Virgin Miles on Air New Zealand from the UK

Hi,

I am planning to travel to NZ for the Ironman World Championships in November next year. I currently have 135,000 miles and will have a lot more in the next six months. If I look at flights on the Air New Zealand website, the taxes and fees only seem to be £200-300.

So a couple of questions:

- Are the taxes and fees likely to be the same when booking through Virgin with miles?
- Is availability OK when you book a long time in advance and are quite flexible with exact dates? (I think November is normally low-demand)
- Are there any pitfalls I should be aware of and avoid?

Thank you!

- Is availability OK when you book a long time in advance and are quite flexible with exact dates? (I think November is normally low-demand)

In a word, no ( presuming you’re looking to travel in business class). I’ve never had any joy despite many attempts over the years ( and being uber uber flexible with dates) . I know many others here have struggled too. Are you competing or spectating ? ( my daughter Dragonbaby is now an Ironman competitor so kudos if you’re competing ).
DL

- Is availability OK when you book a long time in advance and are quite flexible with exact dates? (I think November is normally low-demand)

In a word, no ( presuming you’re looking to travel in business class). I’ve never had any joy despite many attempts over the years ( and being uber uber flexible with dates) . I know many others here have struggled too. Are you competing or spectating ? ( my daughter Dragonbaby is now an Ironman competitor so kudos if you’re competing ).
DL

Competing, hopefully! I am happy to go economy, is that a lot easier?