Air New Zealand Rebrands Airpoints as Koru: New Tiers, New Top Level

If you've been earning Airpoints, nothing about your balance just changed, only the name. Air NZ rebranded the whole program to Koru on April 22, your Gold is still Gold, your status carries over. The only thing worth your attention: there's a new top tier, Koru Black.

Koru Black is the new top tier. It comes with Koru Circle, which lets Black members share benefits with friends or family, plus additional upgrades and rewards. The new Koru Premier Lounge at Auckland International is not built yet: construction is due to begin later this year. When it opens it will have two spaces, one for Koru Platinum and Koru Black members, and one for Koru Gold, Star Alliance Gold, Koru Silver and Koru Club members. Koru Gold members get two Recognition Upgrades per membership year (one cabin class up when you achieve or retain Gold). Status Retain is aimed at Koru Gold, Platinum and Black members who fall just short of their threshold and need help holding their tier.

For US flyers: nothing about how you earn or spend changed. The same Marriott Bonvoy to Airpoints 200:1 transfer is the only US-issued bridge in, and the program's actual value still lives in Star Alliance partner redemptions on the distance-based chart, especially short-haul intra-Asia and second-band premium cabins. So unless you fly Air NZ direct, this rebrand is paperwork.