Air NZ offers $29 late night flights

File photo / NZPA

Air New Zealand is launching a new Night Rider service with every seat on the last flight of the day between Auckland and Wellington available for $29.

The new service will add the equivalent of about 100,000 low cost seats per year between the cities.

Flights will depart from Auckland and Wellington at 10pm every night from Sunday to Friday.

On Saturdays the Night Rider service will depart Auckland for Wellington at 9pm, with the return leg leaving Wellington at 10.30pm.

The $29 seat-only fares are available on every seat on the 133-seat Boeing 737 aircraft. Taking a bag will cost another $10.

Night Rider seats are on sale today, with the first services to depart on November 5.

Launching the service in Wellington today, Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe said the extra flights would meet growing demand and stimulate tourism.

"There has never been a service like this in the market before with fares for an entire plane priced at $29. Customers will now be able to fly between Auckland and Wellington for less than the cost of a third of a tank of petrol for the average family car,'' he says.

Mr Fyfe said the service was part of a wider strategy to stimulate more people to fly.

"The strategy includes the introduction of our popular standby fares on all domestic services, significant reductions to lead-in fares on both main city and regional routes and a substantial investment in new aircraft for the domestic fleet.''

Night Rider flights will not offer in-flight drink and snack services and passengers are not eligible for Koru Lounge entry before departure.

They 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.