Air New Zealand this week surpassed NZ $1 billion in online sales for the first time within a financial year. The airline had expected to record $1 billion in online sales this financial year, which ends 30 June, but has reached the milestone nearly a month early.

Online bookings have grown exponentially in the past four years, since Air

New Zealands development of a home-grown booking engine that has transformed the way customers use its sites.

Four years ago the airline generated around $150 million in online sales from its sites, which used a third-party booking engine for simple domestic flights and limited international flights. Around 15,000 visits were recorded each day.

Today, visits average 100,000 per day, and customers making online bookings have access to the full Air New Zealand network including code-share options, multi-city bookings and holiday packages, as well as a raft of unique online features and information.

Air New Zealand General Manager Internet Nicki Garraway said today the $1 billion milestone topped off a fantastic few months for the airlines Online Sales and IT Innovation teams.

In April Air New Zealand launched a new check-in online service, which allows domestic passengers to select their own seats, check-in and create their boarding passes with their printer at home or work.

Also in April Air New Zealand sold its 100,000th ludicrously low seat on grabaseat and later in the month broke its one-day online sales record by 23% with its Mothers Day Sale, which generated $7.5 million in sales over 24 hours.

In May Air New Zealands Pimp My Plane promotion, developed by the Online and Innovations in-house teams, won the best online ad campaign award at the 2007 Peoples Choice NetGuide Web Awards.

Ms Garraway said the teams were continuing to develop innovative online solutions to make the logistics of travel easier for customers both in New Zealand and globally.
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