AIR NEW ZEALAND: Airpoints loyalty program to become ‘Koru’ from April 2026

Air New Zealand has revealed some of the details of the makeover of its loyalty program., From April 2026, the long-running Airpoints program will be renamed and reborn as Koru. As well as a new name, there will be newly named tiers and new benefits.

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar says the rebrand is about ‘care, connection and renewal,’ and a more ‘unmistakably Kiwi’ identity. That’s nice, but the new name and its meaning aren’t what matters to seasoned travellers. They want to know whether their points, upgrades, and perks will get easier or harder to earn and redeem.

Like they all do, the airline says the refresh is built on the content of ‘member feedback’. Behind the ChatGPT-sounding hype, there are some tangible improvements.

Koru Black, a new elite tier

The biggest news is the creation of Koru Black, a new top tier above the current Elite (renamed Koru Platinum). To qualify, members will need 3,200 Status Points, with 1,920 earned from flying. So this is designed for the very frequent, very loyal, and very often away-from-home crowd.

If you reach Koru Black between now and April 2026, Air NZ is already doling out ‘starter gifts’ which include extra upgrades on shorthaul, access to fast-track security at Auckland Domestic (its only on trial for a week or so in November), more Valet parking vouchers, and a promise of things to come.

Once the tier formally launches in April 2026, the benefits start to get serious. Here’s a brief outline:

• Access to Koru Circle, allowing you to share your perks with family or friends
• Status rewards like a banked Koru Black year, or other milestone perks
• Access to the new Koru Premier Lounge at Auckland International
• More upgrades,and valet parking and enhanced OneUp (paid) upgrade priority
• All Koru Platinum perks

All tiers refreshed

Every level of the program is being reworked, though most of the structural changes are more evolution than revolution. Here’s the new lineup

• Koru Bronze: entry tier with basic recognition and ability to earn Status Points
• Koru Silver: Status Points Bonus, earn five bonus Status Points for every 10 Air NZ flights
• Koru Gold: adds a Status Points Top-Up to help retain the tier more easily
• Koru Platinum (currently Elite): enhanced Status Rewards and entry to the new Koru Premier Lounge
• Koru Black: the new super-elite tier

For most travellers, the incremental improvements at Silver, Gold and Platinum will matter more than the new top tier. Status Points Bonuses and Top-Ups should help regular travellers maintain status.

What stays the same?

Despite the new name, Airpoints remain valued at 1 Airpoint = NZ$1, so earn-and-burn doesn’t change. OneUp upgrade bidding remains in place, though Koru Black members get a 60% weighting advantage.

Air New Zealand is promising new partners, new ways to redeem Airpoints, and “exclusive ways to fly” using them. That sounds promising, but the airline hasn’t revealed specifics.

What this means for travellers

These changes are going to be to your advantage if you are already a heavy Air NZ user, so the new Black tier will give you more benefits. You will also be pleased if you like to share your Air NZ benefits with family or friends.

For occasional travellers, its not going to make a big difference. You’ll still be earning Status Points, still using Airpoints dollars, but enjoying a more transparent set of benefits.

Here is a comparison table of the old Airpoints tiers compared to the new Koru tiers.

(Please note that this has been compiled with the assistance of AI – so check details before regarding it as gospel!)

Programme	Tier	Qualification / SP	Key Benefits	Notes	Est. Annual Value (AUD)
Airpoints	Silver	450 SP (retain 405)	2 lounge eVouchers; 1 Recognition Upgrade; OneUp +10%	Entry elite tier	350
Airpoints	Gold	900 SP (retain 810)	Lounge +1 guest; *A Gold; Priority; extra bags	High value tier	1200
Airpoints	Elite	1500 SP (retain 1350)	Elite lounge; upgrades; baggage; priority	Top AP tier	2200
Koru	Bronze	Entry	Basic earning/spending	Entry tier	0
Koru	Silver	SP + 5 SP per 10 journeys	1 Recognition Upgrade; OneUp +10%; 2 lounge passes	Regular short‑haul flyers	500
Koru	Gold	SP +15 SP/10 journeys + 30 SP top-up	2 upgrades; OneUp +30%	Mid-high	1500
Koru	Platinum	Higher SP +30 SP/10 journeys + 50 SP top-up	2 upgrades + 1 short-haul; OneUp +50%; Premier Lounge	New premium tier	2600
Koru	Black	3200 SP incl 1920 qualifying	3 upgrades + 2 short-haul; OneUp +60%; valet; Koru Circle	Ultra-premium	6000

2PAXfly Takeout

Air New Zealand’s ‘Koru’ relaunch feels more than a cosmetic rebrand, with the possible exception of the introduction of Koru Black and the innovative Koru Circle benefit. The airline is clearly trying to modernise its loyalty offering while retaining its uniquely Kiwi identity.

But the real test will be whether members find it genuinely easier to earn, redeem, upgrade, and feel recognised. Rebranding is easy; delivering a loyalty scheme that feels rewarding, intuitive, customer-friendly and stacks up against competitors like Qantas is much harder.

We’ll be watching closely as April 2026 approaches.