Flying to NZ: Ruby's day of departure
Flying to NZ: Ruby's day of departure
What's coming up?
In this activity, you’ll follow Ruby as she catches her flight to New Zealand, and uses her mobile phone to help make the process simple.
You’ll see how she uses her phone to check in for her flight, look up details on the airport rail link, choose her seat, and show her boarding pass.
Start activity
The big day arrives!
Ruby is flying to New Zealand today! She receives a text message via SMS from her airline reminding her of the time the flight departs, and also that she needs to be at the airport at least 90 minutes before her flight leaves.
The message also includes a link for Ruby to check in online, using her mobile phone.
Ruby has already checked in
Ruby doesn’t need to use the link in the SMS her airline sent this time, because she already checked in yesterday afternoon.
Her airline allows passengers to check in up to 24 hours before their flight. Ruby checked in early using the airline website, so she could choose her seat. She secured seat 14A, which is an exit row and provides extra leg room. Perfect!
Viewing and saving the boarding pass
Once Ruby selected her seat and checked in online, the airline sent her an email that displays her boarding pass. Ruby will have to show this on her phone’s screen at the departure gate.
She also saved the boarding pass to her mobile phone’s My Files app, as well as her International Covid Certificate, just in case she has any reception problems at the airport.
Getting to the airport
Ruby’s bags are packed, and she’s ready to go. She checks the airport train link timetable using an app she downloaded to her mobile phone earlier. She has plenty of time to get the train she needs.
Next, she books a taxi to the train station using her preferred taxi app. Not long now!
Ruby drops her bags at the airport
When Ruby arrives at the airport, she doesn’t need to queue up to check in to her flight. That’s because she already checked-in using her mobile phone.
Instead, she joins the much shorter (and faster moving!) Bag Drop line to drop her suitcase for loading onto the plane.
Going through security
With her passport, and her boarding pass showing on her phone’s screen, Ruby goes through security.
Next, she goes through one of the new customs SmartGates, using the e-Passport chip in her new passport.
When boarding for her flight is called, she shows her phone and the boarding pass on its screen, one more time at the gate as she boards the aircraft.
eSafety tip
The SmartGate (called an eGate in New Zealand) has a camera that uses facial recognition technology to check a traveller against their passport photo. It’s important to wear your hair similar to how you look in your passport, and you may have to remove your glasses or mask if you are wearing them.
During the flight
The trip takes about three hours, so Ruby spends the time playing a game on her phone and watching a movie she downloaded before she left home.
To keep her phone’s battery topped up, Ruby is able to plug her charger into her seat. Many airlines now offer this feature, even when flying economy.
At the hotel
Ruby arrives in New Zealand safe and sound and transfers to the hotel using a shuttle bus. This was all arranged by her travel agent, and goes smoothly.
At the hotel, she uses some of her mobile phone’s roaming data to search for a restaurant nearby. An Italian place around the corner has good reviews on Google, so Ruby uses Google Maps to get walking directions to the restaurant.
Ruby pays for her dinner
The restaurant looks (and smells!) pretty good to Ruby, but she checks the prices on the menu in the window first.
As the prices are listed in New Zealand dollars, she uses her mobile phone and Google search to convert the cost into Australian dollars. She will pay with her credit card, so there will be a small conversion fee too. She checks this on her bank’s website and, satisfied with the cost, she heads on in for a delicious pasta dinner.
Tomorrow's activities
After dinner, Ruby walks back to the hotel and gets ready for bed.
Before turning in, she checks the itinerary on her mobile phone. She doesn’t need to use any roaming data for this, because she saved a copy on her phone.
Happy, and excited to finally be in New Zealand, Ruby drifts off to sleep.
Well done!
This is the end of the Flying to NZ: Ruby’s day of departure activity. You’ve seen Ruby travel to New Zealand and how her mobile phone made the trip just that little bit easier.
Up next, you’ll learn how her mobile phone keeps her on top of even the most complicated travelling days, in the Milford Sound: Ruby’s amazing day trip activity.
