Air New Zealand announces new Koru Black tier in loyalty scheme overhaul

Air New Zealand has been working on overhauling its frequent flyer programme. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Air New Zealand is rebranding its Airpoints loyalty scheme and starting a new tier called Koru Black.

From April, the Airpoints programme will be known as Koru.

And Koru Black will now be the top-earned tier.

Koru Black members will get access to an express lane trial for aviation security at Auckland from today to November 28.

They will also be able to get extra valet parking vouchers delivered on December 8.

From April next year, Koru Black members will get access to rewards potentially including curated gifts and experiences.

To qualify for the tier, members will have to earn at least 3200 status points, including 1920 from qualifying flights in a year.

The airline from next autumn will offer Koru Black members ways to share perks with friends or family using Koru Circle.

“Koru Circle lets members share some of the comfort, care, and recognition of Koru Black with friends and whānau,” the airline’s chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said.

Koru Black members will also have access to the new Koru Premier Lounge at Auckland Airport when it opens.

The 3700sq m lounge will have capacity for 790 guests and should open by late 2027.

Ravishankar’s predecessor, Greg Foran, announced the lounge overhaul earlier this year.

Ravishankar last month told the Herald the new lounge would be twice the size of the current offering.

“When I speak to some of our customers who use that lounge regularly, one of the complaints is it’s a bit crowded. So we’re doing something about it,” he added.

“It’s probably going to be one of the best lounges in global aviation, so I’m excited about that.”

The airline had also been looking at refreshing earn rates and benefits.

An impression of what Air New Zealand's expanded Koru Lounge at Auckland will look like. Photo / Supplied

It said the Koru overhaul should bring refreshed tiers, more recognition and a clearer journey for every member.

Ravishankar said the overall rebrand would create an experience that felt simpler and more personal to members.

The CEO said customer feedback had informed the changes.

Air New Zealand said it would also deliver new opportunities to earn Airpoints and Status Points to ensure members get more value.

Australian Frequent Flyer editor Matt Graham earlier this year criticised Airpoints.

Graham said many frequent flyers considered the Airpoints programme to be uncompetitive.

He said Airpoints limited opportunities to get the “outsized value” that some other frequent flyer programmes had.

Qantas earlier this year made changes to its loyalty programme, introducing Status Fast Track.

New Koru tiers from April 2026:

• Koru Bronze: A new base tier with the chance to earn Airpoints and status points.
• Koru Silver: Earns five bonus status points for every 10 Air NZ journeys.
• Koru Gold: Gives access to a new status point top-up option.
• Koru Platinum: Will have access to the new Koru Premier Lounge in Auckland when open.
• Koru Black: Inherits all current Elite benefits and delivers some new perks.

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