Cheap flights from Wellington to Auckland International

Air New Zealand and Jetstar fly the short, hour-long North Island route from Wellington to Auckland more than two-dozen times a day. Flights start at around 6 in the morning, and services run till late at night. While it’s a short flight, it tends to be priced somewhat on the high side. Buying well in advance is one way to find an affordable ticket; you could also avoid flying early in the morning or late in the evening, both times being particularly popular. Using Skyscanner’s search is another effective way to locate the best prices -- you get to search for the cheapest prices over an entire month with one click of a button.

Here are tips on what to expect on your trip.

Flying out of Wellington

Wellington Airport is a small, charming little single-terminal international hub. Decorated with a Lord of the Rings theme and blessed with a superbly scenic location, it’s popular among travelers. The location right next to the sea, however, means that there are extremely strong winds over the airport much of the year and that takeoffs and landings are turbulent.

No more than 6 km from the city of Wellington, the airport is easy to reach by hotel shuttle, the Airport Flyer bus (from Hutt Valley, Lower Hutt or Wellington city center), by taxi or rental car. You shouldn’t make a point of arriving too early, however. Often, the airport makes a point of not letting passengers into the terminal building until 90 minutes before a flight.

Unusually for an international airport, the terminal closes some time each night -- between 1 AM and 4 AM. Other than this little interruption, however, it’s a convenient and fully equipped airport with free Wi-Fi, cash machines, currency exchange, baby care and play facilities, restaurants, luggage storage and even showers. Food and other shopping at the airport tend to be expensive, which means that if you plan to eat with children, it could cost you.

Landing in Auckland

Auckland International is a small airport, as well, but it does have two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic. You can walk between the two in ten minutes, and there is a free shuttle, as well.

Since Auckland gets a great deal of rain, there are all kinds of ways that you can get wet if you don’t have an umbrella or raincoat. If your plane stops at a place where there is no jetway, for example, you will need to walk some distance in the open; walkways -- to bus stop or to the parking -- are often uncovered.

Auckland is a 24-hour airport, and you can sleep overnight if you want; the concourse in front of the Air China office on the second floor of the international terminal is usually the best location. It’s a better idea to find a hotel, though, and you can find great deals on Skyscanner.

There are lots of other facilities available, including luggage storage lockers (about $10 a day) medical services, showers and Wi-Fi (only available for 30 minutes at a time).

It’s a short bus ride on the Airbus Express or Auckland Transport buses (you can check out the website), hotel shuttles, taxis and car rentals.

What to see in Auckland

Auckland has something for everyone, much of it to do with the land’s spectacular scenery -- you get to visit the Great Barrier Reef, surf, see the penguin colony, view Maori art, and even trek coast-to-coast on the narrowest point of the island (it only takes five hours).