bmr12

I'm seeking advice on the best approach to transiting the AKL airport. I'm coming in on the UA flight from the US (SFO->AKL). I've got a separate onward ticket on ANZ to the south island a few hours later. If I assume that UA won't check my bags through, I assume I'll need to clear immigration, retrieve my luggage, clear customs, then proceed to domestic check-in. How long would that take on a normal morning?

If UA does check my bags through, can I just go to the transit desk and get my onward boarding passes?

In either case, I'm hoping to perhaps get enough time in the lounge for a quick shower and some breakfast/lunch.

Mwenenzi

As AKL is your entry to NZ, you must clear immigration, customs & bio-security at AKL with all your carry on & checked baggage.

Then check in for the Air NZ flight. If you have time, to the right of immigration/customs exit is a check in area for Air NZ domestic flights.
Then "walk the line" to the domestic terminal (10~12 minutes) or take the free shuttle https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/tr...r-terminal-bus

If time to the next flight is short, you must check in over in the domestic terminal with all your bags.

There are no arrival lounges in Auckland. Will you have access to the Air NZ domestic lounge?

The UA flight arrives a ~05:35. A busy time and will be very busy a "few hours later" over in the domestic terminal.
https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/flights?leg=Arrivals
Is the "few hours" 2 or 3 or ?

Note if UA is late Air NZ will do nothing to help you, unless on a flexi ticket. Check Air NZ t&c's to determine what you have purchased. Otherwise just expect to purchase a new ticket on Air NZ, or JQ.

konagirl2

Mwenenzi has answered thoroughly, but I wanted to add that we found the flexible tickets on Air NZ great for this. I booked a later flight with same-day Flex and then when we arrived on time, got through immigration and walked over to the domestic terminal, the automatic check-in desks asked if we wanted to check in to the earlier flight that was still available. Simple and easy.

vintagepilot

Thanks for these responses. We are doing the same thing next March - arriving international at 0500, have booked ANZ domestic flex departure at 0930 but hoping to come forward if we make it through quickly and/or there is availability.

cavemanzk

Depending on we're your connecting onto at that time of the morning NZ has flights to WLG/CHC pretty much every 30minutes, although they can be very full.

All going well you should be able to be fully cleared and out in the arrival hall by 6am, although early AM is very busy with long-haul arrivals so non NZ/AU passport holder line for biosecurity can be fun.

To make things quicker - check out the New Zealand arrival card before hand, and try not bring items that will need to be decared e.g. food.

http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/reso...%20version.pdf

bmr12

According to my reservation, the UA flight gets in around 9 am. We have a bit more than three hours before our domestic departure. As star alliance gold, I expect to have access to the domestic lounge.

I did pay the extra ~$15 for the "flexi" fare on ANZ just in case of irrops on the UA leg.

I just didn't know the logistics of clearing customs for onward travel--it's very different in the US from the EU and other places I've been. Sounds like I should just check my bags to AKL, claim and re-check in the domestic terminal.

Sounds like if everything is roughly on time, we should have plenty of time for a shower.

Kiwi Flyer

Yes. 3 hours is normally fine to have time for a shower & bite to eat in domestic lounge before boarding. However, early am the showers are in high demand and weekday flights between main cities that depart between 0630 and 0800 in particular are usually completely full. If you have no checked bags, lounge access and are on a flexi fare for a domestic flight, then you could ask the agents in the lounge to be put on standby for an earlier full flight in case of no shows. Standby doesn't work well if you have checked bags as these would need to be transferred between flights.

pomkiwi

In my experience ANZ have always been pretty good at allowing an earlier domestic departure for incoming pax if there is space available.

CPMaverick

It is exactly the same as the US as far as I can tell. What is different?

PV_Premier

it's YMMV, but often if you check in with *A Gold desks, your onward NZ ticket number (not PNR code) and a smile, then UA will tag your bag through. they may require you to pay any baggage fees that would normally be paid to NZ.

if they check your bags through and cannot offer a BP, just get one at the transit desk after customs in AKL.

Kiwi Flyer

UA will not be able to check OP in for the domestic flight, and the suggestion doesn't save any time.

OP will still need to collect bags at AKL, take them through customs, and check-in for the domestic flight.

vintagepilot

Bit late but just to report back for future reference, we arrived on time and were through immigration very quickly. The agent at the transfer desk said we could bring our flight forward but only apparently by about half an hour, bau also suggested we try doing it at the domestic terminal.

We walked to the domestic terminal in about 10 minutes and used the self-service check-in machine, which automatically offered the chance change the flight - there were many more options offered than the single flight the agent had mentioned, and we got on a 0715 departure - so 2 hours earlier into Queenstown than planned.