Bruce

I have two questions. First can i purchase travelers checks in the US consisting of Australian dollars not us dollars. If I can't how much money in australian dollars should i bring with me or should I wait to exchange my currency when I check into the hotel. We arrive early on a sunday morning and am afraid that there won't be any The only problem is the battery power only lasts about 3 hours and it is a 16 hour flight. Someone mentioned that some airlines actually have plugs next to the seats. We are flying quantas from new york. Does anyone know about these plugs on the planes. Let me know. thanks bruce

Bruce

the first message did not come out as clear as I had wanted it too. What I was asking was i want to watch dvds on the plane but my battery power only lasts 3 hours for a fifteen hour flight. I was told that some airlines actually have plugs by the seats. Is this true. We are flying quantas from new york. Thanks for you help. Bruce

Bruce

And the last question which didn't print either is what sort of adapar do i need to convert my appliances to australian currents. Just and adapater or something else and where can I buy this. Thanks for you patience and your help. Bruce

Kay

Bruce,<BR>you should be able to buy travellers chqs in your country in Aust $ but if not, bring them in US$ and exchange them here. If you end up not spending them all and take some home, you are better off taking US$ ones home to spend there. I would definitely bring a small amount of Aust$ cash with you, for a taxi, a drink or other purchase when you first arrive. A$100 should do. A credit or debit card to get cash out of an ATM would be very useful, better than travellers chqs.<BR>With appliances, you'll need to check the voltage and also have an adaptor plug to go into the wall. The plug you can get anywhere they sell luggage or travel accessories, any department store should have them. Some appliances will automatically switch over to a different voltage, some have a switch on the outside and others you probably can't use here at all. Not sure about your DVD player, can you check where you bought it?<BR>Also, I don't think Qantas flies across America, you may be on a codeshare flight, probably with one of the American airlines which is part of Oneworld, and then Qantas from the west coast on to Australia. I've never heard of being able to plug something into the seat but you could check with the airline.<BR>Kay

Debbie

Hi Bruce,<BR>I didn't bring any Australian currency w/me and didn't have one problem as a result. There were plenty of ATMs in the Sydney airport (after you pass customs and are in the main terminal), so I just got cash there. As for my traveler's checks, I never ended up spending any and brought them all home. It was cheaper to us the ATM and charge on my credit card than convert money. I avoid those Thomas Cook places at all costs. IMO, they're a rip-off.<BR><BR>Debbie<BR><BR>PS Stores like Target sell converters and adapters and I've found them to be cheaper than the luggage stores in the mall...(You only need a adaptor if your appliances are dual-voltage. Those run about $2-3 for one or a world set for $12. You'll need the S. Pacific/Australia/NZ plug...)<BR><BR>

linda

FYI Qantas does fly out off JFK a few times a week...only to Sydney. All flights stop at LAX. You can pick up a Melbourne flight there.<BR><BR>I just returned from Oz and had great flights everywhere I went. Wonderful attentive service in coach. My only complaint....lousey movie choices. When you watch 5 movies over the Pacific and all of them are duds.....the only good one was &quot;My Big Fat Greek Wedding.&quot; How many times can you watch that? I stopped after 2.

Mary

There's both ATM's and currency exchange at Sydney airport - open for all flights. Do not chnage your money at hotels - you'll get a lousy rate. I agree with previous posters that using an ATM card is best (Oz uses a 4 digit pin number). You will need to check with both Qantas and the manufacturer of you DVD re plugging it in on the plane, I would think you'd need some sort of a converter for that as well as a seperate plug to convert to Oz current for when you arrive (these are available at the airport in the duty free store before you go through Customs)

Christina

Bruce,<BR><BR>You can purchase Australian Travelers Cheques in the US at most American Express offices. Some Aussie retailers wouldn't accept them so I just cashed them at my hotels front desk. I found this to be easier because I didn't have to mess with ATMs. <BR><BR>Also..you can buy AU currency at Amex. This came in handy for airport transportion because we were so ready to get straight to the hotel after the long flight.<BR><BR>Have Fun!

Nancy

<BR>Your DVD is most likely dual voltage. Most consumer electronics made these days are dual voltage. Check the booklet that came with it, or check with the manufacturer. <BR><BR>Contact Qantas with regard to whether they have in-seat power plugs and whether your DVD will work in it. The power plugs are generally for laptop computers. If you are not flying business class, it is unlikely that there will be in-seat power in your coach seat. In any event, there will be plenty of movies available on the flight, Qantas probably even provides a list on their website.<BR><BR>In your hotel in AUS, you may need an adaptor to adapt the shape of your US plug to an AUS plug. People often confuse a converter with an adaptor. A converter converts the voltage, and adaptor adapts the plug shape. Converters are generally heavy and expensive and don’t work well, so if your DVD is not dual voltage, I wouldn’t' bother buying a converter, and would question whether you even need to bring the DVD, especially if it will not work on the plane. You will also need to either leave it in your hotel room (safety?) or lug it around with you.<BR><BR>As noted above, there are ATMS everywhere, including at the airport. As you are arriving early, either find an ATM at the airport or exchange some US Dollars when you arrive (there are exchange desks at the airport, open all the time). Get the rest of the cash you need from ATMs as you go. Credit cards are widely accepted so you can keep down your cash needs that way as well. <BR>