Air New Zealand signs up Westpac NZ as new credit card partner

Air New Zealand will drop the Bank of New Zealand from its roster of credit card partners next month, with Westpac stepping in to replace BNZ as of May 1, 2015.

Westpac New Zealand will join Kiwibank, ANZ and American Express in issuing credit cards which can earn Airpoints, the currency of AirNZ's frequent flyer scheme.

The first points-earning cards will include a Westpac Airpoints MasterCard, Platinum MasterCard, World MasterCard and Business MasterCard, along with an Airpoints-earning mortgage program.

"After a long and mutually beneficial arrangement that provided Airpoints earning on BNZ GlobalPlus products, Air New Zealand and BNZ have decided not to renew the agreement between them" the airline said in a statement.

"The current agreement will cease at midnight on 30 April 2015, from which point BNZ’s GlobalPlus products will no longer earn Air New Zealand related benefits, including Airpoints Dollars and Status Points."

BNZ GlobalPlus credit card holders will continue to earn Airpoints on their current card up until midnight 30 April but will need to choose a new Airpoints earning credit card if they wish to continue to earn Airpoints on their credit card spend from 1 May.

All tier status benefits, Airpoints Dollars and Status Points already earned by a GlobalPlus credit card holder remain in the member’s Airpoints account.

According to Air New Zealand, more than 20% of all credit card spend in the country is on Airpoints-earning credit cards.

Westpac cardholders in Australia can already earn Airpoints on their daily spend through the Altitude Rewards program, as can ANZ Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards customers, among others.

Commonwealth Bank axed Air New Zealand from its frequent flyer partners in late 2013, instead focussing on the Qantas/Virgin Australia duo.

For more details, click through to www.airpoints.co.nz.

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David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.