Air New Zealand Air Points - Oz inter-terminal details

I have, to my disgust :rolleyes:, been booked on 'NZ' from Cairns to Auckland.

CNS-BNE is on an Alliance F100, and BNE-AKL is on an NZ A320. All NZ ticketed.

1. I will be arriving at CNS International. When I fly QF, I drop my bags at the domestic transfer checkin desk on the left after customs. Will this work for DJ/NZ, or is there another desk, or will I have to lug my bags to domestic?

2. I believe DJ tickets to and from BNE will allow complimentary train access from BNE dom to int. How will I get on with NZ onward ticket?

3. Will I even get the NZ boarding pass in CNS?

4. Also, do Fokkers have a meal service?

I have connected through BNE, however my flights were NZ and DJ. Upon arrival from AKL into BNE, once landside I went to a DJ transfer desk at the end of the terminal and they gave me a boarding pass and free train ticket.

On the return leg, I arrived at BNE Dom but the transfer desk was closed so just purchased a train fare. I had to check in at BNE with NZ.

I had cabin baggage only, but imagine it wouldn't have been checked through as I didn't get BPs all the way. All flights were booked on the same PNR also.

Hope my experience helps.

I thought they were working toward a seamless transfer process, so surely by now they've sussed out how to tag bags all the way and print both boarding passes.

I thought they were working toward a seamless transfer process, so surely by now they've sussed out how to tag bags all the way and print both boarding passes.

Bags can be tagged all the way, expect when transferring to domestic at AKL. In this case you need to self a check machine to print new tags.

Board Passes are still be worked on at this stage, as DJ are currently upgradeing there IT system to allow it.

1. I don't believe DJ staffs a transfer counter at CNS' Int'l Terminal -- can't imagine the pax numbers are large enough to warrant.

2. I seem to recall DJ staffing a counter airside (~ close to the escalators that bring pax up from security/checkin) -- the counter is staffed only for a few hours each day (to serve pax connecting onwards to the BNE-LAX flight). A visit to a landside counter should also provide for a transfer ticket. Personally, I find the landside dom-int'l transfer bus to be easier than the train. Assume DJ will provide either form of transport.

3. If on the same reservation, I would assume they should be able to.

4. I would assume the Fokkers offer the same "buy on board" and/or J class food/bev services as the larger aircraft, although a more limited offering wouldn't surprise me.

Can I ask why you're flying into CNS from overseas (rather than into BNE or another port?) Are you doing JQ from SIN or MNL via DRW? Just curious.

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds as convoluted as I had feared.

I'm coming from POM. I've found the most reliable way to get to Auckland in a day is to take Qantaslink POM-CNS rather than the Air Niugini codeshare POM-BNE. I always request this routing but as I am just a pleb, Mordac, preventer of travel has decided otherwise. Three flights and only one lounge flying with PX/DJ/NZ :(

This excursion turned out less arduous than I expected. A few things I learned for anyone who may be interested:

1. There's no DJ transfer desk at CNS international.

2. Cairns DJ domestic can produce boarding passes for the NZ flight, but the girl on the desk had to nip out to talk to her supervisor, who I don't think she actually managed to find, but worked it out herself in the end.

3. I was given a train ticket at Cairns check in to get from BNE dom to international.

4. Works meal on the Fokker was an inedible cold vegetarian wrap thing, a packet of sunflower seeds and dried fruit, and a biscuit. The F100 had far squishier seat cushions than ones I'd been on previously so my aversion to them has reduced somewhat.

5. No status points for the CNS-BNE leg, but $10 Airpoints. Does this sound correct? Do they work it out on overall journey or something?

5. No status points for the CNS-BNE leg, but $10 Airpoints. Does this sound correct? Do they work it out on overall journey or something?No status points on DJ flights (or any flights booked coded not with a Star carrier).