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When does the check in deck open in IAH for flights to Auckland

When does the check in deck open in IAH for flights to Auckland

Old Jan 22, 2019, 2:36 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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It's 3 hours. Air NZ is still easily my choice but when flying out of LAX, I will admit its nice that Qantas open up much MUCH earlier so that you can escape the zoo of the check in area and go chill in a lounge. As someone who likes to leave a LOT of time between non-connected domestic flights when leaving internationally that day, it is appreciated.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 2:41 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by kiwifrequentflyer
It's 3 hours. Air NZ is still easily my choice but when flying out of LAX, I will admit its nice that Qantas open up much MUCH earlier so that you can escape the zoo of the check in area and go chill in a lounge. As someone who likes to leave a LOT of time between non-connected domestic flights when leaving internationally that day, it is appreciated.
For NZ1 / NZ5 services check-in is open from around 1PM when it opens for NZ2.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 4:18 am
  #18  
 
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Has that always been the case? In the past I have arrived early and had to wait for the check in desks to open around 3 hours prior. Did we just get unlucky? I wish I had been able to check in at 1pm but I definitely could not.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 7:34 am
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by mpw81
I could be wrong bit I think this poster is on ORD-AKL... Not IAH-AKL. If on ORD-AKL, this poster WOULD get access to polaris lounge at ORD with a ANZ boarding pass .
Correct. Transpac flight departs ORD, so we have Polaris access at departure airport only.

On the way back, we're on UA metal, so we get access at SFO, the transit point, and ORD, the destination.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 5:32 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by mpw81
I could be wrong bit I think this poster is on ORD-AKL... Not IAH-AKL. If on ORD-AKL, this poster WOULD get access to polaris lounge at ORD with a ANZ boarding pass .
Oh, duh, yes that's highly likely - I got confused because the OP talks about IAH and I wasn't paying enough attention to realise they'd kinda shoehorned a different question in there.

Unrelated note: wow, US origins are gouged on that route. ORD-AKL r/t comes on Google Flights at around $2600USD, but SYD-ORD r/t is $1600AUD!

Originally Posted by as219
Correct. Transpac flight departs ORD, so we have Polaris access at departure airport only.

On the way back, we're on UA metal, so we get access at SFO, the transit point, and ORD, the destination.
Hang on, you sure about that? Even on UA metal, if you're on NZ ticket stock you would not have access to Polaris lounges at SFO or ORD for the return as it's the ticketing carrier paying the lounge access, not the operating carrier, and *A lounge access rules for Polaris is International Business or First class only - no domestic.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 11:40 pm
  #21  
 
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NZ posts very early check in close times. They don't actually close at the indicated check in close time. Check in always close 1 hour prior to scheduled departure time.
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Old Jan 23, 2019, 12:21 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by hansyuwiwb
NZ posts very early check in close times. They don't actually close at the indicated check in close time. Check in always close 1 hour prior to scheduled departure time.
Interesting! Didnt know that
I guess because we always like to rock up early
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 11:13 am
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by kyanar
Hang on, you sure about that? Even on UA metal, if you're on NZ ticket stock you would not have access to Polaris lounges at SFO or ORD for the return as it's the ticketing carrier paying the lounge access, not the operating carrier, and *A lounge access rules for Polaris is International Business or First class only - no domestic.
I don't think this is right. The rules state that access to a Polaris is granted if you have "A boarding pass for travel in United Polaris business class" and that "[c]ustomers in United Polaris business class may access a United Polaris lounge at departure, connecting and arrival airports along their eligible same-day routing." No mention of ticketing carrier vs operating.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...es/access.html
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 2:19 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by as219
I don't think this is right. The rules state that access to a Polaris is granted if you have "A boarding pass for travel in United Polaris business class" and that "[c]ustomers in United Polaris business class may access a United Polaris lounge at departure, connecting and arrival airports along their eligible same-day routing." No mention of ticketing carrier vs operating.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...es/access.html
If not flying on UA metal long haul you have to be departing on long haul *A J from the airport in which you access the Polaris lounge (ie no access on domestic connections from NZ arrivals, or when connecting to another gateway out of the US)

"United Polaris" refers to UA metal - the *A rules on that page are different. Extensively discussed in the UA forum.

Consolidated "Polaris Lounge Access Questions" Thread
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 6:14 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by samyoull
If not flying on UA metal long haul you have to be departing on long haul *A J from the airport in which you access the Polaris lounge (ie no access on domestic connections from NZ arrivals, or when connecting to another gateway out of the US)

"United Polaris" refers to UA metal - the *A rules on that page are different. Extensively discussed in the UA forum.

Consolidated "Polaris Lounge Access Questions" Thread
But he's replying to someone flying on UA metal, but on NZ stock. It's a Polaris marketed flight, so you would get access, no?
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 6:03 am
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by MCIUnitedGuy
But he's replying to someone flying on UA metal, but on NZ stock. It's a Polaris marketed flight, so you would get access, no?
Right you are - should be good to go,
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 1:21 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by samyoull
Right you are - should be good to go,
But is he right? On that very page:

Please note that access policies vary by airline. Customers who purchased tickets through a Star Alliance member airline other than United should consult the specific airlines policy or the Star Alliance lounge policy to see if they are able to access a lounge or club location.
It talks about the marketing carrier there, not the operating carrier. Which makes sense, since the boarding pass you have will be a BusinessPremier boarding pass that happens to be on UA metal, not a Polaris boarding pass. In that case, you would not have arrivals access.

It'd be good for OP to report back to the consolidated lounge access thread, as currently this scenario is not included.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 2:02 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by kyanar
But is he right? On that very page:



It talks about the marketing carrier there, not the operating carrier. Which makes sense, since the boarding pass you have will be a BusinessPremier boarding pass that happens to be on UA metal, not a Polaris boarding pass. In that case, you would not have arrivals access.

It'd be good for OP to report back to the consolidated lounge access thread, as currently this scenario is not included.
Probably a good question for the UA thread, plenty of activity over there, I'm sure they have an idea.
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Old Feb 9, 2019, 3:20 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by kyanar
But is he right? On that very page:



It talks about the marketing carrier there, not the operating carrier. Which makes sense, since the boarding pass you have will be a BusinessPremier boarding pass that happens to be on UA metal, not a Polaris boarding pass. In that case, you would not have arrivals access.

It'd be good for OP to report back to the consolidated lounge access thread, as currently this scenario is not included.
Surely when you check in with United the boarding pass they give you will say Polaris not BusinessPremier. The Consolidated Thread is pretty clear that all that matters is that it is a Polaris operated flight (ie, United sells Business Class on that specific flight as Polaris) and the marketing carrier is irrelevant.
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Old Feb 9, 2019, 8:24 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by MCIUnitedGuy
Surely when you check in with United the boarding pass they give you will say Polaris not BusinessPremier. The Consolidated Thread is pretty clear that all that matters is that it is a Polaris operated flight (ie, United sells Business Class on that specific flight as Polaris) and the marketing carrier is irrelevant.
Except that United's own web page says what matters is the marketing carrier, not operating carrier. Hence why real-world experience would be useful here - I don't think it's common for NZ to be selling UA's own flights cheaper than UA, so this probably hasn't come up before.
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