Air New Zealand has spiced up its widely loathed frequent flyer programme with what is explained as its largest loyalty shake-up in nearly three decades. From today, 22 April 2026, Airpoints will be rebranded as Koru, with Airpoints Dollars simply renamed Airpoints, and the introduction of a new super-elite tier called Koru Black.

The Koru launch is more of a cosmetic rebrand, and with the exception of the new Koru Black tier, not much is actually changing. At least the Koru branding seems cool and is unmistakably Kiwi.

Like every airline on the planet, Air New Zealand insists the refresh is driven by member feedback. That’s all well and good, but most frequent flyers don’t care about a loyalty program's name, and Koru Black is targeted at a small subset of ultra-frequent travellers. Unfortunately, the aspects of Airpoints/Koru which are most criticised by members, like the low-value revenue-based redemption model and the lack of lifetime status, have not been addressed.

Air New Zealand COO, Scott Wilkinson, says Koru is all about giving members what they want.

“We’ve listened closely to our members. They told us they want a simpler programme with clear, relevant benefits, and Koru is our response."

“Loyalty is about recognising and rewarding our customers in ways that feels meaningful. Koru delivers that, with greater flexibility, more choice, and benefits that reflect how people travel today," adds Wilkinson.

New Koru Black Status Tier

The biggest part of this whole announcement is the introduction of a new Koru Black tier, which sits at the top of the status ladder, above Koru Platinum. To qualify, members must earn over 3,200 Status Points, including 1,920 from qualifying flights in a year.

From April 2026, Koru Black members will gain access to exclusive perks like:

• Koru Circle: allowing you to share your perks with family or friends
• Status Rewards: milestones will be recognised with special rewards like a Koru Black banked year, or curated gifts and experiences
• Additional Recognition Upgrades, valet parking vouchers, enhanced OneUp (paid upgrade) priority
• All Koru Platinum perks

Minor Changes To Other Status Tiers

The transition to Koru brings renamed tiers, plus a few extra perks.

• Koru Bronze: new base tier.
• Koru Silver (was Silver): access Status Points Bonus, with 5 bonus Status Points for every 10 Air NZ flights
• Koru Gold (was Gold): new benefit of Status Points Top-Up to retain status
• Koru Platinum (was Elite): enhanced Status Rewards, AKL Koru Premier Lounge access
• Koru Black: new super-elite status tier

New Koru Lounge For Auckland

Air New Zealand will upgrade its lounge experience in Auckland, nearly doubling overall space by creating two brand new lounges. Air New Zealand says the new lounges will offer more space, more comfort, and an Aotearoa-inspired design.

There will be a Koru Premier Lounge for Koru Platinum (and Elite partners travelling with the member) as well as Air New Zealand Business Class passengers. The new Koru Lounge will accept Koru Gold, Star Alliance Gold, and Elite Partners.

Construction begins in early 2026, with the current lounge remaining open at a reduced capacity until the first new space is opened. Then the current Koru Lounge will be closed and redeveloped, with a reopening expected by the end of 2027.

Summing Up: My Take

Air New Zealand says that these changes are just the beginning of Koru’s transformation. Ongoing improvements, including new partners, more ways to earn and use Airpoints, and expanded travel experiences, are set to launch soon.

For now, Koru feels more like a rebrand than a rethink. The introduction of Koru Black adds a layer of exclusivity at the top end, but does little for the broader member base. Meanwhile, the core mechanics of Koru remain nearly unchanged.

Air New Zealand says they have listened closely to members before making these changes. But based on what’s been announced, I do wonder who exactly they were listening to. It sounds to me they've listened about as well as when your Mum says can you unpack the dishwasher.