At the airport
We welcome and farewell thousands of travellers and visitors every day at Auckland Airport and have a variety of services and facilities available to make your trip a little easier.
The airlines operating from Auckland Airport offer wheelchair and mobility assistance to help guests with access needs. If you have limited mobility, other physical or hidden disabilities it is important that you inform your airline and speak to them about the kind of assistance, you need. Please do this when you book your flight or at least 48 hours before you start your journey. This will help ensure that your airline is able to provide you with the right support within the airport terminal and onboard the aircraft.
Concierge Service
You can book the services of your own personal Airport Concierge. Our Concierge can provide a helping hand by carrying your bags, providing strollers for little ones, and assisting with booking onward transport from the airport.
You can book in advance online. Our Concierge service is designed to work in conjunction with special assistance provided by your airline and is in no way intended to replace services.
Hidden Disabilities
Auckland Airport proudly participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard scheme. This means that those with a hidden disability can wear a Sunflower Lanyard to let our team know that you may require some help while you’re at Auckland Airport.
Please get in touch to request a lanyard if this program is right for you at hiddendisability@aucklandairport.co.nz.
If you require assistance through Auckland Airport, we recommend you contact your airline or travel agent at least 48 hours before travel to discuss your special requirements. You’ll find the contact phone numbers for all airlines: https://www.aucklandairport.co.nz/ flights/airlines-contacts or on your airline booking confirmation.
Quick links
- How do I check-in for my flight
- When do I get assistance from my airline
- Who should I contact if I need help getting on and off the plane?
- How do I move through the Auckland Airport terminals?
- What if I am travelling with an assistance animal?
- What services and facilities are offered by Auckland Airport?
- How do I transfer between terminals?
- Where can I stay overnight?
How do I check-in for my flight?
Auckland Airport has two terminals - Domestic and International. The terminal you are flying out of will be named on your ticket.Check-in Domestic terminal - ground floor
Look for signs pointing to your airline for check-in. This terminal offers self-service check-in kiosks operated by airline staff. If you need any help during check-in process, please ask the airline staff for assistance.
Check-in International terminal - ground floor
Look for signs pointing to your airline for check-in. This terminal provides some self-service check-in kiosks and some traditional check-in desks, both are operated by airline staff. If you need any help during check-in process, please ask the airline staff for assistance. When checking in, you must have the following documents: Passport; Travel documents, including ticket and/or booking reference.
Flight information
Flight information screens are displayed in all public locations in terminals. The information displayed on the screens is supplemented by public address announcements to ensure you know when your flight has been called.
When do I get assistance from my airline?
Airline staff are present at check-in kiosks and are available to assist if required. However, to provide you with the best possible service and assistance, we strongly recommend that you contact your airline at least 48 hours prior to departure to discuss any special travel and seating requirements If the airline is unable to provide a particular service or if you need to provide additional details including medical clearance information, we want you to be aware prior to your travel date to avoid disappointment and last-minute stresses.
Please note: that if they do not have pre notification of your travel plans there may be a delay with our airline partners in providing you any required assistance.
Who should I contact if I need help getting on and off the plane?
Your airline can assist you with getting on and off the plane. At Auckland Airport there is a combination of airbridges, and stairs being used for passengers to access the aircraft. It’s important to discuss you with your airline well in advance of your flight so that your airline can make appropriate arrangements to support you based on your requirements.
How do I move through the Auckland Airport terminals?
Airlines operating from Auckland Airport offer wheelchairs and other assistance to help customers with reduced mobility. If you have limited mobility or other access needs, it is important that you discuss your requirements.
Contact your airline well in advance of your trip when you book your flight or at least 48 hours before you start your journey. This will ensure the airline is able to provide you with the right support within airport terminals and onboard the aircraft.
Accessible routes
Elevators are available for ease of access between floors.
Auckland Airport concierge
Our Airport Concierge can provide a helping hand by carrying your bags, providing strollers for little ones and assisting with booking onward transport from the airport.
You can book in advance online.
Our Concierge service is designed to work in conjunction with special assistance provided by your airline and is intended to supplement their services.
Automatic doors and lifts
Automatic doors and lifts are available at all levels of the domestic and international terminals for visitors and travellers using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
Flight information
Flight information screens are displayed in all public locations in terminals. The information displayed on the screen is supplemented by public address announcements to ensure you know when your flight has been called.
Hidden disabilities support
We welcome and say farewell to thousands of people every day at Auckland Airport and have a variety of services and facilities available to make your trip a little easier.
All airlines operating from Auckland Airport offer wheelchair and mobility assistance to help passengers with access needs. If you have limited mobility, a disability or other access needs it is important that you inform your airline and speak to them about the kind of assistance you require. Please do this either when you book your flight or at least 48 hours prior to departing. This will help ensure that they are able to provide you with the right support within airport terminals and onboard the aircraft.
Once you are at Auckland Airport, if you have any questions or need assistance please ask our team. You will see some of us in blue Auckland Airport jackets, others will have airport lanyards – but each of us is here to ensure you feel welcome and to help you through your journey.
Extra resources are available to download to help you plan for your journey through the domestic terminal.
Sunflower lanyard
Auckland Airport is a proud participant in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard program. If you, or someone you are travelling with has a hidden disability you can choose to wear a Sunflower Lanyard and make your disability visible to airport staff.
The Sunflower Lanyard offers guests a discrete way to indicate to staff that they have a hidden disability and may need a little extra support, guidance, or time with the airport process. For more information on the Sunflower Lanyard program see The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
Auckland Airport staff recognise the Sunflower Lanyard and can provide you with any help you may need, at the different stages of your journey through the airport. If you are feeling overwhelmed, staff can slow down a process for you and offer extra assurance.
What the lanyard does not do
The Sunflower does not replace the support available from your airline and will not provide you with a staff escort through the airport. The lanyard does ensure that our staff are aware of a hidden disability and can support you if extra assistance is needed while you are in the terminal, but it will not provide a fast track through queues.
How to request a Sunflower Lanyard
We can arrange for a Sunflower Lanyard and Card to be posted out to you ahead of your intended travel date.
If you think that the Sunflower Lanyard would be good for you, or a friend or family member who is travelling through Auckland Airport contact us at hiddendisability@aucklandairport.co.nz and provide your name, address, and date of travel to ensure that there are no hold-ups in getting your lanyard to you in time as we are unable to arrange in-terminal pick-ups at this time.
Please note that requests are processed by our team during business hours, Monday to Friday between 8am and 4.30pm (excluding public holidays) therefore we will require 72 hours’ notice to prepare your lanyard for posting. Please allow sufficient time for the postal service to deliver the lanyard to you.
Once you receive a Sunflower Lanyard it is yours to keep and use for future journeys or outings where the scheme is recognised.
For more information about the Hidden Disabilities Program or to request a Hidden Disabilities pack, please see here.
Using personal mobility equipment
If you are planning to travel with your own personal mobility equipment, please discuss this with your airline in advance of travelling. Your airline will also be able to provide advice on the personal mobility equipment accepted on different aircrafts and any requirements on what can be brought onboard and with packing equipment for travel.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs within the terminal are provided by each airline. Most airlines can provide wheelchair or mobility assistance from check-in to the departure gate and arrival gate to baggage reclaim.
Please contact your airline directly to discuss your assistance requirements.
What services and facilities are offered by Auckland Airport?
Once you are at Auckland Airport, if you have any questions, or need assistance, please ask our team. You will see some of us in blue Auckland Airport jackets, others will have Auckland Airport lanyards – but each of us are here to ensure you feel welcome and to help you through your journey at the airport. If you need help, please ask!
Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) with braille keys
Automatic teller machines with braille keys are located at:
International terminal:
Ground floor, arrivals area First floor, departures area.
Domestic terminal:
Toilets
Toilets are well signposted throughout Auckland Airport. All guest toilet facilities in the terminals are wheelchair-accessible and have Sharps boxes.
Charging stations
There are specific charging stations available throughout both the international and domestic terminals. USB charging points are also available at some international departure gates.
Drinking fountains
Wheelchair-accessible bottle filler fountains are placed throughout Auckland Airport.
Emergency medical services and first aid in the terminal
You can call 98777 from any of the emergency phones throughout the terminals or speak to one of our staff if you need our Airport Emergency Services to respond. Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), Trauma Kits, First Aid Kits, and First Aid Rooms are located in public areas throughout both our terminals for emergency situations.
Internet access/Wi-Fi
We offer free unlimited Wi-Fi to all visitors to Auckland Airport domestic and international terminals.
Instructions to connect:
• Ensure Wi-Fi is enabled on your device
• Choose the “Auckland Airport” wireless network from the available choices
• When presented with the login page enter your email address and tick to accept our terms and conditions.
• A confirmation message will then display to notify you that you’re connected.
If you can’t connect, you may need to change the setting within your browser and ensure that your Wi-Fi is on. If you continue to have trouble, please contact Wi-Fi Support Desk on 0800 111844.
Medical services close by
Full medical and healthcare services are available from the Airport Doctors at the Airport Shopping Centre, 3/400 George Bolt Memorial Drive. Open 0830-1700 (Mon-Fri), closed Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays.
Phone 09 256 8655 or email reception@airportdoc.co.nz
Parent rooms
Parents can utilise the airport’s well-appointed parents’ rooms in both terminals. All family rooms have a nursing chair, a microwave, bathroom and baby changing facilities.
Pharmacies
You’ll find essential travel supplies at the Relay outlet in the international terminal. If you need the services of a pharmacist, there is a Chemist Warehouse at the Airport Shopping Centre, located on the corner of George Bolt Memorial Drive (the main road access to the airport) and John Goulter Drive.
Showers
In addition to standard bathrooms, showers are available in both the domestic and international terminal
International terminal
Accessible shower facilities are located after the security screening, at the end of the shopping high street to your right. Towels and bathroom essentials are available to purchase from the Relay store beside the corridor to the bathrooms and showers.
Domestic terminal
After security, in the departure lounges on Level One you’ll find shower facilities. These are located alongside the bathrooms next to Hudson’s Café.
The Mall
In 2018, Auckland Airport partnered with its most popular retailers to present The Mall, a duty- and tax-free online shopping experience for international travellers.
As an alternative to browsing at the airport, try shopping The Mall from the comfort and convenience of your home before you travel, purchase in a single checkout and pick-up at the international or domestic terminal pick-up points when you depart or arrive back into Auckland Airport.
More information is available online.
Travelling with medical devices
AVSEC have information available to support passengers travelling with medical items. Their website outlines all the conditions that are applicable to travelling with medication and medical devices here.
If you are unsure you can email them with any queries at auckland.reception@avsec.govt.nz
Travelling with batteries and power banks
Whether a battery can be carried or not depends on the type of battery, its configuration, or the number being carried. Please check with your airline, but as a general guide the following rules apply.
Wait times and walk times
Download the Auckland Airport app to help you plan your journey right from your front door to the departure gate. This includes driving time, any traffic delays and the estimated queue times for NZ Customs Service, Aviation Security Service and Biosecurity NZ.
The app will also alert you to the time you need to head to check in, the time to head to security, and then to your gate. When inside the terminals you can also talk to one of our Auckland Airport hosts.
How do I transfer between terminals?
Speak to your airline directly if you need assistance with transferring between terminals as they will be able to assist you best.Terminal transfer bus
A free terminal transfer bus service operates every 15 minutes from 0500 to 2300, between the forecourt of the domestic terminal and the Transport Hub at international bus stop B. All buses are accessible. More information on timing is available here.
Outdoor pathway - the green line
Alternatively, follow the sign posted pathway between terminals if you have some time and prefer some fresh air. The journey will take 10-15 minutes.
Domestic transfer
If you are arriving from overseas, before booking a domestic flight, please allow around three hours to cover procedures for entry into New Zealand, as well as any unexpected flight or processing delays. Please ensure you leave sufficient time to travel between terminals.
Transferring from an international flight to an Air New Zealand domestic flight
If you are transferring to an Air New Zealand domestic flight within New Zealand, you need to collect your luggage and clear customs and biosecurity.
If you have more than 60 minutes before your scheduled departure time, proceed to the Air New Zealand domestic transfer desk on the ground floor of the international terminal.
If you are within 60 minutes of your scheduled check in time then please proceed directly to the domestic terminal using the free terminal transfer bus, or walk along the green line.
Transferring from an international flight to a Jetstar, Air Chathams or Barrier Air flight
If you are transferring from an international flight to an Air Chathams, Barrier Air or Jetstar domestic flight, please proceed directly to check-in at the domestic terminal, once you have collected your luggage and cleared Customs and Biosecurity.
Domestic airline luggage allowances
If your luggage is not checked through to your destination, please check luggage allowance with your airline for your domestic flight as these may differ from international airline allowances.
Where can I stay overnight?
Ibis Budget Auckland Airport
With all the essentials for a short stopover, this hotel is located only minutes away from Auckland domestic and international terminals. The Park & Ride airport bus, and an accessible Yellow Transfer Bus can take you to the hotel from the airport terminal forecourt at both terminals.
You can find more details and book online here.
Novotel Auckland Airport
Enjoy 4.5 star comfort and convenience at Novotel Auckland Airport, located at the doorstep of the International terminal. Full- length soundproof windows give your stylish room natural light plus peace and quiet. This hotel is located only minutes away from Auckland domestic and international terminals. The Park & Ride airport bus, and an accessible Yellow Transfer Bus that will take you to the hotel from the airport terminal forecourt at both terminals.
You can find more details and book online here.
Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport
Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport is the only premium five-star hotel right on the doorstep of the international terminal, just steps away from arrivals and check-in. Every aspect of your stay – be it design, amenities or service – is made to inspire and nourish the senses.
You can find more details and book online here.