As of last Friday, Air New Zealand began its new nonstop service between O'Hare and Auckland. That means no more having to wait around for connections via Los Angeles or San Francisco!

Flights will operate three times weekly. Current fares aren't quite as low as what they often are from West Coast cities, but still lower than what you might expect from the Midwest.

Searching Air New Zealand, I found seats going for $1,282 roundtrip, departing ORD on Wednesday, February 27, returning from AKL on Wednesday, March 13. This fare is actually a few hundred bucks less than the advertised intro sale fare of $1,560.

Shorter itineraries are also available. See our Chicago ORD fare listings for a complete look at current finds.

Need a room in Auckland? Here's what we've found on Hotelwatchdog for this trip.

Above image via Shutterstock