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 above Platinum.

Koru Black is a new fifth tier above Platinum, requiring 3,200 Status Points per membership year — at least 1,920 of those on Air NZ-operated or marketed flights. It includes all Platinum benefits plus Koru Circle (benefit-sharing with friends or family — Black-only). The new Koru Premier Lounge at Auckland International, due to open later in 2026, will have two spaces: one for Platinum and Black members, one for Gold, Star Alliance Gold, 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 — launching later this month — lets Gold, Platinum, and Black members who fall just short of their threshold buy missing Status Points to hold their tier.

For US flyers: nothing about how you earn or spend changed. The same Marriott Bonvoy → 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.