Big Boon for Queenstown, United Airlines direct San Francisco – Christchurch service
There’s a buzz in the air with Queenstown operators excited about United Airlines’ new direct San Francisco – Christchurch service kicking off on December 1.
It’s the first direct air service from the United States to the South Island since Air NZ’s service from LA to Christchurch ended in 2002.
It will be a huge boon for Southern Lakes tourism with the new Dreamliner 787 service flying three return services out of Christchurch over the summer season.
Christchurch Airport General Manager of Tourism and Trade, Scott Callaway says research shows visitors arriving on direct international flights into the South Island spend more time here. “Queenstown will be a huge beneficiary,” says Scott, who is a former Mount Cook Group area marketing manager, based in Queenstown during the 1980s.
The service will potentially deliver 750 passengers weekly. “It’s fantastic news for the South Island – a foot in the door and we expect it to grow,” says Callaway.
“There are more than 60 cities in the United network with non-stop services to San Francisco, so that opens 60 cities to being one stop away from the South Island,” says Callaway. “There will be real advantages with visitors spending more time in the South Island.”
United Airlines has also announced its intention to fly from LA to Auckland, boosting the Air NZ’s direct services to Auckland from New York, Houston, Chicago and LA.
Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Justin Watson says the new service will “supercharge tourism value”. Statistics show American visitors who enter NZ through Christchurch Airport spend 42 percent more in NZ and stay 33 percent longer. Based on government data, he says the seasonal service is forecast to bring in $44million in new visitor spend, with $32million of that in South Island regions.
Totally Tourism sales manager Brad Patterson has just returned from a US marketing trip with Air NZ and says there’s “announcement after announcement” for greater air connectivity to NZ.
“There’s increased demand from high-net-worth travellers looking to come here. We’re a hot destination and we’re seeing that with increased capacity into Auckland as well.”
Delta Airlines is also launching a direct LA to Auckland service from October this year. “The strength of the US dollar has a 40 percent increase on their money so it’s very good value.” says Patterson.
Totally Tourism director Mark Quickfall says, post-Covid, the airlines are starting to re-establish services with NZ back on the radar as an attractive destination. People are looking for some recovery time and we are great value with the current exchange rate.
The Rees Hotel CEO Mark Rose is also fresh back from a US marketing trip where NZ was “incredibly well received”. He saw more than 600 high end travel agents there. Bookings are already rolling in for next summer.
“Some of the recent events in Auckland showed we have way too many eggs in one basket,” he says. “It makes no sense to have everything focused on Auckland.”
There will be direct flights from seven North American gateway cities into Auckland or Christchurch by the end of the year and Air Canada is increasing its flights from Vancouver to Auckland by 20 percent. “Things are very ripe for us to do very well. I’d like to see more connecting with Christchurch, or we risk being hung out to dry.”
He says there’s also increased talk of another American Airlines direct flight to Christchurch out of California.
Mark’s greatest concern is that Queenstown has staff to manage good service levels amid the growth in numbers, although by spring things should have continued to improve.
Former mayor and Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Jim Boult says direct US flights into the South Island will have a significant impact on Queenstown. It’s highly likely that there will be an upside for Queenstown with Americans flying direct into Christchurch, he says. “While I was CEO at Christchurch Airport we tried, and subsequently they’ve continued to try, very hard to get those flights back in,” says Jim.
The former direct Air NZ LA to Christchurch service had a really good impact on feeding Americans into the South Island, he says.
Destination Queenstown Chief Executive Mat Woods says the United’s announcement is exciting for Queenstown, especially given that the airline is leading the charge in SAS (Sustainability Aviation Fuel). “We need more airlines committed to SAS and United is really pushing SAS,” he says. “The US is our second most important market after Australia and one of the strongest and fastest to bounce back.”. “The South Island has a lot of appeal to Americans,” says Mat, who believes this will be just the start of the growth in capacity from the US.
NZ is also seeing more frequency from China with 27 flights a week from the end of May – Hainan Airlines announcing a new direct service to Auckland.
