Outstanding compassion and professionalism. My experience…read morewith Air NZ was phenomenal. I had a paperwork issue overseas and their entire team was outstanding. I called their call centre late at night. The relief when I heard an experienced compassionate Maori male voice on the end of the phone was palpable. The call centre team member addressed my concern, organised a plan to get myself and my family home and gave me reassurance. I slept well for the first time in 3 days. As arranged we arrived at Brisbane airport and checked in with customer services. We watched in awe as a young woman dealt with us professionally with courtesy whilst simultaneously answering colleagues questions, arranging meetings, transfers , an oversized piece of luggage and a personal escort through the airport and security. We were expected. All plans had clearly been arranged in advance and all staff were updated. Instead of feeling like we were an inconvenience, I felt like this airline had a mandate to care for their people and carry them safely home It had a major impact on me. There is nothing worse than to feel stranded and helpless overseas. Air NZ were amazing. My very deep gratitude to the staff and the policy team who have worked so closely with the airports and immigration to ensure that stranded kiwi's overseas are safe, protected and cared for. If this is ever you, I pray that you are booked on Air NZ. It had such a profound effect on me that I will never consider booking with another airline. All airlines offer good pricing, nice food, good service. Only Air NZ offers Kiwis Aroha. Nga mihi nui Air NZ

I have experienced two domestic New Zealand flights on this trip, Auckland to Christchurch and…read moreWellington to Auckland. One was not great and the other was very good. Both were served on the Airbus 320, a narrowbody jet. They were each six across, ABC on one side and DEF on the other. I did not notice any "first class" section or blocked seats. The planes were clean and all of the equipment worked well. No wifi but they had monitors that flipped down from the overhead and showed the safety briefing and then a "New Zealand trivia" that some folks seemed to watch. I stuck with stuff I had downloaded on my phone. The first flight had a 15 minute delay and then another 15 minute delay before the flight crew deplaned and then the gate crew walked off. A few minutes later, they announced an hour delay and a gate swap. Not great. No more delays after that, we did eventually leave 90 minutes late. In the 90 extra minutes I got to spend in the domestic terminal, there were several other flights that had gate swaps. People were not pleased. Also, there was no enforcement of the carryon requirements. For the second flight, I checked a bag using the self-check system. Odd that there is no identification check here but maybe that's because I'm a paranoid American. The flight departed and arrived on time. Nothing noteworthy there other than there was a gate agent walking around the gate area checking bags and pointing people to the sizer/scale.. My bag arrived on the carousel about 20 minutes after arrival. The drink and snack service was basic but nice. Water or coffee. The coffee was good. Cookies or chips. I tried the "pea puffs" on one flight and the shortbread cookies on the other. I haven't tried Air New Zealand for an international flight. Maybe soon. [Review 358 of 2024 - 11 in New Zealand - 21391 overall]

This was our first time flying with Jetstar. We knew it was a low-cost carrier like Frontier,…read moreSprits etc. The flight from Auckland to Queenstown was only about an hour and a half, we decided to give it a try. As expected with budget airlines, everything comes with an extra charge, and the luggage weight limits are very strict. We purchased a checked bag since we were traveling from the U.S. to New Zealand. At check-in, they weighed not just our checked bag but also our carry-ons, which are limited to 7 kg per person. Ours were slightly over at 8 kg, but since we were traveling as a pair, they allowed it. They even weighed my small purse and placed a tag on it. The flight itself was uneventful and the seats didn't recline, and all food, drinks, and snacks were available for purchase. I didn't use the restroom, so can't comment on that, but the flight took off on time and arrived safely. Overall, a very no-frills experience, but for a short flight, it did the job just fine.

Check in is crazy!…read more Had a flight from Auckland to Queenstown, so I figured 2 hours time should be more than enough since it is a domestic flight. When I arrived, the line was crazy long. Perhaps 200+ people with only 2 or 3 agents working! After figuring out how to preprint the luggage tags, we waited in line, and thankfully after 45 minutes, we reached the front. The agent asks, are you on the 645 am flight? ("Um no, I'm on the 800 am flight.") Then she tells me to go back of line, to let the others check in first! WTH So I get back in the back of this 200+ people line again, and thankfully there are now 5 agents working. After another 30 min, I reach the front and get checked in. Then with 30 min remaining, it is a mad rush to get through security and to the gate. Sheesh. Will think pretty hard the next time if I fly Jetstar again...

I had an international flight scheduled from Auckland to Los Angeles on American. As we approached…read moreour gate we were informed our flight was cancelled because the crew was sick. We were then made to stand in lines for 4 hours to get our luggage back from off the plane. We were sent away from the airport to a hotel, still with no information on a rescheduled flight. We were then contacted for the next two days with constantly changing information about our rebooking. American Airlines also miscommunicated to the hotel the value of our food vouchers; we were told a particular value in the airport, and the hotel was only told half the amount. TWO DAYS after our scheduled departure, we were rebooked, loaded back in a bus to the airport, and upon parking and unloading, informed that our flight had been cancelled AGAIN; we were sent back to the hotel. Finally, three days later we were put into a flight with a different airline and were able to get back to the US. I missed two days of work and had to buy a completely new ticket for a connecting flight in the US because of the delay, and they offered a measly $300 voucher. I wrote a complaint email, detailed with pictures and information, and American Airlines headquarters refused to budge. It was an $800 flight, and I missed work, and their apology is $300. I'm extremely displeased. Fly other more reliable airlines.

My husband uses a CPAP machine. He made sure that American Airlines was well aware of it several…read moretimes before his flight, starting about 2 months before his flight, when his place of business set up the flight. He spent a miserable hour on the phone talking with them from NZ a week before his flight. Today, they would not let him board due to his "medical condition", that they previously knew about, and his CPAP machine was previously approved. They were rude to him, and acted as if it was his fault. They did help make accommodations for my husband to fly on Air New Zealand....which leaves 7 hours later. When my husband inquired about an upgrade on the ANZ flight, a economy premium seat, to have a more private seat and get rest, the response from the man at the AA desk was "Why would we do that? It isn't our fault you use a CPAP." Extremely rude, unknowledgeable, unhelpful, demeaning, and unnecessary. The Air New Zealand people had to go back to AA because the ticket was done wrong, and they were fed up, evidently it had been done wrong recently already with several other people. Adding insult to injury, the AA flight left, then the airport was shut down due to weather. So his ANZ flight is possibly delayed. (He still sits there as I write this) Because they treated him so poorly, we will never fly AA again. Horrible service. Hard to get a hold of on the phone, many transfers on the phone, dropped calls, and then this. rude and so unprofessional. Lack of communication within their company. To anyone with sleep apnea that uses a CPAP, and are brave enough to attempt to use it on a long overnight flight, avoid American Airlines like the plague. On the other hand, on the way to NZ, Air New Zealand was very helpful and he was able to use it, no problem, allowing him some rest, and probably making it an easier flight for all. :)

I always love flying Hawaiian Airlines. Obviously since Hawaiian air isn't that big in New Zealand,…read morethey stick them the farthest away (our gate was literally the last gate in the airport). I'm sure it's more the airport policy, but we weren't allowed to check in to our flight earlier than 2 hours. Which was disappointing because my friends flight was earlier than mine. I was planning to hangout in the airport with her until her flight, but our plan completely backfired when I couldn't check in. =__= When check in was finally getting ready to open, I was disappointed to see how disorganized it was. Tons of people were hovering in the area waiting for the Hawaiian check in to open. No one know where the line was going to start so everyone was just standing along the rope. Someone really should have come out and told guest where the line was starting so we could start forming up a line.

Hawaiian Airlines New Zealand needs some work. You are not allowed to check-in on mobile devices,…read moreso when on vacarion make sure you have a laptop. You can mobile check-in coming but not returning. So then you go to the airport early and find that everyone has a kiosk except Hawaiian. On their website it states that the counter opens at 8:30, not so, it opens at 9:00. With a long line starting at 8:30 it's not very good for customer relations. While the passengers are awaiting in line the staff of 12 is off to the side talking. As we were in the first class line we could hear that it was a briefing but no one else heard that. Perhaps the briefing could have been done behjnd the doors.

The absolute worst airline I have ever flown with. Don't waste your money. Everything was crap.read more

Travel days can be hectic and stressful…read more.. Since this was our first time arriving in Sydney, Australia, and departing from New Zealand, we arranged our pre- and post-cruise air and land transportation through Oceania Cruises. We were more than impressed with the itineraries that they scheduled for our foursome. Our New Zealand driver picked us up from our hotel, Sudima Auckland City, at precisely at 5;30 PM, allowing us an uninterrupted 30-minute drive or 24 miles to Auckland Airport (AKL). Along the way, our driver informed us that Auckland Airport (international) is this nation's busiest and largest airport, yet it has only two terminals. One terminal handles international airline connections through Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific, among others, while the other handles domestic airlines such as Virgin Australia and Airwork. He also advised us on navigating the three levels of the International Terminal, since we were unfamiliar with the airport's layout, which helped to make our departure less stressful. From the Air New Zealand drop-off point, we proceeded to the ground-floor check-in kiosks since we needed bag tags for our checked luggage, even though we had checked in for our flight on the app 24 hours in advance. Check-in was very easy, and a friendly agent was available at the kiosks to assist everyone if needed. After attaching our tags, we took our bags over to the agents to weigh and associate them with our flight tickets. We then passed through to the first-floor retail shops, highly efficient immigration and security, and duty-free vendors before reaching the second floor, where the departure gates were located. We also were impressed by the comfortable modern and Māori-inspired designed décor. While negotiating the crowds and making our way to our departure gate, we had allowed for a 3-hour cushion so we calm down and grab something light to eat pre-flight. We couldn't think of purchasing more souvenirs since we had spent the past 20 days in Australia and New Zealand and everything was packed in either our checked-in or carry-on luggage. So, our appetites were diverted to several food vendors, which, amazingly, offered tasty food and beverage options along with quick, friendly service. Before we knew it, time seemed to fly by and we were ready to board our flight home. We boarded stress-free to our selected seats and promptly fell asleep on a smooth and quiet flight thanks to Air New Zealand.

The airport is nice and clean. I did notice that there are far less restrooms available than in…read moreother airports. Also when you arrive you will be checked again and again by customs. Quite strict about bringing any food, animal, plant or soil matter into the country. I get that, but after you get asked the same question at the 3rd or 4th checkpoint it starts to get a bit redundant.

Although we arrived at the international terminal from the US, we flew out of the domestic terminal…read moreto Queenstown on Jetstar a few days later. We took an Uber from Hilton Auckland to the domestic terminal. It was clean and organized but it was hard to find a water fountain. There were a few food options to grab a bite. Security was incredibly efficient. Compared to the US, the process was smooth and the staff were friendly and welcoming. The signage was clear, and getting through security took less than five minutes. In the US, we're used to arriving at least two hours early for domestic flights, but in New Zealand we were told to be there one hour beforehand and even that felt generous given how quick everything was.

The attitudes of every customs officer they employ. They're rude, abrasive, and downright assholes…read more Especially the goon with his dipshit mustache.

We traveled from Los Angeles to Auckland, Australia.... To begin our 16 day adventure.... New…read moreZealand has plenty of rules.. we did our visa's online a few weeks before we traveled... and our declaration 24 hrs before arrival .... Customs was pretty easy for us... we also have our Global Entry card so that helps....

We were VERY pleased with our experience at this Novotel!…read more LOCATION: This is everything. In fact, this is why we chose this hotel: it's right next to the Auckland airport, which makes it a great option for early flights. It's literally less than a 3 minute walk from the hotel entrance to the airport entrance. And the best part? You don't hear the planes at all - but you get the awesome views of the planes taking off from many rooms! ENTRY: The main floor is gorgeous, well-maintained, and elevated. There is a cafe on the first floor, and the front desk service was polite and efficient. ROOM: The room was sooooo nice. If we weren't on a speed race to see all of Auckland in a day, we would have slept in and been lazy in here. The bed was great, the room features were luxurious, the SHOWER was magical, and the layout was great for unpacking. TRANSPORT: If you're heading into the city, the shuttle (costs money but cheaper than a taxi) leaves from the airport right across the street. Very handy!