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Thread: Auckland Airport Customs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Alaska > Greymouth
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    365

    Default Auckland Airport Customs

    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?
    Last edited by TJH; 5th February 2009 at 08:00 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North Canterbury, New Zealand
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    865

    Default

    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.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Hants>Half Moon Bay>Franklin
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    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)

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

    Lx

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Alaska > Greymouth
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    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
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    12

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    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...)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    Palmy- from US
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    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Alaska > Greymouth
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    Quote Originally Posted by dilanium View Post
    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?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    France - UK - NZ (Auckland)
    Posts
    343

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TJH View Post
    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)

    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

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Alaska > Greymouth
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    365

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

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Wellington
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    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!
    Last edited by Wooly_Cow; 5th February 2009 at 10:28 AM.

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