Welcome competition on the North America route

The Herald reports:

Dreams of an air fare war between New Zealand the United States have been realised, with Air NZ today slashing its airfares to Los Angeles just as American Airlines confirmed it will start flying here in June.

Air NZ has cut fares to Los Angeles to $499 from around $785. American Airlines chief executive Doug Parker said it hadn’t set its fares yet but said it would be competitive.

The airline is the world’s biggest and will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route –
breaking Air New Zealand’s stranglehold on direct services between Auckland and the United States.

Great to see American Airlines enter the market, and we’re already seeing the benefit.

Usefully the alliance with Qantas means one can not just travel Auckland to LA, but also have connecting domestic connections in each country.