[Benjy]

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading this site for a while and have just had my account activated :clap

I arrive on the 1st of december. I am coming on a holiday visa and looking for a job offer and then using that to get a work visa. I have the advantage of having a friend who has just done the same thin who i can stay with.

One thing I do need help with though, I arrive at about 7am. I need to book a ticket from auckland to queenstown. how much time do i need to leave between arriving from the UK and departing from auckland? does 4 hours sound about right or can i get away with less?

Look forward to speaking to you all.

[veronica]

Sticking my neck out here but would expect you could get away with less. 4 hours would be really safe but would think 2 1/2 hours would be ok. A lot depends on if you get pulled by customs, we have in the past picked up backpackers from Chch airport and had to wait 3 hours for them to come through when that has happened, but that is the most extreme time we have experienced. are you booking it on line from the UK with ANZ. if you are then be careful to keep your luggage within the weight limit allowed for the domestic flight. ie 20kgs.

[Smiler]

Hi Benjy Welcome to the forum.

I'm with veronica, you can do it in less than 4 hours.

If you are booking all the way through from the UK you get the same baggage allowance on the domestic flight. We did with our huge 60 odd kilo's each.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Deborah

[GeorgeM]

I believe that the rules are very different depending on whether you have all the flights on one ticket or whether you have booked them separately.

If you book all the way through and you get delayed coming through immigration they will put you on a later flight. If it isn't busy that could be an hour or so later - we missed an 8 o'clock flight to CHC and they got us on one just after 9. As mentioned above you also get the international baggage allowance all the way through.

If your tickets are separate, however, there are no obligations on the airline to do anything - if you miss your flight you could be out on your own, plus you only get the standard domestic allowance.

Normally the add-on domestic bit is quite cheap when you buy it as part of the international fare, so it might not cost much more to do this and get the added bit of security that Air NZ won't wash their hands of you if things go wrong.

[Benjy]

Thanks for the replies. Im afraid its going to be 2 different tickets :( I have already booked the international one. I will be booking it online with ANZ. so can i pay extra to take more than 20 KGs? I might be able to keep under that limit but it seems a bit harsh.

[GeorgeM]

Thanks for the replies. Im afraid its going to be 2 different tickets :( I have already booked the international one. I will be booking it online with ANZ. so can i pay extra to take more than 20 KGs? I might be able to keep under that limit but it seems a bit harsh.
I think that the charge is $5 per kilo over the limit.

Could be worth getting in touch with Air NZ to see how much they would charge to add AKL-ZQN to your ticket.

Failing that you could speak to AirNZ and explain that you're moving to NZ but that your journey is on two separate tickets and asking for a special dispensation to have the international baggage allowance all the way through. They can only say no. And I'm always surprised in NZ how much more frequently they're able to say 'Yes' than in the UK.

[Benjy]

Thanks George, I will have a word with them today

[bozandhelen]

Hi Benji

I also arrive on the 1st December at 07:30 and I've got a 5 hour wait at Auckland before my connecting flight to wellington/Nelson at 12:30 (Better safe than sorry with the time as the ticket is not refundable) If your really bored we can get legless in the airport bar to get over our deep vein thrombosis together :nice1

I also noticed my cheapo internal ticket only allows 20KG baggage, but this is fine for me as Cathay Pacific are pretty stingy and thats all I get anyway.

Good luck with the move

Boz

[Benjy]

Hi Boz, I checked and i arrive at 6:05. i booked my next flight at about 1 as it was the nearest one i could afford. so i might see you at the bar then :)