Auckland Airport

Not Verified | Not sure what was happening today but the security line and verification to leave the country was worse then arrivals. Nearly 2hrs from getting tickets to inside the international terminal. They say 3hrs, but that was cutting it close

✅ Trip Verified | My flight to Brisbane was scheduled to take off at 6:45 am, so I arrived at the airport at 5:00 am, checked in my bag real quick and in 5 minutes I was queuing for passport control, and because my passport is not one of the 10 privileged passports that are allowed to use the egates, we had to queue for 35 minutes, and we complete passport control we have to queue for security check at the same queue as everyone else. So if a US, Korean or New Zealand citizen arrives at the airport 45 minutes after I do, they will still be passing security check before I do, what kind of discrimination is this? At least we should have our own security queue. The suffering didn’t end there, we had to queue for 30 minutes in security control queue, and because I travel a lot for work, I knew the procedure, i took out my laptop from the bag, but, surprisingly, my tray was sent for manual checking, by the way, almost 50% of the bags went to manual check, that is another 15 minutes queue wait, and when it was my turn the inspector didn’t even touch the bag like what she did with the others, where she frisked all of them, she told me that I’m good and nothing is wrong here - why did you make me wait 15 minutes then? Full mess, slow staff, poor screening process. I have never seen such a horrible security and passport control queues than NZ airports Christchurch and Auckland

Not Verified | The worst international airport in the world. We arrived back in NZ after three years away to this mess and national embarrassment. The confusion starts after Customs at the bottom of stairs before baggage claim where two people are yelling at you to go two different ways based on if you are declaring something. The baggage claim belts are so close to the bio security lanes that there is no room to get bags. We then thought we were doing the right thing by declaring items (what a mistake). Waited nearly an hour for someone to put a sticker on passport then went into another queue and waited the same only to be put in a different queue again and cleared (same as if we hadn’t declared!) Overall it took us over 2 hrs after landing to clear the international terminal and we missed the bag drop time to our domestic flight so had to run with 6 suitcases to the domestic terminal and just caught our connecting flight by 5 minutes. Extremely stressful, disappointing, and frustrating from a frequent traveler who has seen how great other airports around the world n make it work. Auckland is the only airport I’ve been in where there is no priority or benefit associated with being a New Zealander for processing, it’s actually faster if you are not. Will avoid this airport wherever possible in the future for family or business travel.

✅ Trip Verified |   We flew into and out of Auckland Airport four times in the last month. Customs and baggage handling were superb. What is appalling is the transfer from the international terminal to the domestic terminal. A fifteen minute, not undercover, because the 'shuttle bus' operates only every 15 minutes and already 30 people with bags were waiting. We had 20 minutes before check-in at the domestic terminal. When we got there, we were told our domestic flight was 1.15 hours late but there is no signage at the international terminal about domestic flights. So, we thought we'd have a coffee/sandwich while waiting. Only the donut shop was open. We were among 200 or so waiting for flights between 6.30 and 9pm.

Not Verified |  Don’t even think of transiting here. A complete national embarrassment. I have visited more than 60 countries and there is nothing below this disaster of a place.

✅ Trip Verified | Auckland airport is third world grade, seriously poor experience, 787-9 departing from gate 9 with less than half required seats, over 100 people standing in the small gate area after gate 10 was closed for an American bound flight, I've been to better equipped airports in India, Kiwis should be embarrassed by this horrendous airport but then again the Air New Zealand lounge is just as bad so seems to be a theme throughout this airport

Not Verified | Nice and clean airport. As an avgeek I love watching planes and there are so many big windows next to restaurants to watch planes. Security wasn’t long. The check-in staff were really nice. On arrival, Immigration was really quick and baggage claim was surprisingly quick. Very quick and free wifi.

✅ Trip Verified | Auckland Airport's management continue to demonstrate zero abilities to dream plan and execute a terminal building which provides a pleasant navigable environment for its users ie passengers. It lacks any sort of continuity from entering the precinct as a prospective passenger through to boarding aircraft. There is a complete absence of garden areas either internal or external, a complete absence of viewing areas either within the building or outside platforms. As an interface between passenger and plane all it offers is a confused mumbo jumbo of disparate poorly identified user portals shops and food outlets which come at the poor passenger like machine gun bullets! Management have completely failed to utilise any sort of imagination instead doing the most pathetic box ticking exercise ever. Makes me ashamed to be a Kiwi!

Not Verified | A disgrace. Arrived after 2 long haul flights and very tired.. An hour to get bags, another 1/2 hour through chaotic customs where the staff all seemed 1/2 asleep and barely out of their teens! Worse to come is transfer to domestic which was cutting it fine with such slow immigration. Couldn’t find bag drop which existed a few years ago so. Longish walk with bad knee to B bus stop which I was directed to by a staff member, (with all bags) for shuttle which didn’t come after 15 minutes so I walked all the way to domestic, no shelter for much of it and many bumps for luggage along the way. Barely any signposts or staff, and some signs in Māori that I couldn’t understand so imagine very confusing for international visitors. It’s time this airport and management improves as it’s been appalling for years now! An embarrassing gateway to New Zealand. The worst airport I’ve been in in many many years.

Not Verified | Made the mistake of moving through domestic departure scan to gates before getting morning tea. Options for food and beverage at the gates were extremely limited and ridiculously overpriced. $5.50 for a tiny Whittaker’s chocolate bar. Vending machines offered more reasonably priced items, same chocolate bar for $3.20 but, despite offering a cash option, just kept spitting out the coins. Given that our flight is now delayed we’re up for a long hungry delay. Not happy