Air New Zealand Air Points - AKL int terminal

The upper floor of the pier was open yesterday. Still a few areas boarded off but looks 80% complete.

As speculated, from the lounges do need to go downstairs and then back up again. The passageway kinks left past a couple shops before escalators and stairs up. There are 2 escalators, one up and one down (so departing pax can get back to the shops on bottom floor where come out from immigration - but it seems to me they have got them wrong way around. Departing pax have to cross in front of the down escalator to get to the stairs or up escalator. Seems dumb to me.

The first part of upstairs looks nice - big windows and modern looking. Large seating area on one side and shops on the other side. A couple more smaller seating areas further along.

The new layout means much further to go to gates 1,2,3,4 - you have to go to the end of the top level, then down escalator (comes out roughly where the little duty free shop at the bend of the pier used to be) and walk back towards the main part of the terminal on the lower level. Separate down escalators for the end gates (8,9,10) from the rest.

Need to allow an additional 2-3 minutes from the lounge.

To be honest, I'm not impressed.

The layout leaves much to be desired. There should be two up escalators and one down escalator where the pier splits, instead of stairs. How many people who are lugging carry ons do you think will really use the stairs?

The drop down idea is just plain stupid. They should have done the job properly and built a full length top storey and then used ramps to get back down to the airbridge level. That would also have the advantage of avoiding the silly windy-wendy system they have now with both departures (as you pointed out kiwi flyer) and for arrivals with the glassed in corridors.

Or they should have streamed arrivals onto the new top pier like at Heathrow and Beijing - but then they wouldn't have had the opportunity to bung in all these new shops, would they?

Ahhhh. We have our explanation. :td:

Yes that was my impression. Layout rubbish because AIAL want to maximise number of shops.

I hate to think how congested the escalators will get in the evening when 2/3 flights to US.

I forgot to mention that it looks like the connection for transferring international pax isnt open yet. No idea how they get through to departures. Hopefully this is only temporary.

Does anyone know if the rescreening at the gate for US flights will now stop?

The only communication I've recieved from NZ about it is as follows.
Until construction work is finished in December, it is expected that walking to gates 1, 2, 3 and 4 will take around 10 minutes longer than people are used to. All other gates will be a similar walking time as usual, and signage will be in place for the opening of the pier. It wouldn't be to difficult to reverse the flow or have both escalators going up, but will it ever be done ?

Their own updates on their website and the NZ Herald article this morning points to the glassing in along the (now arrivals) level still ongoing.

My guess is that right now passengers departing are directed across up the new pier and then they drop down on the 1/2/3/4 escalators (according to the Herald diagram the escalators down the end are "yet to be built"), and then proceed to their departure gate along the (future arrivals) level.

Arrivals passengers walk off and go thru to bag claim as normal. Right now I guess transit passengers could probably just stay where they are, since the glass corridors haven't been completed. Since there isn't full separation yet I'd wager that secondary screening for US flights is still in play.

I hope they have enough intelligence to install both up and down escalators at each drop down point, otherwise can you imagine the crazy situation when people are in the gate lounge, their flights get delayed, they get to buy food - but then 300 people have to wait for one lift to get back up to the upper level? Come to think of it, can you imagine the problems if there is a last minute gate change from (say) gate 2 to gate 6, with different glassed-in lounges?

Words cannot describe how frustrated I am that they could not do a new layout properly - there is absolutely no excuse for getting something new like this so wrong.

Had a friend potter through and just got back - apparently it takes longer now to get to gates 1 and 2 than to get to 8 and 10 at the other end of the pier, because of the way it doubles back on itself (to make you walk past all the shops on the new level).

ARGH!!!! :td: :td: :td: :td: :mad: :mad: :td:

Had a friend potter through and just got back - apparently it takes longer now to get to gates 1 and 2 than to get to 8 and 10 at the other end of the pier, because of the way it doubles back on itself (to make you walk past all the shops on the new level).Not a permanent feature however

I forgot to mention that it looks like the connection for transferring international pax isnt open yet. No idea how they get through to departures. Hopefully this is only temporary.

I did an AKL turn last week. There was absolutely no signage for transit passengers. I asked staff, and got sent to a desk staffed by two ladies. One had a computer on one's airline system; the other on a different system. Once they knew what airline I was flying onward, I was sent to the proper lady and my boarding card was issued. Then I was free to go wherever I wanted in the terminal.

OT: I was there the day there were high winds. An unattended motorized stairway was blown across the tarmac and bashed into a Qantas jet that was taxiing out for takeoff to go to Melbourne. The stairwell jammed in under the wing. Needless to say there was sufficient damage that the plane was taken out of service.

That would have given the pax and crew a fright I'm sure!

And all of this because some tosser decided that incoming and outgoing passengers had to be segregated for "security" purposes - just as they are at Changi Airport :p

I suppose the Kiwis still haven't gotten over Rainbow Warrior and think that some tinpot economy at the arse-end of the world is going to be a terrorist base

I suppose the Kiwis still haven't gotten over Rainbow Warrior and think that some tinpot economy at the arse-end of the world is going to be a terrorist base[/QUOTE]

actually most Kiwis are completely uninterested in whether or not Australia is a terrorist base . :D

In any case its the US that thinks NZ could be a terrorist base :rolleyes:

And all of this because some tosser decided that incoming and outgoing passengers had to be segregated for "security" purposes - just as they are at Changi Airport :p

... and at most airports around the world.

Although I reckon we must be the only ones with this crap separation system. Most other airports either split the levels entirely or (like KL and Changi) have separate security stations at each gate.

I wonder why it is that Kiwis have this inferiority complex about Australia - as Canadians do about the US? However there's two things to remember about Kiwis:
1 They're so evenly balanced - they have a chip on both shoulders
2 Anyone with get-up-and-go has got up and gone

... and at most airports around the world.

Although I reckon we must be the only ones with this crap separation system. Most other airports either split the levels entirely or (like KL and Changi) have separate security stations at each gate.

Given that the US has largely been the driving force behind these structural changes at airports around the world, I am still perplexed why nothing seems to be changing at T2 at LAX. Last time I was through, incoming and outgoing pax were still free to mingle.

Is something on the cards for T2?

Only domestic incoming and outbound mingle at T2, international inbound do not have access to the main airside part of the terminal (unless have onward flight with BP and complete immigration & security first).

Note for this purpose Canada is considered domestic as US immigration is pre-cleared at the Canadian departure point.

Some more observations from a recent time through.

The first 2 escalators at the start of the pier are now both up. Needless to say everyone uses the right hand one (closest to the corridors at both top and bottom).

Transit desk is now upstairs - but looks like its a temporary location as there is signage both by the desk and elsewhere upstairs. It is poorly signposted causing confusion. If arriving at one of the end gates (numbered 6 and up) a lot of people are continuing along the pier instead of climbing the stairs (or using elevator). If arriving at one of the gates near base of pier there was no sign I could see other than one where the transfer desk used to be (between gates 2 & 4).

Gate 1 is now almost enclosed in glass, but no sign of escalator/elevator from upper level. Still need to go the length of the upper level and then double back for the time being at least.

From the diagrams after construction is complete you will still need to walk to where gate 3 is before you can drop down into the 1&3 shared gate lounge (ditto for 2&4)... they have to make you walk past all the shops after all. :rolleyes:

Went through Auckland Airport Sept 30 and Oct 22.

When I heard the top deck would be open I thought it would be all the way along but you still had to go down esculators at the far end.

The layout reminds me of what SFO international is like. Along the top is shops and a moving walk way and every 2 gates is a drop down esculator.

When you come off the aircraft then you get directed to follow a corridor, in between the gates.

Is there a diagram online, I can't see how they are going to be finished by December, is it December 2006.

Also if you are going to the USA stay upstairs longer, I wouldn't bother going through the second security until closer to the flight. The area was packed when waiting for our flight.

Is Auckland International Airport going to have wireless internet. It seems there was signal but it didn't appear that I could get online.

Gates 5A and 5B who uses them. They sure are in a weird spot.

Is the master plan to also have new level for departures.

5A and 5B are bus gates. Used them recently flying to/from Noumea at a busy time of day for AKL airport when all the regular gates where filled with widebodied aircraft.

I thought I'd seen somewhere that AKL already has wireless internet. I havent tried it myself.

Agree re going to the end gates as late as possible - that's always been the case for the US flights. The gate lounges are too small and the 2 screen machines not enough to cope with number of pax. However, I presume once the segregation is complete we'll no longer need the rescreening at gate (for US flights and some Qantas flights to Australia).

Master plan? Hah! I think its pretty close to finished now - missing some escalators/lifts to gate lounges, still some gate lounges to be glassed in, and transfer corridor/rescreening to be installed.

I went through AKL International on 30/09, it was much as everyone describes. Different, but not very exciting. Lots of shops.

As far as the wifi goes, it seems there are definitely access points out there that let you connect. However I could not get a DHCP Lease (IP address) from any of them. I ran out of time to find out what was going on as my flight boarded.

A friend of mine flew out to LAX about 10 days ago and he managed to get wifi at AKL, so it seems like it's hit and miss. Perhaps they are still experimenting with their network at this point.

I'd expect that it won't stay free, either. Watch for a telco or wifi service provider to take over their internet SSID and offer pay-for service... with AKL getting a kickback, of course.

Is it just me, or is the new customs process / signage confusing for inbound flights?

aj

That would also have the advantage of avoiding the silly windy-wendy system they have now with both departures (as you pointed out kiwi flyer) and for arrivals with the glassed in corridors.
Umm....pardon the ignorance, but what exactly is a windy-wendy?

B-HXB means you cannot travel in a straight line to/from the gate at the international terminal, whether departing or arriving. The layout is terrible.

Yup, think wind as in "wind-up" sort of windy, not the weather phenomenon. Had the misfortune of arriving at gate 3 the other day. Had to walk towards gate 5 before doing a U-turn and retracing my steps in the main arrivals corridor. :mad:

Yup, think wind as in "wind-up" sort of windy, not the weather phenomenon. Had the misfortune of arriving at gate 3 the other day. Had to walk towards gate 5 before doing a U-turn and retracing my steps in the main arrivals corridor. :mad:

That is especially annoying when the a/c pulling in before you uses gate 7 and you can see all the pax streaming past while you double back.