smn

Will be travelling in April for my honeymoon to/from Fiji. On the way back we leave NAN and arrive in AKL at 12:30 AM on NZ. Our "connecting" flight on NZ to SYD leaves at 7 AM.

I figure by the time we go through customs and everything it will be 1:30-2 am and by the time we get to any hotel it would be at least 2:30 am, for us to just wake up 2 hours later to head back to the airport.

Do we have any "decent" options? Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks.

tuapekastar

I have tried the 'sleep in the airport a few hours and use the lounge to shower/freshen up' approach at AKL and to be honest it did not work very well for me. But it may for you.

If you want a hotel I think the only realistic accommodation choice given the times involved is the Novotel at the airport - it is 40 metres walk from the international terminal.

It can be pretty quick getting through customs etc. at AKL, though I've never been through quite that late that I can recall. Are you able to check your luggage through given the closeness of the flights and carry change of clothes etc. in hand luggage - that would save time by not having to wait at the carousel. And have your AKL-SYD BP issued at NAN?

TBH I'm not 100% on the validity of some of those ideas, but they're in the pot for consideration.

kiwibigdave

Well, you don't actually have to sleep ...

roberino

You could play scrabble, or catalogue the complimentary tea in the room...

Kiwi Flyer

If you decide to stay in the airport terminal, and assuming either no checked bags or they are through checked, then you could stay airside.

At your arrival hour you would likely need to use the phone at international transit to call someone to let you through (since normally no connecting passengers at that hour the door may be shut). There are comfy couches in the main part of the upper level. Sometimes that is noisy and going into one of the gate areas gives more privacy & quiet (but with less comfortable seating).

number_6

AKL is one of the few airports in the world that has a capsule hotel of sorts ... perfect for what you need. Not sure if it is still in business, but worth looking for.

kiwibigdave

Kiwi Flyer, if you're airside overnight can you get to the area in front of the main duty free shops. i.e. The area you overlook from the back of the KC?

tuapekastar

I had completely forgotten about this. I recall some publicity about it maybe year or so ago - have searched a bit but cannot find any reference to it (or even what it is/was called) , so maybe it did not fly, so to speak. But certainly worth the OP following up on (if they can find it ).

I did note on my web travels that there is a recently opened Formule 1 at AKL, allegedly a 5 minute walk from the terminal, though it looks to me more like 10 minutes on the map.

Quokka

I think people might be 'misremembering' ...

A year ago there were articles about a Kiwi company placing sleeping pods in the Dubai airport -- not at AKL. The company, based in Rotorua, is called Snooze Cube.

Leumas

Capsules or not, I think you can easily spend a night at AKL. There are sofas near Burger King, but they will be noisy and bright. But some of the remote gates can be pretty quiet and you can easily catch a nap there.

tuapekastar

Fair enough - thanks. I guess being a Kiwi company must have distorted my memory of where they were installed.

serfty

I stayed at the just opened F1 hotel on Saturday night. Basic but what does one need for NZD79. It's 500 yards away, but they do have a free shuttle.

I also slept upstairs at the international terminal Friday night for 5 hours (arrived at 12:30am) before heading to the Lounge for a shower and breakfast and my morning flight to Northland.

There's really no point in leaving the airport precinct.

YMMV on this - being yon Honeymoon and all, the cost of the Novotel may be worth it. You could be in your room by 1am and showering 4 hours later.