September school holidays in New Zealand: Air New Zealand reveals busiest days

School holidays are a busy time for airports around Aotearoa. Photo / James Allan

If you’re catching a domestic flight on September 27 prepare for longer queues; Air New Zealand expect this to be the busiest travel day of the school holidays.

The airline has added thousands of extra seats to accommodate the increased demand over the school holidays, which run from September 27 and October 13.

In total, 25,000 additional seats have been added across 260 domestic flights. The airline expects more than 500,000 customers to travel on the domestic network, not to mention those flying on other airlines.

Friday is expected to be the busiest day, with over 34,000 customers flying on Air New Zealand around the country.

More than 300 pets and 5500 unaccompanied minors will also travel with the airline during this time, it shared in a statement.

As for where people are travelling, Wellington is a popular destination. This is little surprise given the city’s itinerary; the capital is set to host the All Blacks’ match against the Wallabies at Sky Stadium on Saturday and the World of WearableArt Show on Friday night at TSB Arena.

Kiwi families are also heading further afield for the holidays and many are chasing the sun. Bali and Niue are the top beach destinations while the most popular Aussie spot is Sydney, with 25,000 customers booked on Air New Zealand for a visit.

More travellers typically mean more traffic and longer airport queues. Air New Zealand has provided advice to those planning to travel during peak days for a smooth journey.

Air New Zealand advice for travellers

Download the Air NZ app to receive updates about your flight and check-in 24 hours before departure.

Check contact details in your booking and ensure it’s correct, so the airline can contact you in case of any changes.

Those travelling with extra baggage should prepay online rather than at the airport to save time if your flight is eligible.

Give yourself extra time to get to the airport, check-in and get to the gate, as it may be busier than usual.

Caregivers dropping off unaccompanied minors must stay at the airport until the flight has departed.

Buy travel insurance to ensure you’re covered in case of disruptions.