Need Planning Advice?
 

I am planning our honeymoon to Austrailia from NYC on Jan 12 2003.<BR>1) Where can I get the best airfare rates?<BR>2) Do I need to book accomodation in advance or can we just "wing it" with hotels and tours?<BR><BR>We would like to maybe do a 4 day stopover in tahiti or fiji - Any suggestions on how to do so while keeping the price affordable?

Hi, Laura!<BR>I'm pretty sure that one of the Asian airlines... maybe Malaysian Airlines -- offers a special Pacific Pass deal to Americans which allows several stops, of which Eastern Australia is one, and possibly Fiji another. Other more knowledgeable posters may be able to clarify and expand on this; I recall people saying it's a great deal (if I can find out more, I will get back).<BR><BR>There will always be accommodation available, but at that time of year you may not always get just what you want if you decide to "wing" it, as you are arriving right in the middle of the Australian summer holidays. I think for safety's sake, I would book ahead... after all, on your honeymoon you don't want to end up in a fleapit!

Try checking out Qantas and Air NZ websites, you may be able to book what you require online.<BR>It will be the school holidays so probably best to book if you decide where you want to stay. I cannot think of any fleapits in Oz Alan.

Air Pacific will give you a stopover in Fiji. Air New Zealand has a flight that leaves LA and goes to NZ via Tahiti so you could have a stop over in both places en route to Australia. Qantas of course goes to Hawaii and you can get a code share flight from the US then. Cathy Pacific goes from NYC via Vancouver to HK and then down to Australia but that does add quite a bit of time in the travelling section although if you have not done those areas it would be well worth that trip. <BR>Philippine Airlines do something similar but you are getting a bit too 3rd worldly for my liking and yes I have flown P.A and that is why I say this. <BR>You could also check out a combination of airlines that go to Tahiti and code share with Qantas which also goes there which may be more direct from NYC. <BR>Firstly phone some of these airlines in the USA to check availability and then check their websites in case you can get a better on line fare. <BR>Have fun!!<BR>Just for the record Qantas is part of the Oneworld alliance - includes AA and Air Pacific, which may make it easier for you. NZ is Star Alliance or Star something which is with United. <BR>I had to go to Boston and Philly in May/June of this year and I found that a Qantas round the World Airfare was the cheapest - starts at $2,300 Australian or about $1,200 US <BR>

Hi again, Laura!<BR>I did a bit of hunting around for you regarding my earlier suggestion, and I found the deal that I mentioned -- actually, there are two: the Malaysia Airlines Access Asia Pass from LA or Newark for $747, which allows a Sydney add-on to its 24 possible cities for an extra $700 (but if you just got off in Singapore, which costs NO extra, you would pick up a return flight to Sydney for half this!), and the Cathay Pacific All Asia Pass, from LA, New York or San Francisco for $999, which has 16 cities and allows an add-on to Sydney for $500 (you could still beat this if you got off, for no extra, in Bali). These would be great if you decided to choose Asia for your stopover instead of Fiji or Tahiti, but, alas, neither includes those two Pacific islands in either company's list of destinations, not even as an add-on. Five or seven day holidays ex Sydney to Fiji are, however, advertised in every Sydney paper at prices which I am sure you would consider very reasonable -- around $AUD700, which is around $US360 -- so maybe you could do your Fiji stopover as another add-on. Tahiti is a much longer trip, and the idea of going out from Sydney and back again -- you'd be almost home -- wouldn't be feasible.

Honeymoon stopover in Fiji? Pay extra to get off the mainland onto one of the island resorts. Find a deserted beach, and you can probably guess the rest! We've done it twice and it is just magical. Leave your watch behind though.

Alan, am I missing something? Why would they come over here and then go to Fiji - wouldn't they stop en route? I must get going daft, sorry folks.

No, Liz, you're absolutely right... I just put the idea up to Laura because she was trying to find the cheapest fares to get to Sydney and Fiji, and I recall that the Asia Access Pass was a very economical way for Americans to get to various "close" destinations in Asia, like Singapore. I thought maybe one could make one's own way from there via the cheap deals that are everywhere on this route and maybe come out on top, pricewise. But maybe not. It was just an idea, and very likely I'm the "daft" one!

Thanks Alan, Kathy, Liz and southernman!<BR><BR>I am still researching. I will let you know what I find out.<BR>Currently Qantas and Air NZ both quoted me around $2400 for RT from NYC to Sydney with a stopover in either Fiji or Tahiti.<BR><BR>I am still working on planning and finding out deals...I will be sure to post whatever I can find to this site.<BR><BR>This site is sooooooo GREAT I find it very helpful.<BR>

<BR>Are we talking US$ or Aust$ when you were quoted $2,400 - and was that per person ? Because if it was US$ then you can do much better than that by buying a Qantas Round the World Fare - which, being in NY you just might as well do. <BR>They start at $2,300 Australian $ which is approx $1,200 US and would allow you a lot of flexibility and stopovers.

Hey Laura,<BR><BR>My husband & I just got back from Australia & New Zealand. We had a great time!<BR><BR>I just wanted to say that you (as a U.S. resident) can book special internet airfares through the Qantas & Virgin Blue web sites. <BR><BR>Qantas tried to tell me I couldn't because I wasn't an Aussie resident, but their websites allowed me to purchase e-tickets anyways and I didn't have any problems when I got to the airports. By doing it this way, I saved more money than purchasing the Boomerang pass. <BR><BR>The airlines try to sell these passes (Boomerang..etc..) and you are subject to flight departure times/seats they have available for this pass. Sort of like a flequent flyer seats. You end up wasting time making connection after connection, when you could have had a direct flight. Also, they said you can change your flights as you go, but then you are again subject to seat availability. <BR><BR>My unfortuanate mistake was buying the Boomerang pass to get me from NZ to Oz and it took us all day. I got wise and booked our Aussie domestic airfare on the net after finding out I could do it without problems.<BR><BR>My point is, watch the One World/Boomerang/Pacific passes. You may be able to buy cheaper tickets from multiple airlines than with one airline alliance. Also, be aware of flight departure/arrival times. It may be worth it to pay a bit more to get a better departure time.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR><BR>Christina

Laura,<BR><BR>PS Concerning hotels/tours.<BR><BR>I booked all my hotels, on the internet/email before I left. Got really good deals. Although we talked with an American who walked into an Aussie travel agent a few days before he went to Ayers Rock & got an even better deal than us. Your decision!<BR><BR>I also booked tours before we left, but ended up cancelling a couple because we changed our mind. Most companies will not penalize you unless you cancel less then 24 hours before the tour. Since you are going during their holiday season, you may want to consider booking for the things you really know you want to do.<BR><BR>Also, DO NOT pay for any tours up front. Just guarantee it with a credit card. We are having a problem with one popular tour company. I payed up front like they asked, but the tour was cancelled due to bad weather & I have yet to get my Credit card refunded.<BR><BR>Christina

Thanks for the info Christina!<BR>I just have one question about the Qantas internet fares as opposed to the the boomerang pass. Did you purchase them from their website while you were still in the US or did you wait until you were in Austrailia to purchase? Because I read somewhere you had to use an Austrailian address for those. Is that true?<BR><BR>Thanks again. I found your info on the tours valuble as well.

Laura,<BR><BR>I did book on the internet while I was in the US. I just went to the Qantas Aussie web-site, put in my US address & an email confirmation was sent to me. <BR><BR>I was fed the same Aussie address line, but I decided to try it anyways, and it worked! We had Zero problems when we arrived at the airports. In fact, all we had to give them was our Surnames & ID's to check in. <BR><BR>Check out Virgin Blue as well. They are a no frills airline like SouthWest (but nicer). Actually their parent company is Virgin Atlantic. They were cheaper than Qantas on 2 flights we took. <BR><BR>Hope I've Helped!<BR><BR>Christina

I am planning on travelling to Brisbane between Christmas and the 1st half of January and I am having a horrible time finding a deal on airfare. I live in Pittsburgh, but I am willing to fly out of DC, NYC or Chicago. The airfare that I have been quoted on numerous occasions is around $2000-2300 USD. That fare makes me sick to my stomach. Are there any suggestions for lower rates?

Amy, unfortunately the fares you are finding for that time of year are normal (I know because I am planning a trip to Australia for Christmas). Have you checked with any consolidators? That might be an option. What about something like hotwire.com (where they tell you the price up front but not the flight times or airline) or priceline.com (where you name your price and take your chance with the times and airline)? Keep in mind that neither hotwire nor priceline tickets will allow you to earn frequent flier miles, but a lower price might be more important. Finally, you might want to price out the leg from your hometown to the west coast (LAX or SFO) separately from the LAX or SFO to Brisbane leg. Hmm, that is all I can think of for now. Good luck!!

Amy,<BR><BR>Did you try pricing a flight to Sydney instead & then getting another domestic flight to Brisbane. <BR><BR>What about using frequent flyer miles (if you have them) to LA or San Fran? <BR><BR>Christina