Fifth-freedom flights represent a novel opportunity to redeem your Airpoints Dollars. Basically, a fifth-freedom flight is one operated by an airline between two countries that it is not registered in (Air New Zealand’s Los Angeles- London flight fits into this category).

Read our beginners guide to the Air New Zealand Airpoints

Read the guide here →

Common features of fifth-freedom flights include:

• They’re usually good value
• Above-average award availability
• Are usually on wide-body long-haul aircraft

This guide includes a list of fifth-freedom routes flown by Star Alliance airlines that you can redeem Airpoints Dollars for at the rates published on Air New Zealand’s fixed price partner chart.

We have only listed those routes where Business Class reward availability can be found by booking online. Other routes may be possible to book via phone.

Fifth-freedom routes & pricing

The varying Star Alliance partner airlines operate a number of these type of flights around the world.

Here is a full list with reward pricing in Airpoints Dollars:

All redemption figures are for one-way travel. Taxes and charges are at time of writing.

All routes (with the exception of Hong Kong to San Francisco with Singapore Airlines) are better value to redeem with Airpoints Dollars than KrisFlyer miles. This is based on our conversion method that equalises APD with other point currencies.

No online availability could be found on any fifth-freedom routes offered by the following airlines:

• Air India
• Ethiopian Airlines
• LOT Polish Airlines
• TAP Portugal

Availability with Singapore Airlines can be a bit hit or miss, but as of time of writing is fully loaded onto the Airpoints online booking portal.

Read our guide to understanding Airpoints

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Summing up

We are lucky in New Zealand to have access to a points currency that provides for some excellent value on these Star Alliance services.

Many of the routes are also flown by home country Star Alliance partners, e.g. ANA between Tokyo and Los Angeles.

However flying a carrier in a region nowhere near their hub may be a chance to try an airline you may never otherwise have the opportunity to fly.

Have you used your Airpoints Dollars for travel on any of the routes above? Or do you have any other suggestions for good-value fifth-freedom flights? Share in the comments below!

Looking for more inspiration for how to spend your hard-earned frequent flyer points?

Here are some of our Best Uses of Points guides. There may be some overlap but each guide has its own twist.

Airpoints

• Best uses of 300 Airpoints Dollars
• Using Airpoints for cheap ANA domestic flights in Japan
• Using Airpoints for short-haul Star Alliance Business Class
• Using Airpoints on fifth-freedom Star Alliance routes

Qantas

• Best uses of Qantas Points
• Best uses of 100,000 Qantas Points
• Seven of the cheapest Qantas Points redemptions for luxurious Emirates flights
• The cheapest ways to fly Cathay Pacific First Class with Qantas Points
• Reader response: what is the best use of Qantas Points?

Velocity

• Best uses of Velocity Points
• Best uses of 40,000 Velocity Points

Other programs

• Best uses of 100,000 Asia Miles
• Best uses of 100,000 KrisFlyer miles
• Best uses of Emirates Skywards miles
• Best uses of Etihad Guest Miles