3 Myths Debunked—USA to NZ Travel Truths

The Myths That Might Be Holding You Back From Your Dream Trip — Challenged!

I often hear of three common roadblocks — we might also call them knowledge gaps, misconceptions or perceived barriers — that hold Americans back from planning their dream trip to New Zealand.

I thought I'd take the chance here to dissect these, debunk the myths, fill in the knowledge gaps and deconstruct the barriers. Let's go through them one by one — you'll definitely want to read all the way to the last one! 

Direct flight routes from the USA to NZ. [Source: Tourism New Zealand]

Roadblock 1: Doesn’t Flying to New Zealand Take A Whole Day?

No, it doesn’t! The biggest concern for Americans planning a visit to New Zealand is the length of the flight. While this land Down Under may seem like a land far far away, direct flights from the West Coast of the U.S. can be as short as 12 hours, which means that flying LAX to NZ is about the same as flying LAX to Rome.

From the East Coast, you can fly direct to NZ from New York, Chicago, and Houston, which takes an additional 3 to 6 hours, but that’s just another couple of movies or another nap.

Flights to NZ from USA depart in the evening and arrive in NZ in the morning, so your flight coincides with your normal sleep schedule. This means you are less jet lagged on arrival. You'll board around 9pm, enjoy dinner and a movie (Lord of the Rings perhaps?) with a glass of NZ wine, and wake up in Auckland around 7am.

I think part of the “It-Takes-A-Day-To-Get-There” myth comes from the fact you cross the International Date Line on your way here and back. That means your arrival date in NZ is two calendar days after you take off from the U.S.. And of course it's the reverse on your way home — so you “lose a day" coming here, but you “gain a day” on your way home.

You could say it's kind of the closest thing to time travel! Kind of.

Direct flight routes from USA to NZ are:

• Los Angeles (LAX) → Auckland (AKL): 12 hours
• San Francisco (SFO) → Auckland (AKL) or Christchurch (CHC): 13 hours
• Houston (IAH) → Auckland (AKL): 15 hours
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) → Auckland (AKL): 15 hours
• Chicago (ORD) → Auckland (AKL): 16.5 hours ~on pause for now~
• New York (JFK) → Auckland (AKL): 18 hours

And from Hawaii:

• Honolulu (HNL) → Auckland (AKL): 9 hours

And from Canada to NZ:

• Vancouver (YVR) → Auckland (AKL): 13.5 hours

Airlines operating these routes include: Air New Zealand, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, Fiji Airways, Air Tahiti Nui, and Qantas.

Roadblock 2: I’m Waiting for a Good Deal on Flights and Tours

This one is a little trickier for me to break down. The perception of a good deal is different from one person to the next. That being said there are certainly ways that you can help yourself find the best deals on flights and if the timing suits you, you might also just be able to snag a great deal on an upcoming Mondumo New Zealand in 14 Days tour. Read on for more details.

Firstly, finding the best deals on flights is easier than you might think. There are several tools that you can use to set up price alerts and jump on the deal when the price is right for you.

These include the following.

Google Flights

• Go to Google Flights at https://www.google.com/flights/
• Enter your departure city (or multiple) and destination (Auckland).
• Enter your dates.
• Toggle “Track prices” next to your selected dates. 
• You’ll get email alerts when prices are low.

Skyscanner

• Go to Skyscanner at https://www.skyscanner.com/
• Search your route.
• Click “Get Price Alerts”.
• Receive notifications via email or app.

Kayak

• Go to Kayak at https://www.kayak.com/
• Search your route and dates.
• Click “Create Price Alerts” (requires login)
• Receive notifications by email 

Another way is to check for current deals and sign up for sale notifications directly with the airlines.

• Air New Zealand - https://www.airnewzealand.com/vpref/action/signup/specialoffers
• United Airlines - https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/trip-planning/travel-deals.html
• American Airlines - https://www.aa.com/reservations/notifications/create
• Delta - https://www.delta.com/us/en/flight-deals/current-flight-deals
• Qantas - https://www.qantas.com/us/en/flight-deals.html/
  
  

Top Tip: Combine multiple tools for the best coverage. Sales often appear around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Deal Tuesday.

As far as the getting good deals with Mondumo Tours, we regularly offer early bird discounts, last-minute deals, and special promotions — make sure you are signed up to our mailing list to stay informed.

Mondumo group enjoying a private visit to a family homestead in Rotorua.

Roadblock 3: I’m Concerned About Feeling Unwelcome As An American Abroad

This one almost makes me want to cry. Recent research suggests that there is a significant proportion of Americans who worry about traveling overseas due to perceived anti-American sentiment. 

Tourism New Zealand have recently launched a marketing campaign to try to combat this perception and to shout the message loud and clear to our friends across the Pacific Ocean that you are very welcome here in Aotearoa New Zealand and you'll be greeted time and again throughout your time here with a warm "Kia Ora".

Kia Ora is the Māori phrase commonly used in New Zealand by both Māori and non-Māori as a way to say "hello". Literally, it translates as "have life" or "be healthy," essentially wishing well-being to the person to whom it is said.

Kiwis are known for their friendliness and hospitality, and New Zealand is known as a safe and relaxed environment — perfect for first-time visitors.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, whether you are considering a trip to New Zealand or you've already been. Are/were these perceived barriers a reality for you or is/was there nothing holding you back? Add your comment below.

_________________

Looking for a Small Group Tour of NZ and/or Australia?

Mondumo offers small group trips crafted with authentic experiences, meaningful connections, and expert guides who love what they do.

Check out our itineraries and upcoming tour dates below.