Air New Zealand is thrilled to share the news that they will start flying to Houston, Texas from December this year, opening up a direct connection between New Zealand and America’s South for the first time.
Today’s announcement means Air New Zealand will be offering direct services to five popular North American destinations – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Hawaii and Houston. With a flight time of approximately 13 hours, the new route is set to become the fastest way for Kiwis to get to popular East Coast and Midwest destinations, such as New York and Chicago.
They will fly their completely refitted Boeing 777-200 aircraft between Auckland and Houston up to five times a week, opening up the state of Texas as well as popular nearby tourist states such as Louisiana and Florida.
They are excited to add Houston to their list of international destinations, particularly as the move comes hard on the heels of their recent announcement that they will begin flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December.
Houston offers their customers direct access into the heart of the American south and a world of new tourism experiences. It’s a great part of the USA for visitors to immerse themselves in. It will have tremendous appeal for travellers.
Not only is Houston home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Mission Control and one of the world’s largest livestock shows and rodeos, it’s a great jumping off point for the home of country music in Nashville Tennessee; the jazz capital of New Orleans; and the resorts, theme parks and beaches of Florida.
Houston is also a key gateway for Mexico, the rest of Central America and the Caribbean. Air New Zealand also looks forward to welcoming more visitors to New Zealand from the Southern and Midwest states and major East Coast cities where the option to connect through Houston will make New Zealand’s tourism proposition more accessible than ever before.
Air New Zealand will code share from Houston to other key USA domestic destinations as well as Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean with Star Alliance partner United Airlines, which has a large Houston-based hub. United will code share on the Air New Zealand flight from Houston to Auckland and points beyond.
Tickets are expected to go on sale next month, with flights commencing mid-December.