So-called golden age for Kiwi travel sees flight prices dip again

Travellers should take advantage of the so-called "golden age" of travel while it lasts.

Return flights to Europe have dipped under $1000 again thanks to a combination of low fuel prices and increased competition in New Zealand.

Flight Centre is offering promotional return economy fares to Amsterdam for as low as $999 aboard China Southern Airlines and return flights to Hawaii on Air New Zealand for $699.

House of travel will also be offering cheap flights next Sunday at its Travel Bazaar in Auckland.

House of Travel marketing director Ken Freer said Kiwis could expect some "amazing" deals at the bazaar, where 80 travel and tourism suppliers will be available to talk to potential travellers.

"Aucklanders will be able to speak with friendly experienced professionals, taste food from around the globe, hear from travel experts and be in to win some great prizes."

Travel dates are from May 18 to June 21, September 1 to September 21 and October 9 to November 16.

Flight Centre will also sell Air New Zealand flights to Brisbane from $399 return out of Auckland, and Samoa from $499 return out of Auckland.

The agent is offering the fares today and over the weekend, but Flight Centre's product manager Sean Berenson said punters should get in quick as flights were selling fast.

"We've had a huge amount of inquiries today and Hawaii has been particularly popular," he said.

"What's really interesting at the moment is that while Kiwis would have once travelled once every few years they're now travelling much more frequently.

"Whereas Europe was once a bucket-list trip when you can get it for [below] a thousand it's much more achievable."

Return flights to Europe first dropped below $1000 earlier this year, and Berenson said the company's deals were a reflection of what was happening in the industry at the moment, calling it a "golden era" for travel.

"At the moment New Zealand has seen a huge number of new carriers come into the market which has really impacted on competition."

This combined with relatively low fuel prices meant travel companies could offer unprecedented cheap flights and people should make the most of it while they could.

Berenson said the prices were not a reaction to premium carrier Qatar Airways' $1209 return fares to Amsterdam in January, which were offered among a host of cut-price fares to various destinations earlier in the year, which have since ended.

Travellers leaving from Auckland to Amsterdam with Qatar this weekend returning next Friday would have to pay NZ$2112 - nearly twice the price.

Torrential rain and flooding had seen an increase in people booking "flop and drop" holidays to sunnier locales this year, Berenson said.

Hawaii in particular has proven very popular, up almost 15 per cent on 2016. Bali is up almost 20 per cent, Samoa 15 per cent and Brisbane 10 per cent.

Berenson said this year had been one of Flight Centre's busiest years as the number of Kiwis travelling overseas increases.

"Year on year we've already seen an increase of more than 10 per cent in bookings at Flight Centre."

This matches trends in Statistics New Zealand figures out this week which showed Kiwis took a record 2.68 million overseas trips in the March 2017 year, up 10 per cent from the March 2016 year. In March 2017, New Zealand residents left on 192,200 overseas trips, up 11 per cent from March last year.

The fares are available online, over the phone, and in Flight Centre stores nationwide.

House's of Travel's bazaar will be held at ASB Showgrounds from 10am - 4pm on Sunday May 7.