Air NZ, Auckland airport minimum time to transit from International to Domestic?

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snowfly

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#196453 31-May-2016 21:07

Can any frequent flyers suggest a minimum time required between landing on an incoming international flight, and then making it to a domestic flight, out of Auckland? (with checked luggage)

Might be off to Melbourne for work next week, from New Plymouth, and using the multi-stop booking I have an option to return in a 777 (potentially using an RU to try business premiere), landing in Auckland at 5:50pm Saturday, and the option shown to fly back to New Plymouth departs 6:50pm (last flight of day).

Is 1 hour enough?

I spent 9 weeks commuting to Melbourne and back late last year, but I always took the Friday night 6:35pm flight (NZ0126), the old 767's, arriving after midnight, night at Novotel, then back home in the morning.

Keen to try business premiere on a 777, wasn't that fussed on what they call 'business' on a 767, and I don't have any planned long haul flights before RU's expire, so thought to use it on the 777.

Interestingly, making a normal booking (not multi-stop), NPL > MEL return, doesn't show the 777 flight option returning on a Saturday, perhaps due to this short transit time?

freitasm

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#1563314 31-May-2016 21:22

If your landing/clearing immigration is too close to the connecting flight you can't drop the bags just outside international arrivals - you have to carry them to domestic yourself and drop there - adding time. I always work on a 90 minutes minimum.

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antoniosk

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#1563341 31-May-2016 22:05

Friday nights are peak traffic around the country incl flights, so best to give yourself buffer against the inevitable delay. Remember departure time means 'when the plane is at the end of the runway ready to punch it'... not when they close the doors on the gate. A 650pm flight will need to be disembarking at around 640pm (AirNZ) and 530pm (Jetstar).

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timmmay

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#1563411 1-Jun-2016 05:24

IMHO that is too close. If you're a business passenger they'd possibly shift you to the next flight, but that could mean a hotel and next day.

Related fact, which probably doesn't apply in this case and I may not be 100% correct: if you fly with two different airlines you have to leave something like 12 hours (from memory) between flights otherwise travel insurance won't cover the missed flight.

sbiddle

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#1563429 1-Jun-2016 07:36

Last time I looked (and I don't think this would have changed recently) Air NZ's MCT on intl -> domestic was 90 mins and domestic -> intl was 70 mins.

No airline will allow you to book a single ticket that doesn't meet MCT requirements. If you book individual tickets to bypass MCT restrictions and miss your connection do not expect to receive any support from the airline or for them to move you to another flight without buying a new ticket.

The multi stop tool is pretty useless for lots of things and doesn't show all flight combinations. Booking a ticket on a single PNR also requires the correct V/H/Y domestic addon class (which will depend on the intl booking class you're in) being available on the domestic flight you want.

sbiddle

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#1563433 1-Jun-2016 07:44

timmmay:

Related fact, which probably doesn't apply in this case and I may not be 100% correct: if you fly with two different airlines you have to leave something like 12 hours (from memory) between flights otherwise travel insurance won't cover the missed flight.

I've never seen such a restiction in a travel insurance policy before.

What an airline will do for you will depend firstly on whether or not you're on a single PNR. If you are you typically will be looked after. If you're *G there are even requirements that airlines have to meet.

Booking flights on different airlines that aren't on the same PNR always carries a risk if a delay occurs. It's not something I'd ever contemplate doing without carefully looking at options if I missed the connecting flight.

freitasm

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#1563440 1-Jun-2016 07:59

True story: tickets AKL - KL - Denpasar and back same route with Malaysia Airline. Separate tickets WLG - AKL - WLG with Air NZ.

The return flight to KL was late due to thunderstorm and having to divert to Singapore to refuel for another landing attempt.

Malaysia Airline put us at the airport hotel, with food and accommodation for the day (we were flying business class, rebooked for next flight).

Called Air NZ at 2am from hotel and the ticket was not flexi so the person said they couldn't change it because it was already the day of booked flight. He then asked why I wanted to change and I explained the delay. He asked what flight number was the delay, he checked and came back saying "Ok, I can change that for you then".

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khull

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#1563446 1-Jun-2016 08:22

Domestic connections if on the same booking reference should be Full Economy. They have to change your flights if it is under the connection time.

I've connected in under 50mins with time for a sprint from the terminals, quick shower and change in the lounge (no check in luggage). I don't recommend this.

Often I am asking them to override the minimum connection time to minimise the travel time.

timmmay

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#1563457 1-Jun-2016 09:09

sbiddle:

timmmay:

Related fact, which probably doesn't apply in this case and I may not be 100% correct: if you fly with two different airlines you have to leave something like 12 hours (from memory) between flights otherwise travel insurance won't cover the missed flight.

I've never seen such a restiction in a travel insurance policy before.

What an airline will do for you will depend firstly on whether or not you're on a single PNR. If you are you typically will be looked after. If you're *G there are even requirements that airlines have to meet.

Booking flights on different airlines that aren't on the same PNR always carries a risk if a delay occurs. It's not something I'd ever contemplate doing without carefully looking at options if I missed the connecting flight.

I read this a couple of years back. I've had a look around for information on it but I can't find it. Could be completely wrong.

snowfly

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#1563482 1-Jun-2016 09:18

Thanks for the replies all.

Looks like the 1 hour transit is too much risk, even though it comes up as an option in multi-stop.
Would hate to miss that last domestic flight home, and be stuck in a hotel for the night, even if Air NZ cover it.

Might look at other options to try business via a 777 flight.

knoydart

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#1563488 1-Jun-2016 09:27

I was on the last (7pm) AKL - WLG a couple of Saturday's ago. AirNZ held the flight for about 5 minutes to allow some international passengers to make it to the flight. We still landed on time due to the extra 5 minutes of padding that have been added to the schedule.

nzkiwiman

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#1563660 1-Jun-2016 14:10

In 2013 coming from San Francisco to Auckland and then onto Dunedin, I had 2.5 hours transit time in Auckland to clear customs and get onto the domestic network.
The plane left SF on time and arrived Auckland on time. It took just under an hour for my luggage to come out and by the time I joined the immigration line, a few other flights had arrived and by the time I got through I had missed not only the check in time for domestic but the plane had taken off.

I ended up having to spend 8 hours in Auckland waiting for the next plane to Dunedin.

When booking my Hong Kong trip that happened a few weeks ago, I gave myself four hours transit time in Auckland
The flight was late leaving HK and so was late arriving in Auckland. Baggage collection and customs was done in 15 minutes leaving me with just under 3 hours of free time in Auckland