I don't think this new policy is about abuse of staff travel privileges, it's more about fatigue management and possibly driven by the Coglen Air DH8 crash in Buffalo. The FAA is considering including all commuting time as part of your duty hours, meaning you won't be able to commute (long distances, the Coglen Co-pilot commuted trans-Continent )on the same day as a duty if that combine time excedes your duty limits.
That FAA policy, if implemented, would affect AirNZ international long haul crews.
Of course, as a Link minion, I could be way off the mark....