Thousands of travellers heading to and from New Zealand in mid-February are facing a stressful question: what happens to my plans if my Air New Zealand flight is caught up in the cabin crew strike. With dozens of long haul services already cancelled or rescheduled around the two day action on 12 and 13 February 2026, many passengers are struggling to understand their rights, their options, and how best to get rebooked. Here is a clear look at what is happening, how it might affect you, and the practical steps you can take right now to protect your trip.
What Is Happening With the Air New Zealand Cabin Crew Strike
International cabin crew operating Air New Zealand’s wide body long haul flights have launched a two day strike on 12 and 13 February 2026 after talks over pay, workload and roster stability failed to reach agreement. The action has been described by unions as a last resort after months of bargaining, with staff saying they are struggling with rising living costs and irregular hours.
In anticipation of the walkout, Air New Zealand preemptively cancelled around 44 to 46 long haul wide body services over several days surrounding the strike window. These cancellations are largely focused on flights linking Auckland with major destinations in Asia and North America. The airline has redeployed aircraft and crews to protect most Tasman and Pacific Island services, which generally use narrow body aircraft, and says its domestic and regional network is operating broadly as normal.
The result is a patchwork of disruption. Some long haul flights have been entirely cancelled, some have been moved to different days, and others are running but may be heavily booked with re-accommodated passengers. For travellers, that means a high chance of itinerary changes if they are flying long haul to or from Auckland around the key dates.
How Many Passengers Are Affected and Which Routes Are Hit Hardest
Air New Zealand and several travel industry trackers estimate that between about 9,500 and 16,000 passengers are directly impacted by the preemptive cancellations and schedule changes tied to the cabin crew strike. The disparity reflects how different sources count passengers, but it is clear that this is a large scale disruption rather than a limited local issue.
The heaviest impact is on long haul routes operating with the airline’s wide body aircraft, notably services connecting Auckland with major hubs in North America and Asia. Flights to and from key gateways such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai are among those affected, although the specific flight numbers and dates vary. For some travellers, only one leg of a journey has been altered, while others have seen complete cancellations.
By contrast, most Tasman services to Australia and many Pacific Island routes are being protected through fleet redeployment and schedule tweaks. Domestic flights within New Zealand, including routes between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and regional centres, are reported to be operating close to normal. That means passengers flying only within New Zealand are far less likely to face cancellations due to the strike, even if they may experience knock on congestion or minor timing shifts.
What Air New Zealand Is Offering If Your Flight Is Disrupted
Air New Zealand says it has contacted customers on affected flights directly, outlining options to rebook, accept a travel credit, or request a refund. If your booking is caught up in the disrupted services, you should have received an email, text message, or a notification in your booking profile explaining the change and presenting alternatives.
For many travellers, the primary solution is a revised itinerary. The airline is rebooking passengers onto other Air New Zealand services in the days before and after the 12 to 13 February strike period, typically within two or three days of the original travel date. Where in house capacity is not available, the carrier is also using Star Alliance partners and selected interline partners to keep passengers moving on roughly comparable routes and timings.
If the alternatives do not work for you, Air New Zealand says customers may instead hold the value of their ticket as a credit for future travel or request a refund of the unused portion of their journey. The precise options you see can vary depending on the fare type, whether you are already en route, and whether your journey involves other airlines. In cases where passengers are stranded away from home due to flight changes, the airline has indicated it can help with accommodation, meals and ground transport in line with its customer care policies.
Why Rebooking Is So Difficult Right Now
Many travellers trying to rebook onto alternative flights are discovering that the theoretical options do not always translate into easy solutions. Part of the difficulty is pure capacity. Long haul services to and from New Zealand were already heavily booked heading into February, and removing dozens of flights in a short window compresses demand onto a much smaller number of available seats.
That capacity squeeze is intensified by the global context. Long haul travel demand through 2025 and into 2026 has rebounded strongly, but airlines are still managing aircraft deliveries, maintenance pipelines and staffing constraints. For an airline like Air New Zealand, which operates from a geographically isolated home base, there is limited ability to quickly pull in spare wide body aircraft or crews on short notice.
Another challenge lies in the complexity of itineraries. Many affected passengers are not simply flying point to point into or out of Auckland. Instead they are connecting from New Zealand’s regions, or travelling onward from hubs in North America and Asia to third country destinations. Rebuilding those journeys across multiple carriers, while respecting fare rules and alliance agreements, takes time. Even when a solution exists in theory, automated systems may not find it easily, leaving agents to solve them manually during a spike in call volumes.
Step by Step: What to Do If Your Flight Is Affected
If you suspect your flight may be impacted by the Air New Zealand cabin crew strike, the first step is to confirm the status of your booking. Log in to your booking through the airline’s website or app, or check with your travel agent if you booked through a third party. Look for any schedule change notices, cancellation messages, or rebooking offers that might already be in place.
If your flight has been changed or cancelled, carefully review the options the airline is offering online before calling. Many passengers can accept a proposed new itinerary or request a credit or refund directly through digital channels, which may be faster than waiting on hold. Check the new timings against any onward connections, hotel bookings or ground transport you have arranged so you can see immediately whether the proposed solution works.
If the automated options do not solve your problem, that is the moment to contact Air New Zealand or your travel agent by phone or message. Have your booking reference, preferred alternative dates, and any flexibility you have clearly in mind. Being ready with a realistic range of acceptable solutions can significantly speed up the process when you finally reach a representative. If you have urgent commitments such as cruises, tours or events at your destination, mention these specifically so that agents understand the time sensitivity.
Your Rights, Compensation and Travel Insurance Considerations
Unlike in some parts of the world, there is no single global standard that guarantees cash compensation for all strike related flight disruptions, and the exact rules that apply to you depend on where you are flying and under which jurisdiction your ticket falls. However, industry experts in New Zealand have pointed out that an internal cabin crew strike is generally seen as an event within the airline’s control under local aviation law and the international Montreal Convention framework.
In practice, Air New Zealand’s current response suggests that it accepts responsibility to provide meaningful remedies. By automatically rebooking passengers where possible, offering refunds and travel credits, and providing practical assistance such as meals and accommodation when people are stranded away from home, the airline is moving to limit out of pocket losses for many customers. Passengers are encouraged to keep receipts for any reasonable extra expenses they incur because of the disruption, such as necessary meals, local transport and overnight stays.
Travel insurance adds another layer of protection, but the detail of each policy is critical. Some insurers may cover additional expenses and missed connections caused by strike action, particularly if the policy was purchased before the strike was publicly announced. Others may exclude industrial action or limit benefits once the disruption becomes widely known. Insurers have been reminding travellers that there is typically no cover for simply changing your mind or deciding not to travel if viable alternatives are available, and that any refunds or credits provided by the airline will usually be deducted from an insurance payout.
If You Are Stranded En Route or Far From Home
For some passengers, the most stressful scenario is not a cancelled departure but a disruption in the middle of their journey. You might already be in New Zealand trying to get home, or on a multi stop trip where a cancelled Auckland long haul leg breaks your connection to another airline. In those cases, it is important to act methodically and document everything.
Start by speaking with Air New Zealand staff at the airport if you are already at the terminal. Ground agents should be able to confirm your new options, provide hotel and meal vouchers where those are being offered, and advise on likely timelines. If queues at the desk are long, use the airline’s app or website at the same time to see whether you can secure a new routing while you wait. Screenshots of cancellation messages, new itineraries and any promises of support can be helpful later if there are discrepancies.
If you are travelling on a ticket that combines Air New Zealand with other carriers, contact the airline that issued the ticket or your booking agent to make sure all segments are synchronised. Do not assume that a new Auckland departure automatically reconnects neatly with a separate onward booking, especially if that next leg is on a different airline bought separately. You may need to change or purchase new onward flights and then seek reimbursement from insurance or the original airline depending on the circumstances and the applicable rules.
How Long Could the Disruption Last and What to Watch Next
The formal cabin crew strike action is currently limited to two days, 12 and 13 February 2026, and rules around further industrial action require additional notice before new strike periods can begin. Negotiations between Air New Zealand management and the unions representing cabin crew are continuing through facilitated bargaining, with both sides under pressure from public opinion and the economic importance of reliable international links.
Even if the dispute itself is resolved quickly, the effects on the schedule can ripple out for several days. Aircraft and crews will not be exactly where they were planned to be, long haul rotations will need to be reset, and there will be a backlog of passengers needing to be moved. Travellers booked in the days immediately after the official strike period should pay close attention to their flight status and be prepared for minor timing changes or equipment swaps.
Looking slightly further ahead, the two day walkout has underlined broader tensions in the aviation sector over pay, conditions and rostering as travel demand climbs. For passengers, that makes it more important than ever to build resilience into long haul itineraries. Allow generous connection windows where possible, avoid planning immovable events for the day of arrival, and consider comprehensive travel insurance that explicitly addresses airline strikes and labour disputes. While no one wants to plan for disruption, being realistic about today’s operating environment can turn a potential crisis into a manageable inconvenience.
Practical Tips to Protect Future Bookings With Air New Zealand
For travellers who are still planning or have future bookings with Air New Zealand, the current cabin crew strike offers several lessons. First, always ensure that your contact details in your booking are up to date. Much of the airline’s communication during this disruption has relied on email and text notifications. If your details are wrong or missing, you may be the last to know that your flight has been altered, which reduces your rebooking options.
Second, whenever possible, book connecting itineraries on a single ticket rather than stitching together separate point to point legs. A multi segment ticket gives the operating and ticketing carriers more responsibility and more tools to re-accommodate you when things go wrong. Separate tickets may sometimes be cheaper, but they can leave you exposed when a disruption on one airline causes you to miss a connection on another.
Third, think about timing and flexibility. If you are travelling during periods when labour talks are underway or other operational pressures are evident, it can be wise to include at least one buffer day before fixed events such as weddings, cruises, conferences or tours. Choosing fares that allow date changes at a reasonable cost, and setting your expectations accordingly, can also make a significant difference when unplanned events like a strike arise.
Finally, review your travel insurance before you buy it rather than after something goes wrong. Look specifically for how the policy handles strikes, airline insolvency, schedule changes and missed connections. Understanding those details at the time of purchase will help you make better choices about which policy to select and how to respond if disruption hits your Air New Zealand flight in the future.