Air New Zealand Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace said it was "terrific" that Lonely Planet had recognised the new link between New Zealand and the American Midwest as a must-do.
"We're experiencing great customer demand for what will be our sixth North American port, which not only opens up a direct link to Chicago, but makes popular East Coast cities such as New York, Washington DC and Boston even more accessible to Kiwi travellers", he said.
"It's also attracting significant numbers of American visitors from the Chicago area and beyond to commit to ticking a trip to New Zealand off their travel bucket list."
The route is set to be Air New Zealand's longest direct service, with a flight time of around 15 hours northbound and just over 16 hours southbound.
It will be operated by the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft three times a week, departing Auckland Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The Auckland to Chicago route will be operated three times a week by Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Photo / Getty Images
Other routes on Lonely Planet's must-do list include a route between London and Osaka, just in time for the Rugby World Cup, that's a collaboration between British Airways and Japan Airlines, as well two new routes between London and Ukraine, offered by budget airline Ryanair.
