Air New Zealand Air Points - NZ Lounge facilities at SFO & AKL

Hi!
Just issued an award ticket in C with the following itinerary in july:
CDGxSFO(UA)xAKL(NZ)xPPT with 7 hours connecting time in SFO and 13 hours in AKL. Not the perfect routing (no seat on LAX-PPT more direct route) but a miracle for a last minute trip!
Same connecting time on the way back but with 4 days stop-over in SF.

Am wondering if NZ has shower facilities in SFO and AKL I could use before/in between flights. Not sure I want to explore AKL, but thought about getting a hotel for the day once there. If someone could recommend one, it would be great!
Thanks!

How nice to be going to Tahiti - *envy envy envy*.

The NZ lounge in AKL definitely has shower facilities - extremely nice ones at that. I don't know what lounge NZ will use at SFO, but it's probably a safe assumption that it's the UA Red Carpet Club. There has been a thread in the last couple of days in either the UA or Star forums about the relative merits of the UA lounge vs the SQ one - in a nutshell, the consensus was that although the UA lounge is large, the food & drink are poor and the lounge attendants sometimes a bit nasty, to the extent of not letting non-UA pax use the showers. Meanwhile the SQ lounge is smaller but better catered and friendlier, with showers available to all - though the opening times may not coincide with your visit.

Re hotels in AKL, it depends what sort of style and budget you are after. At this time of year you should be able to get some decent discounts - if I were you I'd take a look on a site like www.wotif.com closer to the time. I've never stayed in any of the hotels near the airport but I've heard some bad things. Most decent hotels are downtown, which can be a bit inconvenient or expensive to get to at peak traffic times.

AKL has great showers. In fact its a great lounge ^

13 hours is plenty long enough to go into the city - perhaps go up the Sky Tower or lunch by the waterfront.

Be sure to get the Departure Fee exemption sticker from the transit desk before you go through immigration. Saves you NZ$25. On the way back in go through the Air NZ premier check-in area (at the far right of check-in counters - you'll only need the emigration check which is inside there) to bypass considerable queues.

There are a number of airport hotels (with free shuttle - every 30 minutes I think). They all have poor reviews, but I guess would be fine for such a short stop (all you really need is shower and bed right).

If you head into town on the Airport Bus (stops at most hotels and backpackers in the central city) - be sure to get a return ticket to get a discount from 2 one ways. They've recently changed the pricing, but I think it is something like NZ$22 return vs NZ$15 one way.

Sorry I'm not familiar with SFO.

I don't know what lounge NZ will use at SFO, but it's probably a safe assumption that it's the UA Red Carpet Club.

Wonder how the grog situation will work? IIRC there's no free drinkies at RCCs. How about a special fridge stocked with Mac's and Cloudy Bay which only opens to the swipe of an Airpoints card? :D

As for AKL hotels, the Sheraton is my usual (but won't be once it becomes a Langham in the new year) and I'm usually treated well. The Hilton looks good and gets reviews to match, but is pricey (haven't stayed there); ditto for the Ascott.

Avoid the Stamford unless you like king beds with a nice big seam in the middle (yup, two singles pushed together :p ) However, any major downtown hotel would have to beat the ghastly Centra at the airport, and I've heard the other choices there are no better.

justakiwi

Wow - just posted this message before going to bed, and already got your replies. Thank you for all the tips you provided.
Well, in fact, Tahiti is "home" to me. However, haven't been back for 3 years.
Should you need information about French Polynesia, let me know!

Wow - just posted this message before going to bed, and already got your replies. Thank you for all the tips you provided.
Well, in fact, Tahiti is "home" to me. However, haven't been back for 3 years.
Should you need information about French Polynesia, let me know!

OK, then: how can I afford a week on Bora Bora? :D It looks absolutely stunning, but the prices are scary...

Mad_atta, well, provided you 1) avoid high holiday season & honeymoons periods (december/february, june thru august) and 2) book directly to the hotel and 3) speak good french, then your chances to get a "local" rate with 30 to 50% discount are good.
If you are planning a stay in BB or elsewhere, with travel dates etc, I can check out some options for you. OK? Often recommend renting a sailing boat - sometimes much cheaper than O/W bungalow, more fun and freedom to stay on the water where you want, as long as you want!

Thanks for that! I have no immediate plans, but I'd love to include French Polynesia as a RTW stopover before too long. :)

Best hotel at the Airport is the Centra i have to stay there regularly for work ...Not the flashest but at least its comfortable and the staff are friendly..If you want to stay in town i 100% recommend "The Ascot"... Have stayed there quite a bit and its my personal favourite ..Avoid the Stamford and the Hilton is over priced and avoid the Hyatt as well !!!! Found the rooms at the Sheraton quite dated when i last stayed there ,that is why i switched to the ascot!!!!! But is you get a good deal the sheraton would be good value but it is not as close to the city centre as the ascot..

Last time i was in Tahiti i managed to get a discount of 75% off which is an industry rate but you can usually pick up some good deals at the Sofitel hotel group i think they have 5 or 6 hotels in different islands..

e ..Avoid the Stamford and the Hilton is over priced and avoid the Hyatt as well !!!! Found the rooms at the Sheraton quite dated when i last stayed there ,that is why i switched to the ascot!!!!! But is you get a good deal the sheraton would be good value but it is not as close to the city centre as the ascot.

I enjoyed the Sheraton when I stayed there 5 years or so ago, but it is not in a good location (on the ridge by K Road - although close to the Domain if you fancy a walk in a big park). I always enjoy the Stamford, despite the comments of others above. It is close to the waterfront and Queen St (the main shopping street), with a great lobby and nice rooms. I have stayed there numerous times and have never had a problem with the bed.

Mat-Atta is right to suggest www.wotif.com for a cheap deal, although you can only book it 14 days ahead.

As for activities, it depends on what you like. The Sky Tower (home to the Auckland casino) is always a good bet for a decent view, while there are lots of restautants in the Viaduct. For a quick taste of NZ I recommend the Auckland Museum (about a $10 taxi road from the city centre). It has great exhibits and will give you a sense of NZ/maori culture, while also being in a cool building and having awesome views of the harbour.

Enjoy your (short) stay in our beautiful city.