Apia, Samoa - airport...

...aha, i arrive early morning, namely about 1.45 am (according to a schedule). Is it realistic to bridge the morning in the airport until I check in a hotel? Are there any sheltered benches or sofas I can lie down for a few hours?

cheers

jirikoo

If you arrive before Sep12 I hope that you already have booked a hotel to check in. With the South Pacific Games starting next weekend (until Sep7) and the Teuila Festival right after the games, all accomodation is heavily booked out already, at least in and around Apia.

There are no benches or sofas of any kind in the airport at all, only rows of chairs, one "bowl" beside the other. Nothing to sleep on. Furthermore it would be an illusion to expect the airport getting more busy in the morning and during the day. In contrary. During most days there are only very few flights (small planes to and from American Samoa). Virtually all international flights arrive and depart during the night (like your's) and that is the time that the airport is busy, that you find a snack bar and taxis and such. Don't expect things to get easier for you after sunrise.

You might consider to go to Savaii anyway, where it is more likely for you to find a place to stay if you have not booked yet. Then you could take a cab from the airport to the Savaii ferry wharf (about 3 km only). In the ferry terminal they have a lot of nice benches and usually quite a few people are sleeping there already waiting for the 6 am boat. From around 5 am on you get coffee, tea and sandwiches there as well.

Well, as I think about it, that might even be a proper solution for you, even when you do not want to go to Savaii. Take a cab to the wharf, have a nap on a bench there and use one of the regular buses transferring people between the wharf and Apia. That would work.

sorry, i know of course the aiport is not directly in Apia, i tend to associate a capital city with an aiport location...
anyways, thank you wksamoa for your suggestions...

A few remarks to what you said:
In accordance with scheldule the South Pacific Games are held until 8th but this a mere detail.
I have contacted via email almost all hostels and such in Apia and seem not everything is booked out yet. Odd, maybe in next few days....

I once spent five hours at the Apia airport, waiting for a Polynesian Airlines flight that was delayed by three hours. Two PA planes had already landed, mine from Rarotonga, and one from NZ. They sat on the runway. We were waiting for the one from Australia. Then we would all do musical seats, as each plane headed in different directions.

It was a horrible night. Just chairs, as wk says. One tiny snack bar opened, but as there were about 250 people waiting, they soon ran out of everything after the first two hours. No air-con back then, not sure about now.

So, if you plan on sleeping there, bring a $5 air mattress, etc., so you can get a bit of sleep!

#2
You are right - the closing ceremony is on the 8th of September.
I am surprised to hear that there are still vacancies. But when those places are not in the Samoa Hotels Association booking system and database it might the case. The Association told me, about a week ago already, that everything is fully booked except some 300+ Dollar rooms in the posh resorts.

#3
That must have been quite long ago, with PA flights coming in from Rarotonga. The airport facilities are much improved since, but still no benches, still only one snack bar (which I believe could not cater 250 people for even one hour) and still no air-con. But the go mobile internet café might be open ... The hall is much higher now, the light is much brighter - everything is a lot cleaner. All is no-smoking zone now as well.