For many travellers, an airport is the last place they would choose to sleep during a layover, instead opting for a nearby hotel or airline lounge.
However, for budget-conscious people travelling through Auckland Airport, it’s a legitimate consideration.
The question is, are you allowed to sleep at Auckland Airport?
It’s one Whangarei resident Helene Dehmer asked in the private Facebook group, New Zealand Travel Tips (NZTT).
“We are going to Fiji, and on our return we will fly in at [12.35am] and then fly home to Whangārei at 11am,” Dehmer wrote in a post to the group’s 74,200 members.
Since hotels near the airport didn’t appear to offer rooms for only a few hours, she wanted to know if the airport was a suitable place to rest.
“Does anyone know if there are benches without armrests where we can sleep for a few hours? Or are we better off to book Ibis Budget?” read Dehmer’s post.
Of the 55 replies, many said you could sleep in the airport, but it wouldn’t be easy or restful.
“You can, but it won’t be comfortable,” one person wrote.
“The logistics of trying to sleep at [Auckland Airport] aren’t great as you would come out of Customs, and then there isn’t really anywhere to go,” another said. A third claimed you had to go to the international terminal.
“You can’t sleep in the domestic airport, but in the international airport you will be [able to], but on the floor with your sleeping bag. It will be uncomfortable - best to book a hotel,” they wrote.
Well, it depends on the time of day and terminal you’re in, according to an Auckland Airport spokesperson.
While the airport terminals aren’t designed for sleeping in, the spokesperson said staff understood “there are times when people need to lie down and rest” and travellers are allowed to do this at certain times and places.
Since the domestic terminal closes at 11pm each night, travellers must move to the international terminal if they’re planning a sleepover. They can take the free inter-terminal bus, which runs every 15 minutes between 5am and 11pm.
At the international terminal, the spokesperson said a snoozing traveller would only be disturbed by staff if necessary.
“We would only need to wake someone if there were security or safety concerns, or if cleaning was required in the area,” they said.
As for where travellers tend to sleep, they said airside was a favoured option.
“The international airside area (after security) is typically where people may choose to have a rest, particularly for those who are transiting through Auckland Airport,” they added.
For more comfort, the spokesperson also said travellers could book a relaxation pod in the Strata lounge, which has a buffet, showers and places to rest. Prices start from $66 for lounge-only access and $168 for relaxation pods.
However, the lounge is only accessible to travellers on the airside of the international terminal.
On the Facebook post, many people recommended staying at Ibis Budget if money was an issue.
“Go over to the Ibis Budget. Get a decent rest and head on,” one person wrote, adding that they stayed there last month and it was “cheap, easy and just what we needed”.
Princess Diana stayed there, and now so have I.