thehuges

I will be flying with three other adults from SFO to AKL, landing at 5:30AM.

We are hoping to immediately leave the airport & arrive at the Strand Railway Station in time to catch the 7:45AM train to Wellington.

Obviously if our flight is substantially delayed we'll be in trouble, but other than that is this a reasonable plan?

Is there anything we can do to make landing/customs/immigration go faster? (I've already been advised to basically bring zero food into New Zealand for other reasons, but it seems particularly important for us since we don't want to be delayed).

Thanks for any advice you can provide...

Diamantina

I think it's likely you'll miss that train. What if your flight is delayed? I flew into Auckland twice this year so far and both flights were delayed. The first time round, on a flight from Melbourne to Auckland, I nearly missed my connecting flight to Dunedin. The only reason I made it was because the crew let us disembark ahead of the others and because the plane to Dunedin waited for us (there were 15 of us connecting on this flight to Dunedin, and many others trying to make a flight to the Cook Islands). After picking up my luggage and going through customs, I rushed to the domestic terminal. It's only 10 minute walk. The second flight I took this year into Auckland was from Hong Kong, also delayed but not by much and I had more than 4 hours between flights so wasn't too stressed out, but I was hoping to get in on time so I could change to an earlier flight (as I had a "flexible" ticket). In October, I'll do it again, flying into Auckland from LA. but I'll have 5 hours to make my connection.

It'll take a while for everyone to disembark the plane. Then you'll have to line up to go through immigration, then wait for your luggage, then line up to go through customs, which is more thorough in NZ than it is in other countries because of strict biosecurity issues. Also, there will be many international flights arriving at this time of the morning, so the lines can get quite long. I've never caught the Northern Explorer, but the airport to The Strand will take at least 35 minutes by taxi. What if there's a traffic accident or congestion on the motorway? Will you be traveling on a weekday? And what time of year? The airport will be busier in summer.

Tasmangirl, who lives in Auckland, can make a more educated estimate of whether you'll have enough time. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

Yes, by not bringing food into NZ, you will be moving through customs faster. Make sure any outdoor equipment, such as hiking boots, are also clean. Check for dirt and seeds stuck in the soles.

Diamantina

I hope you get lucky with your connections, but I would put off that train journey for the following day if you can.

There's a website called Flight Aware that mentions flight delays:
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ANZ7
It says this flight is typically delayed by less than 10 minutes. I've caught this flight many times, as I used to live in the SF Bay Area.

thehuges

Thanks so much for your helpful replies! I was just about to start researching how often that flight lands early/on-time/late - I'll check out that link you provided.

My wife just discovered that we could possibly board the train at its 2nd stop (Papakura Station), which is about the same distance from the airport and departs 50 minutes later. This seems like a hopeful development! Here's the reddit thread she found in which someone asks about landing at **SIX**Forty and catching the 7:45 train. I can't post URL's yet but if you google "Will I make it to the train station from the airport in time" in quotes you'll find the reddit thread. Everyone pretty much responds that he/she is screwed, except the one person who suggests the Papakura Station option.

Does anyone know if (a) this is reasonably likely to solve our problem and (b) if we can just get on the train at Papakura with a ticket for Strand, or if we have to call to change our reservation

And I guess the last question ... once we clear customs, what's the fastest & most reliable way to get from the airport to train station? Taxi? Uber? Something else?

Thanks again.

tasmangirl

It's a big risk and I would not do it. There's just not enough time and you have no control over the variables.
1. What's the date? This might make a difference.......
2. Forget going into the city. Papakura is a better idea as you get a bit more time on your side. For both trips allow about 1 hour. Traffic is very heavy that time of the morning.
3.You'd have to ask NZ Rail about the ticket but if you have already paid for the ticket from The Strand but get on somewhere else you've lost money.
4. Ubers can drop off at the airport but not pick up so go for a taxi. You don't want someone driving without a good knowledge of Auckland when in a rush.
5. Worst case scenario is to miss the train so stay in Auckland until the next train. It only runs on Saturday, Monday and Thursday.

Melnq8

Sounds a bit risky. IME Air NZ usually arrives a bit early, but anything could happen.

FWIW, on our last visit to NZ, we had less than two hours to work with between our arrival in Auckland and our departure to Queenstown.

The queue for Biosecurity inspection was long (never mind that it was 4:25 am), but moved quickly – we’d brought no food, we’d cleaned our hiking boots and hiking poles and packed them on top for easy inspection. Worked a treat.

We transferred our luggage, walked from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal, and still had just enough time to enjoy a flat white in the Koru Lounge.

But...one never knows, and I have no idea what's involved in getting to the Strand Railway Station, so take that with a grain of salt.

thehuges

Thanks for the replies everyone ... I should have been more clear - we've bought the train tickets and I don't think they're refundable, so we're pretty much committed to trying to make it work. Obviously if something goes significantly wrong with the flight, with customs or with traffic, we'll be in trouble, but it seems like if we don't lose too much time along the way we should be alright.

My sister had an email exchange with Kiwi Rail - they've changed our ticket to board the train at Papakura. That train leaves Papakura at 8:40, so we'll gain almost an hour. The man who responded seemed to think we should be able to make it if our flight lands on time (I realize that's no guarantee).

I'm guessing that the fastest way for us to get from Airport to Papakura is by booking a private car service. We've found one, called JayRide, that can take four passengers plus luggage for $80NZD. I know I've seen another but can't remember the name. Would you agree that's our fastest option for maximizing our chances?

We've clearly made a mistake in planning this, and it's going to cost us some money, some stress and some risk, but now we're just trying to make the best of it.

Diamantina

I was glad to read that you've found a solution to your problem.
Have a wonderful and safe trip.