[TJH]

We are starting to look at tickets to NZ and I had a few questions for anyone out there that has been through the Auckland Airport Customs.

How long does it generally take to get through customs there?

When we fly to NZ our final destination will be Hawkes Bay (staying with some friends there initially) so we will be getting on a connecting flight after landing in Auckland. All of the tickets I have looked at don't seem to allow a whole lot of time to land, pick up your luggage, get through customs, and then re-check your bags at the domestic transfer desk for your next flight. For some reason, there is no option to pick a later flight from Auckland to Hawkes Bay even though there is many such flights throughout the day.

Has anyone done something similar?

[mylesdw]

The immigration process (passports/customs/maf) can be quite slow. Unless things have changed since I last used AKL note that the domestic terminal is a bus journey away from the international terminal or a good 10 minute walk.

[YouMeAndThree]

I had a brilliant experience, but probably not the norm. I travelled as a lone parent with 3 young children - I was loaded on a buggy, taken to the fronts of queues, helped with my 2 luggage trolleys, whipped through all controls and was out the other end in around 15-20 minutes (the longest wait was for the 7 suitcases to come round) :nice1

Hopefully somone will be able to give you a better average time.

Lx

[TJH]

All of the flights I have been looking allow for about 2 hours between landing and the next flight.

I would be arriving in Auckland around 5:30 am so it might be a little less busy at that time for customs.

[limeo]

It's not that bad. The boots we brought weren't clean enough, so we had to go through BioSecurity. Even then, it took 30 to 40 minutes tops, through customs, picking up our luggage, going through BioSecurity, through the X-ray things, and onto our next flight. (I think that was the order...)

[dilanium]

It is REALLY busy at 5:30am as quite a few flights arrive then. I know, I arrived at that time expecting it to not be that busy.

We missed our onward flight we had to wait so long, but luckily they just put us on the next one.

Believe me, you need all that time.

[TJH]

It is REALLY busy at 5:30am as quite a few flights arrive then. I know, I arrived at that time expecting it to not be that busy.

We missed our onward flight we had to wait so long, but luckily they just put us on the next one.

Believe me, you need all that time.

So is two hours enough time to make the onward flight?

[urban78]

So is two hours enough time to make the onward flight?

Two hours should be enough but it's really hard to predict how long it usually takes to get through, especially if 3 or 4 big planes arrive at the same time (and how fast immigration and customs staff process arrival passengers) :exit

If you get held up but your international and domestic flights are booked on the same ticket (sounds like Dilanium's case) airport staff will rebook you on the next available flight.

Hope this helps,

Jen :)

[TJH]

Our domestic and international flights will be booked on the same ticket. If they simply put you on a later flight, no worries then.

[Wooly_Cow]

Just a word to save some time...if you clear customs and bio check with less than 1 hour to go you cannot check your bags in at the international terminal.

You have to take them with you on the bus or the 10 mintue walk, and check them in at the domestic terminal.

Normal check in times for domestic flights are 30 mintues before flight departure.

Hence if you clear customs with more than one hour to spare, hang a left and check in all those bags at the international terminal...your bags will be checked and you can lesuirely make your way to the domestice terminal.

If you have less than one hour but more than 40 mintues, tkae your bags with you...and if necessary, jump the queue to check your bags at domestic (loads of crying travel weary kids speeds this process)

If you have less than 40 minutes.....you'll miss the connecting flight!

[catt]

Maybe a case of a quick email to your airline company to find out what the process is they may be able to advise times as well :nice1

[TJH]

I think Wooly_Cow nicely summed up what pretty good info. Getting through customs will be a wild card as to how long it will take which is dependent on how many planes have just arrived.

If we miss our connecting flight and have to take a later one, I really don't think we will care too much at that point. We'll finally be in NZ!!

[dilanium]

I'll admit when we missed our connecting flight I panicked at first, but after contacting the person who was picking us up. It was nice to sit and relax. I had a breakfast sandwich and some juice and let reality hit that I was in NZ!

[James 1077]

Also if you have kids then use the passport control counter for travellers with children. It is generally much quicker!

But 2 hours should be plenty of time to get through customs and out - we did it in about 30 minutes when we arrived in Auckland.

[TJH]

Also if you have kids then use the passport control counter for travellers with children. It is generally much quicker!

But 2 hours should be plenty of time to get through customs and out - we did it in about 30 minutes when we arrived in Auckland.

No children for us yet, but my wife often tells me I act like one. I don't think that will help us in this case:D

[kerrijeansmith]

I would allow three hours just to be safe. When we just did it this week it took alot longer than we thought it would and another couple going through did miss their domestic flight. I would assume the airline would be understanding and bump you to the next available flight in that situation but really don't know.

[James 1077]

If you buy the ticket in one purchase (ie you buy a ticket to Hawkes Bay that happens to go via Auckland - not buy a ticket to Auckland and then one to Hawkes Bay) then the airline is responsible for ensuring that you get to your final destination if you missed any connections.

They will also not sell you a ticket if they thought there was a reasonable risk you couldn't make the connection (airports have a standard transit time so the computer systems won't allow you to buy a connection if it is under that airport's standard time). This is because it is expensive to have to deal with missed connections as you may have to feed / accomodate the passenger as well as have a plane go off with an empty seat and not be able to sell an expensive late purchase ticket for the next flight.

So don't worry too much about the 2 hour connection if the airline will sell you that as a single ticket. The only thing that you need to do is if it looks like you are going to be delayed coming into Auckland - you should let one of the cabin crew know that you have an onward connection and its flight number. They will then communicate this to the ground staff who will make a decision whether to get you rushed through security / customs etc, delay the connecting flight or organise for you to get onto the next flight.

I've been rushed from one plane to another and it was quite good fun - first off the flight, ran down the stairs to an airport buggy which drove me straight over to the awaiting flight where they gave me my boarding pass. My bags made it on a flight a few hours later and were taxied to my hotel. The reason they did this was that the next flight was totally full so it made sense to get me on the one I was booked on! It helped that it was all EU Schengen so I didn't have to worry about passport control though!

[welsh_italian]

I went through this on Wednesday 2 days ago and it was an okay process. The immigration staff were friendly. I guess it depends upon a) how busy it is, b) whether your papers are in order, and c) biosecurity. Remember to have clean footwear (ie not muddy hiking boots), no fruits/veg or packaged food only (I brought some noodles and packets of iced tea with me). It took me maybe 40 minutes all told to actually get out of the airport. I would say the domestic terminal is 15 minutes away as my legs were tired after the flight so I walked slowly ;-)

Still, the immigration staff were really friendly and chatty and it was a nice welcome to the country.

[deepthir]

It's not that bad. The boots we brought weren't clean enough, so we had to go through BioSecurity. Even then, it took 30 to 40 minutes tops, through customs, picking up our luggage, going through BioSecurity, through the X-ray things, and onto our next flight. (I think that was the order...)

Sorry to butt in but, how do they check shoes that have been packed? I'm packing at least 4 pairs of shoes for my husband and me. We're cleaning htem as well as we can but I've been wondering about BioSecurity and how it works.

:uhoh