Think of paying for ZED as the privilege to list standby on some other airline (Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, Ethiopian, Air New Zealand, and many others). You are bottom of the barrel but hey - at least you get to list. If you want that direct to Auckland flight, Air New Zealand is your best bet.
ZED (Zonal Employee Discount) is available after 6 months of employment and typically offered to you + parents and maybe spouse (single so not sure about that one). It is important to research the specific agreements we have with each ZED partner (for example my parents can list on Air France no problem, however KLM does not accept parents - I on the other hand can list no problem).