AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  6 October 2009 : by F Pang  (Qatar)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I travelled through AKL over last two weeks on a family visit. The airport was not big but everything seemed organized: clear signs, well-maintained queues for immigration, security, check-in, a decent range of shops where I was really interested to buy (NZ-made foodstuffs), etc. A drawback was that immigration queue was always long. Having travelled to AKL for 4 times, I knew this so I always walked as fast as I could to get ahead of other PAX in order to reduce waiting time.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  24 September 2009 : by Philip Reindler  (New Zealand)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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Compared to others I have been to this place is a pleasure to visit. Staff are friendly and helpful, lots of shops and food options and not overpriced. Signage excellent and is logically laid out. Generally clean, modern and good facilities, plenty of toilets. Queues for customs and immigration short and fast. Plenty of seating at the gates

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  8 September 2009 : by Henry Tib  (Australia)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Auckland airport is very easy, with plenty of shops and catering outlets. Checkin staff pleasant and informative.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  5 September 2009 : by Steve Hayes  (New Zealand)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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I have used AKL eight times this year for various trips and each time has been a breeze. Short queues, generally the trip from plane to curbside has been completed in under 30 minutes. I am aware of bag screening requirements. However if I were from overseas I am sure I would benefit from more prominent signage in the in the arrivals area where you have to have all your luggage screened by MAF to check for unauthorised plant material or food. I noticed on my last trip in that some passengers appeared to be unaware of the requirement and had to be corralled back to get their bags checked. The land side departure area is undergoing some refurbishment at the moment and as a result space is a bit tight. But once through immigration it is all good. Plenty of reasonably priced duty free options. Good lounges if you have access. Air NZ one has just been done up and is very nice indeed. For smokers there is even an outdoor smoking area.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  16 July 2009 : by K Phillips  (USA)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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It is a 5-10 minute walk from the International to the Domestic terminal, very pleasant after a long haul. I use AKL once every 3 months flying in from LAX and only once in a year have I had to wait at passport control or the x-ray. AKL is one of the easiest, fastest airports to get through. In June, I was off the plane and outside the terminal building in 20 minutes.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  16 July 2009 : by Brian Cose  (USA)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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I truly enjoyed this airport. Security and transit area nice. Everywhere I went anyone I asked help from went above and beyond. I had trouble with an International Phone Card I bought at one of the kiosks. The clerk took the time to close the kiosk and come and help me. The shopping was amazing and staff again nice and polite.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  16 July 2009 : by C Ryan  (Australia)

Customer Rating :  5/5

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Inbound into Auckland, arrived at 5.45am I had one of the most pleasant trips through immigration. Straight through passport control, bag already on the conveyor belt and I didn't have to queue up for quarantine. Outbound just as good - such a pleasant experience.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review :  15 June 2009 : by J Obracle  (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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One thing I like about Auckland is its size, it is small so I don’t need to walk that long to get in and out of the airport. Once you arrive you will find the largest duty free shop in New Zealand which is about the size of a minimart. You will then find an irritate immigration queue. I spent almost two hours at the immigration queue and extra 45 minutes waiting for my bag to be x-rayed at MAF biosecurity checkpoint. There are few washrooms at the airport and old and sometimes dirty. I have to wait in line in order to use the toilet facilities at the departure gate. The airport information screen is not very useful; the gate number will not appear until 15 minutes before boarding while the plane is already at the gate. Once you pass though the passport control and security, there is only restaurant in there, Burger King. If you are planning to visit Auckland, I suggest that you buy some food in the city before you go to the airport.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 16 May 2009 : by K Weimar

Customer Rating : 2/5

Just about any international flight is going to be a long one and people will be disgorging from their 747's and A340s sleep deprived and disoriented. Thanks to some brilliant flight planning a bunch of flights arrive at the same time - around 4:30 am, and then the fun begins. There are two different queues, one for people making international connections, and one for people making domestic connections. But there are no signs. (well no signs at the BACK of line, so you walk up front to figure out what queue to get into then head all the way back to take your place). At least two ANZ 747 flights arrive simultaneously (SFO & LAX). But they only have 2passport officers on duty. So you stand. and stand. And stand. Until about 6:00 am when clearly, the next shift starts. And suddenly the line starts to move. Well you figure, after giving them an hour and half to unload bags, yours should be on the belt, right? Wrong. I thing the baggage handlers have the same shifts as the passport guys. Unless ANZ loses your bag. Then you have to wait again for customs. And wait and wait. And wait so long that you dont have time to wait in the next long line to check in your bags at the transfer desk. "No worries" they say, with that wonderful laid-back Kiwi attitude. You can just check them in at the domestic terminal desk. Just head out to sidewalk and follow the blue line. Did they mention that there was a bus? Or that it is a long, long walk? No. Of course not. I've been in third world airports that were more efficient.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 24 April 2009 : by Ross Clark

Customer Rating : 4/5

Pier B (gates 15, 16) does take a walk and possibly needs more shops for departing traffic, but it is very spacious. Inwards passport control couldn't be faulted, also the departing check. Still a good airport in the 5m international pax per year category.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 26 March 2009 : by Chris McQuaid

Customer Rating : 4/5

Returning from Sydney it was sad to see that the entrance to Auckland is now also through (rather than beside) the duty-free shops. It's quite a long walk from the new gates built for the A380, and, although the line for Immigration was moving fairly quickly, it still took another 15 minutes to reach the desks, where everyone appeared to get a really friendly welcome. Free tea and coffee available in the baggage area, but because of the delays my suitcase was already on the carousel. Although I haven't seen it anywhere else, Agricultural Quarantine screening is something all New Zealanders are very grateful for.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 5 March 2009 : by Chris McQuaid

Customer Rating : 4/5

Had checked in online, which meant only a few minutes in the queue to deposit suitcase. Friendly staff all the way from checkin through Customs and Immigration. However, this was the first time I had used the new pier built for the A380 (although I wasn't fllying on one). There are four travelators, because it's a long way from the main departure concourse (at least 400 metres) to the lounges at Gates 15 and 16, but only the first (and shortest) was working. Very comfortable seating in the gate lounge, but no entertainment that I could see.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 16 February 2009 : by Eric Simpson

Customer Rating : 4/5

Auckland has always struck me as one of the most pleasant and welcoming of airports, arriving and departing through the new international pier felt slightly less so. Despite the artwork and some stunning views the new area felt somewhat cold and stark. The ability to pre-order duty free and to collect it in the baggage hall on arrival is a real advantage. From plane to kerbside took less than 40 minutes. Departing on a flight to Sydney was spoiled by one very surly and inefficient official manning the NZCS Pre-Clearance desk. I have always found staff at the airport to be pleasant and most helpful and was saddened that this one individual didn’t understand that his attitude reflected poorly on the airport and on New Zealand.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 14 January 2009 : by R Mortara

Customer Rating : 3/5

My first impression on arriving from Tokyo was how generally small the airport is. Immigration officer with some humour and given wishes for a good stay. Staff at the baggage screening areas though appeared less friendly. Bags were delivered 25 mins after reaching the gate then if you are transferring to a domestic flight you need to re-check in at a dedicated area (not that easy to find), then walk to the domestic terminal while the bags are sent separately. The walk between the two terminals (a bus is available every 15 mins or so) was welcome as on both occasions it was warm and dry. Getting outside to feel some air was a plus. The domestic terminal is small and due to the way the domestic system operates you tag your own bag and put on the conveyor belt. Flights by the smaller aircraft (Dash 8, Beech 1900 etc) are called 15 mins before departure. Leaving the country checking in was slow but was directed to the premium area so that speeded things up. I was caught out by the fact most of the food outlets are before security, not something I'm used to at the airports I frequent. Little choice exists after security so if you have a long connection time be aware. Otherwise the airport was quiet, functional and clean but not that impressive

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 13 January 2009 : by S Ryan

Customer Rating : 4/5

Used Auckland Inter many times over the years and its much better now. Duty free here is Cheaper than Australia. Nevertheless the departure duty free is pretty good for a small airport with plenty of options although seating is hard to find when its busy. I agree with some other Reviews that the staff are sometimes a bit rude.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 6 January 2009 : by P Walsh

Customer Rating : 2/5

I find Auckland airport a relatively pleasant experience with the exception of the customs personnel. Today they were sorely let down by very off-handed customs and security staff. As a business class passenger I was fortunate enough to be able to make use of the "pre- clearance" facility. This facility supposedly allows a fast track through passport control and the security check points. Sadly despite the customs officer noticing not once but four times pre-clearance passengers in the queue he continued to process other passengers until what he obviously deemed to be a long enough queue to start processing the pre-cleared passengers. He also managed to do this without uttering a word. This problem then extended to the security check point whereby other passengers were allowed ahead of those who were pre- cleared. I never have a problem allowing others ahead of me who may either require some assistance or who are rushing to avoid missing flights but again it was the fact that the security staff made visual contact several times with the pre-cleared passengers before they decided to let us into the "pre-cleared" lane. Whilst the airport was not overly busy at this time it still took no less than 10 minutes to be processed through the supposedly fast pre- cleared lane. Would it also hurt the customs officers to at least say a good morning/afternoon or good-bye. I don't consider them to be in the customer service business but gee they often leave a poor first and last impression of a wonderful country.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 1 January 2009 : by G Farr

Customer Rating : 1/5

Travelling home on Air NZ via Auckland Airport on Saturday morning before Christmas, found myself stuck in check-in queue for over 1.5 hrs. The announced explanation - large numbers of people travelling before Christmas - was insulting. Is high demand for pre-Christmas travel an unforeseeable event at Auckland Airport? Surely it comes down to planning, staffing and resources. It would also have helped if some staff could have traversed the long queue, seeking travellers on soon-to-depart flights: this works well at other airports. Tip for other travellers: if you must use Air NZ at Auckland Airport, get there very early.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 19 August 2008 : by Anthony Gibbons

Customer Rating : 4/5

Always feels great on arrival to be home until you have to run the gauntlet of DFS Galleria inbound. Intensely annoying that you have to swerve around the booze and perfume displays and the supermarklet-style checkout that is the new inbound DFS duty free just to get to the immigration counters and escape. NZ's Commerce commission have recently been investigating monopolistic activities, which now seems to be bearing fruit. An otherwise excellent little airport disappointingly marred by rampant money grubbing (but at least the luggage carts are free.

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 3 August 2008 : by B Anderson

Customer Rating : 5/5

Auckland has recently undergone many changes and arrivals is now a fast, smooth experience that is only held up slightly by having to wait for your bags. Emigration checks are better than anywhere i have ever been due to a huge number of desks that are actually manned when large flights arrive. A credit to the airport and now the departure fee has been included in tickets I find it one of the easiest international airports to get through

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 27 June 2008 : by Neil Ramsay

Customer Rating : 4/5

International transfer on the way thru was very quick and easy although they still have a security check point and liquid/gel restrictions apply so no use buying duty free liquor at your point of departure if you are transiting thru Auckland. You will lose it. Late flight coming back necessitated an overnight stay. Immigration was quick although quarantine/customs seemed a little over zealous. Back at 5am next morning to a rather chaotic scene. Long lines at check in, emigration and security. Was exempt from departure tax due to being less than 24 hours in the country but still needed an exemption stamp. You have to line up for the stamps so all in all took over an hour to get to the gate from drop off. Lots of shops airside, some places to eat and drink. Gate lounges are small and can't cater comfortably for full flights. Not a bad airport all things considered.