Auckland Airport 2am-6am
 

I've got a 4 hr 55 minute connection (International to International) at Auckland airport from 1:50am until 6:45am the next morning and have got a few questions...

Is it possible to remain airside or does the airside section of Auckland airport close at night?

Is there 24/7 food somewhere (airside or landside) or is it worth getting a cab somewhere?

I'm assuming I'd have my boarding pass in advanced but if I went landside would I be able to get back airside or do they only open security at say 5am.

I know it's kind of in the wrong spot and not Air NZ related but all of you in the Air NZ section seem to know your stuff about Auckland airport.

Are you in true transit or merely on a connecting flight?

If it is transit you need to be aware you have not paid any customs fees and are therefore ineligible to enter NZ. Will they do anything to you or will anybody pick you up on this? It's highly unlikely - but it is something to be aware of.

Yes you can stay airside.

I think most if not all of the food places shut overnight. There are some 24 hour fast food restaurants in the wider airport precinct but you wouldn't be able to get back airside until 4.30 when security re-opens. Might be easier for you just to bring a sandwich or something for the overnight layover, though obviously remember to declare it if you do decide to exit!

See above.

True transit.

Even though security shuts I assume they'd still let us go through transit security? I'm just used to Sydney whereby everyone is kicked out of the airside section at a certain time.

I have wondered this as well (international to domestic, rather than international to international as OP situation) and have avoided some flights back into NZ where I would have had 5 hours or so to fill in, during the wee hours of the morning in Auckland as was not sure if I could collect my bags and stay airside at international (assuming domestic terminal would be closed) .

Just out of interest what is open (if anything) airside at that time of night/morning?

There's a 24 hour driving range 5 mins from the terminal at 10 Nixon Road, Auckland Airport, 2022.

On Mondays and Fridays there's a 4:30am flight to Suva which may give you an extra opportunity to get through security if you're quick.

Nothing open airside in the middle of the night. International transit should be possible before the last flight of the night departs - unsure after that (if no staff then it won't be possible). If going landside it is immigration and security that are shut for a few hours until about 4:30am.

There is no way to do this as far as I'm aware. Once you get dumped in the bag collection zone, that's it: your only way out is to collect your bags and then exit security. Now you'd be landside with the domestic terminal closed.

I'm curious as to what flights land you at this awful time with such an awful connection.

The latest domestic departure from AKL is 9pm, so any international arrival from around 8pm will cause an overnight connection.

Worst case are the many international transtasman arrivals landing between 10:55pm to 12:55am, which connect to the earliest domestic flights from approx. 6:30am.

There are a couple e.g. VA90 RAR-AKL arrives around 1:45am!

Haha that's the one I'm coming in on. Have then got a 6am flight onwards. It's not that bad only being 4 hours but would be nice to have somewhere to sit or something to do.

The Strata Lounge opens at 05:00, but that probably won't help much if you're boarding for a 06:00 departure...

That maybe change soon - as the Starta Lounge is now used by VA.

Going back a few months when we were booking a winter getaway but from memory the flights were from Rarotonga and Fiji. I think we also encountered a similar wait in Auckland when looking at Honolulu flights returning. The transit was 5+hrs (I specifically remember 5hrs 40 min as one) before we could get connection to home (which is regional so maybe that makes a difference)