New Zealand: Star Alliance First & Business Class Combination from Sofia Starting at €3,810

Star Alliance members Air New Zealand, Lufthansa and SWISS are offering a first class deal, with some segments on business class, from Sofia to the small town of New Plymouth in New Zealand. Prices start at just €3,810 (~BGN 7,452). However, booking this deal requires some time and patience. Departures are available from June to September 2025.

It is important to note that not the entire route to New Plymouth on New Zealand’s North Island (approximately 400 kilometres / 5 hours by car from Auckland) is offered in first class. You will be flying from Europe to Asia in first class. For the connecting flight of up to 12 hours, you will travel in business class.

To book the flights, some effort is required (or you can take advantage of our partner travel agency’s offer). Unfortunately, the availability shown in the ITA Matrix cannot be booked directly through an airline. Therefore, the only option is to go through OTAs that can book the availability from the ITA Matrix. Ultimately, you will also need to experiment with the dates to find a suitable connection. You can find detailed information about this in the Search & Book section.

Depending on the date, you will be offered different routings. The onboard product also varies. The feeder flight within Europe from Sofia to Zurich or Frankfurt is operated on a medium-haul aircraft with European business class.

The journey to Asia will then continue in first class. The following options are available:

• Lufthansa first class (Airbus A340-600)
• Swiss first class (Airbus A340-300 or Boeing 777-300ER)
• Singapore Airlines first class (Boeing 777-300ER)

The latter is, of course, the most attractive option – but also almost impossible to find.

The onward flight to New Zealand will then be in business class. Depending on the connection, various options are also available here:

• Singapore Airlines business class from Singapore (Airbus A350-900)
• Cathay Pacific business class from Hong Kong (Airbus A350-900)
• Air New Zealand business class from Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Singapore (Boeing 777-300ER or Boeing 787-9)

While the business class product from Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific is among the best on the market, unfortunately, this is not yet the case for Air New Zealand. Although your seat here also features a flat bed, you will constantly be facing the aisle and the feet of fellow travellers.

The final leg of the journey to New Plymouth will be on board an ATR 72 in economy class. Given a flight time of a maximum of 1.5 hours, this should be manageable. Unfortunately, business class is not offered on this route.

Search & Book

As mentioned above, the booking process is a bit more complicated. Therefore, there are no visible travel periods, but we have found availability from June to September 2025.

The minimum stay is 6 days or one night from Saturday to Sunday, and according to the fare rules, you can stay at your destination for a maximum of 12 months.

You can generally find suitable dates through the ITA Matrix. You can just follow this link and set the display to calendar view:

In the next step, you can see flight dates. While not all of them may be bookable, most of them should be.

You can then search on OTAs like OneTravel. In most cases, however, a different option will be displayed there. By adjusting the dates, you can find bookable options for under 4,000 euros.

Onetravel actively suggests cheaper alternatives. Still, searching for this fare can be frustrating, as prices are highly volatile.

Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?

More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:

Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.

If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.

This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.

Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.

This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.

Miles & Points

Tickets are issued in different booking classes depending on the airline operating the flight. For the example route from Sofia via Frankfurt, Singapore, and Christchurch to New Plymouth, and then returning from Auckland, Hong Kong, and Frankfurt back to Sofia, you will receive the following mileage credit:

With this journey, you can secure the Star Alliance Gold status for over two years depending on the routing! Feel free to check our mileage calculator to see how much status qualification you would achieve with your preferred frequent flyer program.

Destination

Information & Tips for New Zealand

New Zealand is known for its dramatic landscapes, including fjords, volcanoes, beaches, and lush forests. Popular sights include Fiordland National Park, Queenstown, Rotorua’s geothermal areas, and the Hobbiton movie set. The local currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD). Prices are generally moderate to high, especially in tourist hotspots. Weather varies widely: the North Island is milder and more humid, while the South Island can be colder, especially in winter (June–August). Layered clothing and rain gear are recommended year-round.

New Zealand’s transport infrastructure is fairly developed, but getting around can vary in convenience. Within cities, public transport exists—mainly buses in most places and trains in Auckland and Wellington—but coverage can be limited outside central areas. Between cities, options include domestic flights, long-distance buses, and rental cars, with trains available on a few scenic routes. Roads are generally in good condition, but travel times can be long due to winding, rural highways and limited motorways. Driving is often the most practical option for flexibility.

 

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