Overnight 11hr layover MEL>AKL>HKG
 

Hi all, flying MEL to HKG through AKL with a 11.25hr layover between 22:30 to 09:55 next day in J.
Airnz website notes Int. Lounge opens 4:30am each day. Would this mean i would have to sleep outside lounge/find room in Novotel?

Flying early Dec with return booked Feb, was wondering if AKL-HKG and return leg would be the v1 or v2 787-9s? Expertflyer shows v1 but I read new v3 cabins coming Oct/Dec this year, was hoping could to get better A row seats.

Cheers all

Yes, the Lounge will close for a period to allow cleaning etc. You’ll have to leave while this happens.

The "v3" cabin belongs to the new ULR 789s that due for delivery around Oct this year. These have been caught up in Boeing delays and not sure until mid 2025.

The cabin refurb project for the existing v1 and v2 cabins that aligns these with new seats (but different to the v3) is still on schedule and will see the first aircraft completed this year but HKG is not a route that these will initially fly on.


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Pretty sure you will need to go landside for that layover. Don't think Auckland has 24/7 transit
Going to Novotel will or another hotel will be a far more pleasant experience.

If you are an Accorplus member there were some Pullman airport hotel specials recently.

Novotel for you it is (which is very convenient to the international terminal) or I think there's another one that has just opened up almost next door?

That is the newly opened (Accor) Pullman close to (Accor) Novotel. --> https://www.pullmanaucklandairport.com/
Are other airport area hotels.

i did a day booking at Pullman - i enjoyed it!

We've had three stays there, it's great.

My experience is aside from the two hotels you can easily walk to, Novotel and brand new Pullman, the other hotels are a far from relaxing experience. You either have to take an infrequent paid bus that stops at all hotels, or risk getting yelled at by taxi or uber who doesn't want to take a short ride! And most of the other hotels are old.

Agreed. Just book either the Novotel or the Pullman (haven't stayed at the latter, but have always found the Novotel decent - would be better if they started breakfast earlier though e.g. 5am).

If you are trying to save a few bucks you could go to the Ibis which is walking distance to the domestic terminal, but it's really very basic, not well sound proofed so you can hear a pin drop in the hallway, and then probably the best part of a 30 min walk from the international terminal. The only upside to staying there (price aside) is it's right next to the shopping precinct with a supermarket, The Warehouse etc. I walked all the way there and back from the Novotel last time I stayed there as we realised the night before an early flight we had forgotten something for the baby and it was the only place I could get what we needed ... it's not an unsafe feeling walk just a bit of a trek and the last thing you want to do if you've got to be at the international terminal early. Definitely not something I wanted to do with a one year old and all the crap that comes with one when travelling.

As oranjemakker says, the other hotels are all awkwardly located and you've either got to rely on the shuttle buses (which generally appear to be some system that runs a loop around the various hotels) or roll the dice as to whether you can get a taxi or uber.

off topic, CX has released info on their refub 77Ws, guess what, each seat will have a door..... so why is this Lux?

Thank you very much all, it appears Pullman it is. Has anyone had experience booking hotels thru Airnz? I intend to book my return layover AKL stay with Airnz, was wondering if the website supports two individual bookings, one for inbound layover and another for outbound.

Does CX occasionally fly 77Ws on the route? I recall in August 2023 my AirNZ ticketed flight was codeshare operated on the CX A350s.

pre Covid some AKL services during Northern Winter would be the 77W but post Covid it has been exclusively the A350.