Dashing through the skies over Christmas and New Year? Travelling during the summer school holidays? In anticipation of bumper crowds and full flights this festive season, airports and airlines have some insider travel tips for holiday high-flyers.
Air New Zealand is expecting to fly 2.8 million customers around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world this summer as they make their way to their holiday destinations.
The airline is encouraging customers to plan ahead, add extra time, expect delays and be patient with airport staff and aircrew as shortages across the industry coincide with a busy time to fly.
The airline’s busiest day of the year will be 23 December with more than 55,000 customers heading on their holiday break – up from 31,000 last year and a 77 per cent increase in passenger numbers.
More than 50,000 customers are also expected to fly on 15, 16, 22, 27 and 28 December.
The airline is asking customers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight if travelling internationally and 60 minutes before their flight if travelling domestically.
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport is gearing up for its busiest Christmas in three years with more than 2.2 million passengers forecasted during the peak holiday period from 12 December to 1 January.
Representing the busiest holiday period since 2019, numbers forecast include 1.4 million domestic passengers and more than 800,000 international passengers.
Sydney Airport will also have 60 extra staff daily to help during the busy holiday period.
SYD travel tips include online check-in, pre-booking parking and getting to the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport’s busiest travel days will be 15 December and 16 December, when 53,000 passengers will pass through the domestic terminal, plus the period between 21 December and 23 December.
BNE requests that guests arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
BNE has also set up a Brisbane Airport Christmas Lounge for festive fun before you fly.