchurch Airport, then rent a car and drive southwest to Mount Cook National Park or Mount Aspiring National Park.

  • Are there nonstop flights to New Zealand?

    Flying to any destination in New Zealand will generally involve at least one stop from most areas in the United States. The only cities in the US from which you can fly nonstop to Auckland Airport include Los Angeles and Honolulu on flights operated by Air New Zealand and Hawaiian Airlines.

  • I want to visit the Fiordland National Park, where should I fly into?

    Fiordland National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of New Zealand. The closest airport to Fiordland National Park is the Dunedin Airport, but this airport mostly receives domestic and nearby international air traffic. The most convenient way to get to the park is by flying into Christchurch, then either driving straight there or catching a short regional flight to Queenstown.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from the United States to New Zealand?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from the United States to New Zealand.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from the United States to New Zealand?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United States to New Zealand is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from the United States to New Zealand?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from the United States to New Zealand with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from the United States to New Zealand?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from the United States to New Zealand up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to New Zealand?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to New Zealand is Wednesday when return tickets can be as cheap as $2,135. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, when return prices are $2,455 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to New Zealand?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to New Zealand is generally in the evening, when retur flights cost $910 on average. Morning departures are around 100% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to New Zealand is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,125.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of the United States

  • When you’re booking your flight to New Zealand from the US, you’ll most likely be flying into Auckland, which is home to New Zealand’s largest international airport. There are a handful of other airports in New Zealand, but those airports mainly receive traffic from destinations in Japan, Singapore and Fiji.
  • The currency of New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar, and exchanges can be made at all New Zealand Airports. If you’re traveling to Auckland, one of the most popular places to exchange money and get the best possible rate is the collection of money changers located on Queen Street in the city’s main business district.
  • Although most flights from the US to Christchurch will have at least one stop, booking your flight to New Zealand through this city instead of Auckland can give you better access to the North and South Islands of New Zealand, giving you more bang for your buck. Routes to Christchurch are available with Fiji Airways.
  • If you’ll be traveling to Australia after your time in New Zealand, you’ll have several options of airports to fly out of. Airports in New Zealand that operate flights to Australia include the Dunedin Airport (DUD), Queenstown Airport (ZQN) and Wellington Airport (WLG), giving you more options for conveniently traveling throughout the area.
  • After flying to New Zealand, getting around the country via public transportation can be extremely limiting on the areas you’re able to conveniently visit. There are many popular destinations that aren’t reachable by bus. For this reason, it can be extremely beneficial to rent a car in the airport of Auckland, for example, to get around during your stay.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from the United States to New Zealand

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States to New Zealand? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 10000 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.1Entertainment
7.1Food
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

All flights were on time. No crowded and had empty seats. All flight attendents were great.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sept 2025SEA - SAN
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

All flights were on time. No crowded and had empty seats. All flight attendents were great.

Didn't buy food and did not use entertainment as these were not the purpose of my flight.

My flight was delayed 2 hours which led me to lose my connection. As a consequence, I had to spend hours changing flights and hotel reservations to arrange my arrival to Vancouver.

No Free Wifi and the flight was a tad late.

The plane was clean. They got us to the destination. It was very difficult to hear the announcements at the gate. The person was speaking way too quickly, and the sound system did not carry to all parts of the seating area at the gate. The flight left more than an hour late, which left many of the passengers missing connections.

Awesome. Great flight. Super nice people and I like the extra space

The first leg of the trip was excellent. Lovely flight attendants and comfortable plane. The second leg left a lot to be desired. The flight attendant was rude when I asked for a Diet Coke, the boarding required quite a long walk and the plane was crammed and uncomfortable.

Flight was delayed as it always is with Alaska airlines. Particularly to smaller airports. No AC on the plane so it was miserably hot.

Website could be better with faster access to specific flight information and boarding pass once reservation is made. Not a fan of no seat selection on line. I had to consult gate agent each time to change seats on flights with lots of open seats. This cannot possibly be cost effective for airline. On plus side, Alaska seat legroom seemed larger than American. ns

The flights left both airports on schedule. The flight from Idaho Falls to Seattle was a typical commuter trip. The flight from Seattle to Maui was not good: It was too long for a flight in a single-aisle plane and too cramped. I kept asking myself if I would ever visit Maui again if airlines continue to run this long flight like a typical short commuter flight. I am not looking forward to the trip home.

Again, Fijian hospitality was genuine, very comfortable, only improvement would be the entertainment. Why Do they only have 5 episodes of TV shows and from like season three...

Fiji Airways was amazing, will definately be lfying them again. The "Fijian hospitality" is not a catch phrase, it is genuine. the only things that could be improved is the entertainment. Not a great choice of movies, and the TV shows only have about 5 or so episodes, and often of a random season.

They will look to squeeze every penny they can out of you!! Pick your seat$$...bring luggage$$$$... if they could charge you for the air on the plane they would!!

.very good and as I needed wheelchair assistance all staff excellent.. only suggestion is get rid of those plastic chairs hard to ride in and staff have trouble compared to others. Everything else very good experience. Will use Fiji Air again.

In-flight entertainment options could use a refresh, Consider a tie-up with Spotify for more current music and with IMDB or other service for newer selections/movie ratings.

See previous comments. Didn’t take this flight because my other flight was so delayed. Ending up on two other flights as a result and was more than a day late.

6 hour delay and they didnt try to make up any time during an over 10 hour flight

Very good; seat made ready for bed after meal, a plus since one airline covered the seat at the start.

Entertainment was not good. Seems like liquor should’ve been advertised only beer and wine was even though I saw others getting liquor didn’t realize I could. And the food to me could’ve been a little bit.

Food choices perhaps not the best. Only offered beer and wine, when it appeared other liquor was available. Entertainment wasn’t so good.

Not a comfortable trip, the seats are not good, and they look old.

Lost my luggage and brought someone else luggage to my airport.

Not entirely positive. It’s frustrating that everything is done through the united app. One of our flight attendants on our trip from San Francisco to MSP continually had trouble hearing people so she flipped her hair into people’s faces

I flew United from San Francisco to Auckland. My connecting flight from Auckland to Christchurch was canceled with no explanation. I was finally told the cancellation was due to fog. Even though it was clear when we landed. I am from San Francisco, I know what fog is! And I didn't see any fog. I was told the next available flight was 7 hours later. Unacceptable, they should have had a flight ready to go as soon as it was deemed safe to take off.

Our original flight was cancelled from SFO to AKL on 6/16/25. So we had to stay overnight at a hotel after a 12-hour layover plus 3-hour delay before the cancellation. Then had to fly to LA and then to AKL the following day losing an entire day of our vacation in NZ, that we can never get back.

Two hours was not enough time to transition from the international to domestic terminal. You have to go through customs, a biological hazard check, gather your luggage, take a bus to the domestic terminal and recheck your luggage. The bus was slow and crowded and the lines to recheck your bags were very long. We missed our connecting flight. Initially, the Air New Zealand officials were not helpful at all in helping to get us on another flight. Told us we would have to buy another ticket for a flight 11 hours later. Found another agent that was more helpful. He helped arrange to get us on standby for another flight three hours later. Had to ride in jump seats next to the flight attendants, but at least we eventually got to out destination.

Full flight. Flight attendants were harried. Otherwise, fine for the typical cramped seating conditions in coach.

Great! Flight was delayed by 30 mins but all was great. Thanks.

The business class upgrade meant a good sleep on the way home after a long week away. Excellent service, great food, and comfortable seat/bed for the journey.

The issue was with getting our boarding pases. There were issues with our arrangements that were made through Kayak. I am sorry to say that we will not use you again because of this. The flight itself was good and the flight attendants excellent.

My flight from Dallas to Sydney was cancelled. My entire trip was rerouted to include the following: Hartford to Washington DC Washington DC to JFK JFK to Auckland Auckland to Christchurch I paid for an aisle seat on the flight to Auckland and was asked if I would take a window seat to accommodate a family. The agent at the podium failed to mention that the family had a 3 month old baby and that a bassinet would be used during the 16 hour flight. The only way I could get out of my seat was to crawl under the bassinet of the sleeping baby. I think it is wrong that I was no given the choice to sit in another seat, that the agent knew what she was doing and chose to not properly disclose my seating arrangement. Terrible treatment.

by the time they got to our row, they were out of some of the food options. games and movies were great but maybe more game options like tetris or pac man would be great

One of the best Qantas business flights I've had. Quality product

Great as usual, some delays but well communicated and made up for in the air

Poor! This flight was delayed 14 hours. There was no assistance in helping customers find other routes to their destination, nor any other kind of support. It was a chaotic experience. I'm not likely to fly with AA going forward.

Business class points redemption - good value for points paid, dubious value if out of your own pocket, domestic class business product okay for this length of flight. The flight left and arrived on time, crew were good, aircraft was a bit old and tired, but still miles ahead of their competitors in Virgin and Jetstar.

We were upgraded and after just a short delay in attending to a safety check we were on our way. Would definately fly Qantas International on their Dreamliner again.

Traditional economy class. Not a full flight so spare seats. Food and drinks were good

Inflight entertainment, poor that there are no headrest screens on aircraft used for an international flight.

The Emerits/Qantas flight was cancelled to Wellington. We need a refund. Had to buy another airline ticket. How do we get the refund. Still not in Wellington.

We had to deboard 2 times due to maintenance issues. They changed the plane, and then we got deviated to LAX due to maibtenance issues on the other plane, had to sleep at LAX and los a full day.

Everything was good, except the seats in economy were so close together, you could barely get out when the seat in front of your was reclined. If the airlines keep jamming in more and more seats, it will become intolerable. I will look for another airline that considers customer comfort and does not keep adding more rows of seats for more profit.

The newer screen was super cool and had the option to watch many different shows or movies. Crew was polite and helpful. However again, many children screaming bloody murder and kicking my seat, and parents doing nothing about it as usual.

Flight was good and crew was super polite. However, there were around 5 kids screaming the WHOLE 2 hours. I understand kids have to come but parents need to do something to control their children. They make the experience terrible, especially after finishing 16 hour shifts at the hospital I needed some sleep, which I did not get.

IAD with the archaic people movers is just a place to be avoided.

Great service on board. Boarding a bit slow due to process. Food was pretty average.

Tastless food and too obvious lack of enthusiasm for service in the economy vesus business class

All of the United employees I interacted with were professional and courteous. The aircraft was clean, the food on the flight was good. No complaints here.

I had no checked baggage but was required to hand over carry on baggage at the door of the plane. There was a lot of overboard space in the plane and I was one of the last ones. I ran to get my carry on but it was gone. I was given back at the plane door in Toronto, so the wait was not as long as it would have been at the carousel.

Armrest controller on my seat 35D and nextbooennseat 35E did not work right. Hard to press buttons to recognize and 35D had constantnpressure either upmost down somit was nearly impossible to make selections. .

Everything you need to know for your flight to New Zealand

Cabin class types available on flights to New Zealand

Cabin classes available on flights to New Zealand. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.

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