How to Save Money on Niue Airfares
Any money saved on a trip to Niue means more scuba diving, more fishing, more cocktails or simply your next trip to Niue! Getting to this remote island in the South Pacific is never a cheap task, but with a few tips that we share in this list of ways to save money on a flight to Niue, you will find that flying to Niue can certainly be cheaper!
For more budgeting advice, see How to Book a Cheap Flight to Niue, as well as What is the Cost of Transport in Niue?
1. Fly Between February and April
Choosing the best time to book a cheaper flight to Niue is when there is less demand for flights. This occurs in Niue’s low season with the exception of the Christmas and New Year’s period, leaving the months of February, March and April usually being the best time for lower airfares and deals. Air New Zealand is the only airline offering direct flights to Niue, which typically try to entice more travellers to the South Pacific Islands, therefore fill up more spaces on the plane, with sales and deals such as “Island Sales” between February and April.
Learn more benefits of travelling in the low season in the 10 Reasons to Travel in the Low Season in Niue.
(c) Niue Tourism2. Fly Out on a Tuesday and Return on a Monday (Update)
[Update: As of 2022, flights to Niue operate just once a week. Therefore, the only day available to fly is currently the cheapest day of the week to fly (duh!) Find out more about the flight schedules to Niue in our guide, Which Airlines Fly to Niue?]
You can save about NZ$20 on your return flight to Niue by flying to Niue on a Tuesday flight from Auckland and returning on a Monday flight. Flights to and from Niue only operate on a Monday (Niue time)/Tuesday (NZ time) and on a Friday (Niue time)/Saturday (NZ time)*. There is a price difference of about NZ$10 per flight between the Monday/Tuesday flights and the Friday/Saturday flights.
*Note that Niue and New Zealand have a full 24-hour time difference.
(c) niuepocketguide.com3. Consider Using Two Different Airlines
Travelling to Niue from outside of Auckland? You will have to make a connection at Auckland Airport and take Niue’s direct flight with Air New Zealand, but you don’t have to use Air New Zealand for your entire journey. Be sure to compare the prices of other airlines flying to Auckland, not only internationally but even domestically if you’re coming from elsewhere in New Zealand.
See international airports with direct flights to Auckland in How Long Does it Take to Fly to Niue?
(c) niuepocketguide.com4. Find and Compare Flight Routes on Flight Comparison Websites
If travelling to Niue, especially from outside of New Zealand, then make sure you take the time to compare all possible flight routes from your city to Niue, transiting in Auckland. Comparison websites not only give you an idea of the possible routes from your departure airport but also show you the airlines available and display the prices. Once you have all of this information, we recommend talking directly to the airline to see if they can beat the price of the comparison website. Often, they’re happy to oblige in order to save on the commission they would otherwise have to pay to the comparison website.
(c) Pexels5. Use Private Browsing
When searching for flights online, be sure to use private browsing. Airline and flight comparison websites are notorious for using cookies (basically browsing history) to notch up the prices the more you browse. This encourages panic-buying, thinking that the prices are only going to get more expensive the more you wait! Using private browsing means that websites can’t keep track of your browsing data, so will show the same prices throughout your browsing session.
(c) Pixabay6. Book Connecting Flights Separately
Again, if you need to take two or three flights to get to Niue, then be sure to check the price of flights if you were to book them separately compared to if you were to book the flights altogether. In many cases, it’s cheaper to book flights separately but be aware when doing this that you will need to collect your baggage after the first flight before checking in for the next one. This can be pretty time-consuming, so be sure to have at least two hours to go through this entire process before taking your next flight.
(c) niuepocketguide.com7. Look for Deals on Air New Zealand’s Deal Websites
For the direct flights between Auckland and Niue, it’s worth looking for the latest flight deals on Air New Zealand’s various websites, such as cheapflights.co.nz and grabaseat.co.nz. If you have no luck there, then head to the airnewzealand.com website for their standard airfares and the occasional deal.
(c) niuepocketguide.com8. Don’t Upgrade to “The Works” Fare Type
For your direct flight to Niue with Air New Zealand, you have four types of fares to choose from: Seat, Seat + Bag, The Works and The Works Deluxe. Considering “The Works” fare types are approximately NZ$100 more for a few more movies to watch and an inflight meal, upgrading to these fare types provides very little value for money. Remember, the flight between Auckland and Niue is only 3h30mins long. We recommend bringing your own entertainment, in case the movies available aren’t to your liking, as well as either eating before the flight or picking up a few snacks at the airport once you’ve gone through airport security.
Learn more about the different fare types available with Air New Zealand in Which Airlines Fly to Niue?
(c) niuepocketguide.com9. Purchase a Mix of “Seat” and “Seat + Bag” Fares
On a similar note to the point above, if you’re travelling as a group or a couple, purchase a mix of Seat and Seat + Bag fares. The Seat fare allows you to have carry-on baggage weighing up to 7kg and a personal item like a handbag or small laptop case, while the Seat + Bag fare includes that same as the Seat plus one piece of checked-in baggage weighing up to 23kg. With this in mind, you’ll find that not everyone needs to have their own checked-in baggage, so share the load between one or two checked-in suitcases and fit the rest in your included carry-on baggage.
(c) niuepocketguide.com10. Be Aware of Extra Fees While Booking
Throughout the only booking process for purchasing flights, you’ll be prompted to choose your seats, select an inflight meal, get access to more inflight entertainment and so on. Double-check whether what you are selecting isn’t adding to your flight bill, which is typically the case for short-haul flights but not for long-haul flights.
(c) Pxhere.comMore About Saving Money on a Flight to Niue
- Which Airport to Fly to in Niue
- Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Niue
- The Complete Guide to Alofi Airport Niue
That’s it for how to save money on a flight to Niue. Now head to the Niue Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to Niue Cost? for its full budget overview or The Travel Guide to Niue on a Budget for more advice.
