Air New Zealand revives $29 Night Rider flights

Air NZ used its late-night 'night rider' fares to stimulate traffic. They're going at the end of the month, but may be back. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Air New Zealand is reinstating its Night Rider flights with $29 fares, this time moving them around the country and extending them to some regional centres.

From February 20 the airline will run Night Rider services between Auckland, Nelson and Christchurch for a month.

The services will then run on other routes and these would be announced on a "surprise and delight" basis.

Palmerston North is also in line for Night Rider flights which will cost an additional $10 if passengers take bags.

The airline would not name other regional centres that could get the services that will fly on Thursday through to Monday.

Night Rider flights ran on the main trunk between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for two years until early last year.

When it canned them quietly the airline came in for flak although said at the time it intended starting them up again in some form.

Air New Zealand group general manager New Zealand and Pacific Islands Louise Struthers said Night Rider had proved a huge hit with customers in the past and this expanded version was expected to be very popular again.

"This time around we've decided to extend Night Rider further, with both domestic jet and regional turbo-prop aircraft operating Night Rider services."

The flights were in additional to the existing schedule, adding thousands of seats to these markets.

Nelson deputy mayor Paul Matheson said the service would make more than 1000 additional seats to the city.

Acting Palmerston North mayor Jim Jefferies said details of the Night Rider service into the city will be announced in the coming weeks.

"The additional flights that Night Rider will bring to Palmerston North are likely to be extremely popular with locals and visitors alike."

In the first service a 68-seat ATR turboprop aircraft will operate flights between Auckland and Nelson, departing Auckland at 8.45pm Thursday through Monday and at 9.05pm on Fridays.

The return flight will depart Nelson at 10.30pm Thursday through Monday and at 10.15pm on Fridays. The Auckland to Christchurch Night Rider services will be operated by a 171 seat A320 aircraft from Thursday through to Monday with the flights in both directions departing at 9.30pm.

Night Rider flights will not have a drink and snack service and customers travelling on these services will not be able to access the lounge prior to departure.

Night Rider services cannot be booked as part of a through fare domestically or internationally and are not available to unaccompanied minors. Services may not operate on key public holidays.