A survival guide to New Zealand’s main airports

Generally you find yourself spending much more time on the airport than you may need meant.

Keep in mind, passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed or cancelled due to reasons within an airline’s control.

But when you end up in a state of affairs the place all there’s to do is wait round on the airport, it may be good to know precisely what’s round you.

Right here’s a survival information to New Zealand’s 4 most important airports.

READ MORE:
* How early should you get to the airport before an international flight?
* Airport and flight delays and lost luggage: How to survive the travel chaos
* What to pack in your carry-on luggage amid the travel chaos

Auckland Airport

Getting there: Auckland Airport is situated about 20km south of town centre.

The AirportLink bus operates between the airport, Manukau Bus Station, and Puhinui Station. You’ll want a HOP card, which may be bought from comfort shops on the airport.

You can too take the route 38 bus service to get to Onehunga, once more utilizing a HOP card.

The SkyDrive Airport Specific coach service takes you from the airport to SkyCity in central Auckland. Tickets may be bought on-line upfront, or onboard from the motive force (card solely). It prices $16 a technique, and takes about 40 minutes.

The home and worldwide terminals are in numerous places. A free inter-terminal bus operates each quarter-hour, between 5am and 11pm each day, with the trip taking about 10 minutes. The walkway between the terminals is at the moment closed.

Meals & drink: Within the home terminal, most choices are earlier than safety – you’ve bought fast-food giants McDonald’s and Subway, in addition to native favourites Greatest Ugly Bagels and Orleans Rooster & Waffles. There’s additionally sushi, doughnuts, and juice, in addition to a few cafes.

After safety, there’s a espresso store and a comfort retailer.

Within the worldwide terminal, there are alternatives earlier than and after safety. Earlier than you undergo, there’s a McDonald’s, Pita Pit, and Tank Juice, in addition to an artisan bakery and cafe.

After safety, there’s one more McDonald’s and Greatest Ugly Bagels, Hayama Sushi, Aroha Cafe and Bar, and Vantage Bar.

Be warned that after 8pm, you may have far fewer choices – verify the web site to see what’s open.

Buying: There’s not an excessive amount of in home – a few comfort shops, a Sunglass Hut and menswear retailer 3 Clever Males.

On the worldwide terminal, you’ll discover the official All Blacks Retailer earlier than safety, and a comfort retailer. After safety, there’s The Loop Responsibility Free, a memento retailer, comfort retailer, and a handful of designer shops together with Adidas, Fossil, Hugo Boss, Icebreaker, MAC Cosmetics and Michael Kors.

Each terminals have The Mall, the place you may order on-line and choose up your buy from the gathering level.

Wi-fi: You get free limitless wi-fi throughout each terminals.

Showers: There are free showers in each the worldwide and home terminals.

Baggage storage: Safe Journey presents baggage storage companies on the worldwide terminal, and self-serve baggage lockers on the home terminal, situated on the bottom ground of Carpark R. The lockers are operational 24/7.

Households: Father or mother rooms may be discovered all through the airport, each earlier than and after safety. These have a feeding chair, microwave, toilet and child altering amenities.

Lounge: Within the worldwide terminal, there’s additionally the Strata Lounge, the place you may pay to entry the meals and drinks, bathe amenities, youngsters’s play space, and personal leisure rooms. That is at the moment solely open to airways, however will reopen to the general public on August 1.

Sleeping: The worldwide terminal is open 24 hours a day, whereas the home terminal is open from 4.30am to 11pm.

The Novotel Auckland Airport is situated proper subsequent to the worldwide terminal, and the ibis price range Auckland Airport is a brief stroll away.

There are extra resort choices within the space, a lot of which supply free shuttles to and from the airport.

Wellington Airport

Location: Wellington Airport is situated 8km from the CBD.

The Airport Specific bus takes you between the airport and Wellington Railway Station, with stops alongside the best way. You possibly can pay onboard with a Snapper card, money or contactless debit or bank card. It at the moment prices $3.75 one-way when utilizing a Snapper, or $4.50 for different fee strategies. The journey between the railway station and airport takes about half an hour.

Meals & drink: When you’ve checked in to your flight, you’ll discover the overwhelming majority of your eating choices in the primary mezzanine space – you’ll wish to take advantage of these earlier than you undergo safety (for each home and worldwide flights), as a result of there’s little or no on the opposite facet.

A lot of native eateries are represented right here – amongst them are Greatest Ugly Bagels, Gorilla Burger, TJ Katsu, and occasional store basic Mojo. You possibly can take pleasure in a craft beer from Fortune Favours or United Brew Works, or get a specialty espresso (or scorching chocolate) from Three Quarter Society. There’s even a Ben & Jerrys scoop store, to fulfill your pre-flight ice cream cravings.

Within the worldwide departures lounge, there’s a Mojo and Subway, and in home, there’s a post-security espresso kiosk.

Buying: Choose up domestically made merchandise and art work prints from the Te Papa Retailer. There’s additionally a couple of outposts of widespread outfitters – Witchery, Icebreaker, Trenery and three Clever Males. The Relay comfort retailer may be present in each the primary mezzanine and at worldwide departures, together with a Lotte Responsibility Free retailer.

Wi-fi: Free wi-fi is out there.

Showers: There are free showers obtainable within the Degree 1 bogs.

Baggage storage: Storage lockers are situated on Degree 1 of the multi-level automotive park by the motorcycle parking space. These may be rented by the half or full day, ranging from $5 for a small measurement and $10 for checked-in baggage measurement.

There may be additionally an outsized baggage storage – to entry this, head to baggage belt 1 on stage 0, the place there’s a cellphone on the wall you need to use to name the operations staff. This service begins from $20 for a half day.

Households: A guardian room is situated on Degree 1 in the primary terminal, with nappy disposal, a altering desk, and seating for feeding.

Sleeping: The airport is open from 3am to 1.30am. There’s a resort immediately related to the resort – Rydges Wellington Airport, the place you will get nice views of the planes taking off.

Christchurch Airport

Location: Christchurch Airport is situated about 12km from town centre.

You may get between the airport and town centre and different suburbs utilizing one of many three common Metro Bus companies that take you straight to the airport – route 3, route 29 or route 125. You possibly can pay onboard utilizing a Metrocard, or money.

Meals & drink: In the primary meals court docket on stage 1 there’s a Burger King, Wishbone, Tank Juice, Underground Espresso and Quantity Eight cafe and bar.

At worldwide departures there’s Alps Bar & Pizza, and at home departures there’s Icons cafe and a pop-up bar from native brewing legends Cassels.

Just some minutes’ stroll from the terminal is Spitfire Sq., a retail precinct with extra eating choices, together with BurgerFuel, Little India, and The Espresso Membership.

Buying: Just a few retailers may be discovered within the stage 1 meals court docket, together with the official All Blacks Retailer, Sunglass Hut and World Tradition.

At worldwide departures there’s Aelia Responsibility Free, the TikiTour memento store, and a Whittaker’s retailer.

There are additionally comfort shops throughout the home and worldwide terminals. And at Spitfire Sq., there’s a grocery store and pharmacy for last-minute necessities.

Wi-fi: Free limitless wi-fi is out there.

Showers: Showers can be found at check-in, worldwide departures and worldwide arrivals.

Households: There are 13 guardian rooms all through the terminal, outfitted with altering tables and different amenities.

Sleeping: The terminal opens at 3am and closes after the ultimate scheduled flight. The closest resort is Novotel, situated outdoors worldwide arrivals. Sudima Airport Lodge and Jucy Snooze are a brief stroll from the terminal.

Queenstown Airport

Location: Queenstown Airport is situated 8km from the city centre, in Frankton.

You should utilize the Orbus public bus service to get to and from the airport – the #1 bus has a cease proper outdoors the airport. You probably have a Bee Card, this can price $1, and should you’re paying by money, it can price $5 (because of the present half-price public transport fares).

Meals & drink: Earlier than safety, there’s the Airspresso cafe and bar, Patagonia Candies (an outpost of the favored cafe on the town) and Hikari Sushi. There’s one other Airspresso within the worldwide departures lounge, and a smaller pop-up within the home departures space.

Buying: There’s the Outstanding Candy Store, present store Kapa, World Tradition, a sportswear store, and a Paper Plus. In worldwide departures, there’s Aelia Responsibility Free.

Wi-fi: You get 2GB free wi-fi per 24 hours.

Showers: There aren’t any showers however the Queenstown Occasions Centre, which does supply bathe amenities, is a 15-minute stroll from the terminal.

Baggage storage: Storage lockers that may be booked for a 12-hour interval are situated outdoors the terminal close to the departures and check-in space. There are a number of sizes, ranging from $7 for a small locker to $20 for a jumbo locker.

If no lockers can be found otherwise you want extra room, you may go to the Airport Data Desk and they’ll retailer your gadgets for a price.

Households: A guardian room is situated beside worldwide arrivals, with amenities together with change tables, microwaves and toys. There may be one other guardian room after safety within the worldwide gate lounge.

Sleeping: The terminal is open from 5.30am to 10pm. There are a number of inns close by, together with the Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park Hotel, and the Sudima Queenstown Five Mile.