Air New Zealand

The Cook Islands, named for Capt. James Cook, invite you to explore with a $938 round trip from LAX to Rarotonga on Air New Zealand. It is subject to availability. You can depart any Sunday between Feb. 5 and May 27 and return any Saturday from April 7 on. There's a one-year maximum stay. The ticket must be purchased by Jan 30. Info: Air New Zealand , (800) 262-1234 Source: Airfarewatchdog.com

London in winter may be chilly, but the airfare savings on a cold-season trip can warm your heart and your wallet. You can fly round-trip from LAX to Heathrow on Air New Zealand for $828, including all taxes and fees, departing Mondays-Thursdays from Jan. 14 to March 19. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 14; you must stay over at least a Saturday night but may not stay more than a year. Info: Air New Zealand , (800) 262-1234 Source: Airfarewatchdog Follow us on Twitter @latimestravel , like us on Facebook @Los Angeles Times Travel.

  Those Kiwis at Air New Zealand are at it again. In the past, they have produced airplane safety videos featuring nude flight attendants, fitness guru Richard Simmons and a plane full of rugby players. Air New Zealand unveiled last week a new video staring the characters - hobbits, wizards, elves, dwarfs and orcs - from "The Lord of the Rings" movies, which relied on New Zealand for most of the outdoor scenery. The video even includes a quick appearance by the films' director, Peter Jackson.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" had its long-expected party in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, on Wednesday. Thousands of fans lined the blocks-long red carpet to greet director Peter Jackson and his cast of dwarfs, hobbits and wizards. Wellington's Embassy Theater was decorated to look like a hobbit house as cast members Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis and Hugo Weaving in addition to Gandalf's band of dwarfs soaked in the fan adoration. Director James Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis, also attended the event.

London in winter may be chilly, but the airfare savings on a cold-season trip can warm your heart and your wallet. You can fly round-trip from LAX to Heathrow on Air New Zealand for $828, including all taxes and fees, departing Mondays-Thursdays from Jan. 14 to March 19. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 14; you must stay over at least a Saturday night but may not stay more than a year. Info: Air New Zealand , (800) 262-1234 Source: Airfarewatchdog Follow us on Twitter @latimestravel , like us on Facebook @Los Angeles Times Travel.

Who knew Santa had a workshop in Seattle ? On Wednesday, Boeing elves delivered Air New Zealand's first Boeing 777-300ER passenger jet, which departed Seattle, with a stop in Los Angeles, for Auckland , New Zealand, where it arrives Friday. FOR THE RECORD: The headline on an earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the Air New Zealand plane as a 737. Here's what's under the tree for fliers: The first Skycouch seats in the air. These new economy-class seats are equipped with footrests that can be raised to create a sofa-type sleeping surface across three seats.

Boeing Co., the world's second-largest maker of commercial airplanes, said Monday that Air New Zealand Ltd. had finalized an order for four additional 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft valued at $700 million at list prices. The order, which was first announced in December, will bring the airline's total Dreamliner order to eight, Boeing said. The four airplanes will be delivered between 2011 and 2013.

Air New Zealand Ltd. will acquire eight Boeing Co. 777-200 airplanes and two of Boeing's new 7E7 jets in a deal worth $850 million. The deal would mark the second order for Boeing's new 7E7 airplane, which is scheduled to enter service in 2008. Boeing officially launched the mid-size airplane with a 50-plane order from Air Nippon Airways Co. in April and has said that it was in talks with many airlines for deals involving hundreds of the airplanes.

Qantas, Australia's national airline, said it would buy a 22.5% stake in Air New Zealand to form a regional airline alliance, the two companies said today. The deal, which would face tough scrutiny by regulators in both countries, would see Qantas injecting up to $272 million into the New Zealand airline, currently 82% owned by the government after a bailout last year.

Air New Zealand said today that it would stop flights between Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, at the end of April to free up aircraft for more profitable international services. The service from Australia's most populous city to the U.S. was one of the Auckland, New Zealand-based company's least profitable long-distance flights, Air New Zealand Chief Executive Ralph Norris said.

Those who showed Wednesday for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” premiere in Wellington, New Zealand, were not to be disappointed by the scope of the film's premiere. Tens of thousands of fans, some in elf ears and wizard hats, were witness to a red carpet a third of a mile long and a flyover by a “Hobbit”-themed Air New Zealand 777 jet as director Peter Jackson's latest J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired effort was revealed down under. Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, bubbled with praise for his director.

  Those Kiwis at Air New Zealand are at it again. In the past, they have produced airplane safety videos featuring nude flight attendants, fitness guru Richard Simmons and a plane full of rugby players. Air New Zealand unveiled last week a new video staring the characters - hobbits, wizards, elves, dwarfs and orcs - from "The Lord of the Rings" movies, which relied on New Zealand for most of the outdoor scenery. The video even includes a quick appearance by the films' director, Peter Jackson.

Air New Zealand has launched a fall sale on airfares from L.A. to London in its roomier, premium economy seats. The British capital likely will be packed this summer with travelers lured by the 2012 Olympic Games , which begin in late July, and Queen Elizabeth 's Diamond Jubilee in early June, to say nothing of the ever-popular Wimbledon. So fall may be a better time to go -- and save on premium economy class when prices start at $1,698 round-trip per person.  The deal: The airline's Premium Economy Special Offer features the Spaceseat, as the airline calls it. Its notch-above-coach class features that seats with a 41-inch seat pitch (the distance from the spot on one seat to the same spot on the other)

If you go THE BEST WAY TO BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND From LAX, connecting service (change of planes) to Belfast is available on Air New Zealand, British and United. Restricted round-trip airfares range from $1,019 to $1,139, including taxes and fees. Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, 163 Bangor Road, Cultra, Holywood; 011-44-28-9042-8428, http://www.nmni.com/uftm, http://www.nmni.com/titanic/Home/Titanica.aspx#story. Same-day admission to both museums is about $13 for adults and $7 for children ages 5-18.

THE BEST WAY TO NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND From LAX, connecting service (change of plane) to Napier is offered on Air New Zealand. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,118, excluding taxes and fees. TELEPHONES To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 64 (the country code for New Zealand) and the local number. WHERE TO GO Art Deco Shop & Visitor Centre, 163 Tennyson St., Napier; 6-835-0022, http://www.artdeconapier.com . Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

The Cook Islands, named for Capt. James Cook, invite you to explore with a $938 round trip from LAX to Rarotonga on Air New Zealand. It is subject to availability. You can depart any Sunday between Feb. 5 and May 27 and return any Saturday from April 7 on. There's a one-year maximum stay. The ticket must be purchased by Jan 30. Info: Air New Zealand , (800) 262-1234 Source: Airfarewatchdog.com

Advertiser: Air New Zealand Agency: Team One Advertising, El Segundo Challenge: Develop an image for Air New Zealand as it expands its service to London and Sydney from Los Angeles International Airport. The Ads: Print ads rely on innuendo and double-entendre to describe the quality of Air New Zealand's customer service. One ad focuses on a portrait shot of a man with a quizzical expression. The legend says, "I watched the flight attendant tuck in the guy next to me. What's up with that?"

London will be ground zero for some heady celebrating this year, starting with Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in June and followed by the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in July and August. Get a preview of the city before the crowds arrive with a five-day Valentine's Day getaway that costs about $1,200 per person. The deal: CheapOAir 's deal includes a five-night stay at KWest Hotel & Spa and round-trip airfare from L.A. to London. This is a winter deal whose price includes a $35 cash rebate and an additional $20 discount by using the code "PK60.