Air New Zealand Offers Flights to New Zealand to Academy Award Presenters Via Gift Baskets; Airline To Help Showcase Location and Provide Opportunity for Vacation

Business Wire, Feb 25, 2004

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors/Travel Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004

Air New Zealand announced today that it will invite 125 Academy Awards(R) gift basket recipients to fly with a guest roundtrip between Los Angeles and New Zealand. The prestigious Oscar(R) gift baskets will be distributed to the award presenters, performers and other VIPs on February 29, 2004 at the 76th Annual Academy Awards(R).

"New Zealand has quickly become a major location for Hollywood blockbusters," said Gus Gilmore, Air New Zealand's Vice President, The Americas, UK and Europe. "We hope to give those from the entertainment industry the opportunity for a vacation in New Zealand, regardless of whether they've been there before for filming purposes, or if this will be their first of many visits to our beautiful country."

New Zealand has been in the forefront of film locations over the last few years, as it provided the backdrop for "The Lord of the Rings," "The Last Samurai" and "Whale Rider," among others. Production is slated to begin in New Zealand for the film version of the CS Lewis classic, "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."

Air New Zealand will be the first gift basket donor to offer long-haul tickets to an international destination to gift basket recipients. In conjunction with the tickets to New Zealand, Treetops Luxury Lodge & Estate, located in the Rotorua thermal region of New Zealand, is offering world-class luxury accommodations to basket recipients. Recipients may combine their tickets to New Zealand with their stay at Treetops, or they may be used separately.

It has been announced that the 76th Annual Academy Awards(R) will be hosted by Billy Crystal, and some of the scheduled presenters and performers include: Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Colin Farrell, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Will Smith, Jack Black, Will Farrell, Jude Law, Charlize Theron, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Julianne Moore, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, (presenters) and Annie Lennox, Sting, Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara (performers).

Air New Zealand, the airline to Middle-earth, is also offering a special web only airfare starting at $848. Visitors can choose to fly into Auckland, for $848 from Los Angeles or $960 from San Francisco. Arrivals into other New Zealand cities, including a free Auckland stopover, start at $948 from Los Angeles and $1060 from San Francisco. These fares are for travel commencing 01 March - 14 June 2004 and from 19 July - 30 November. Auckland is the gateway to Middle-earth and seven other city options served as locations or gateways to where one or more of the "Lord of the Rings" films were shot. These and other destinations may be added for only $30 each. Ticketing deadline is 30 April 2004, for travel commencing 01 March through 30 November 2004. Visit www.airnewzealand.com/usa for more details.

No one brings you closer to New Zealand. Air New Zealand, the airline to Middle-earth, offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including a total of 34 flights per week from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa. On June 30th 2004 Air New Zealand will begin a non-stop San Francisco - Auckland service. The readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure magazines consistently rate Air New Zealand among the world's best international airlines. Visit Air New Zealand online at www.airnewzealand.com/usa for web specials or call 1-800-369-6867.

For media information or photography and/or B-roll, please contact: Lucy Powell, Air New Zealand, 1960 East Grand Avenue, Suite 900, El Segundo, CA 90245 Tel: (310) 648-7104 Facsimile: (310) 648-7017 or Victoria King Public Relations, Inc. 12381 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 203, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Tel: (310) 207-5175 Facsimile: (310) 207-5525.