Well I finally bit the bullet and booked Air Canada to Vancouver this coming January. One really nice thing is the flights to and from Kelowna are included !!
Does anyone who has flown this route have a comment ?

>>>>>>Does anyone who has flown this route have a comment ?<<<<<<

May the force be with you.

Just kidding. It is a seriously long plane journey. However, if you're a Canadian visiting Australia, the flight is worth it. I like to think that the reverse is true too.

Of course you have the issue that you board the plane in your summer and you land in someone else's winter. So you need to plan how you'll dress for the flight.

If it's sweltering in Sydney, it may be tempting to board the plane in shorts and sandals, but I think it's a good idea to resist the temptation. At least wear cotton trousers, socks and running shoes onto the plane. I've forgotten what you call running shoes. Trainers? If you can bring yourself to wear hiking boots onto the plane, so much the better.

While you'll probably want to wear a short-sleeved shirt onto the plane in Sydney, it would be a good idea to pack a long-sleeved shirt and perhaps even a sweater (jumper) in your carry-on luggage. Changing into the long-sleeved shirt during your stop in Honolulu serves two purposes. By that time it's quite pleasant to change into a clean shirt regardless of the reason. You'll need to carry your outdoor winter jacket over your arm when you board the plane in Sydney.

I don't know if you've booked specific seats. If you have not done so, you could study your plane's seating configuration at the Seat Guru website:

http://www.seatguru.com/

Then, when you've ascertained which are the best seats to which you're entitled, you could contact Air Canada and ask if you could reserve them.

Back to the clothing issue, Mats Henricson has created a wonderful website called the Universal Packing List. You complete a questionnaire about your modes of transportation, the kinds of accommodation in which you'll be staying, the activities you'll be undertaking, the temperature range at your destination, etc., and the website creates a packing list for you.

http://upl.codeq.info/index.jsp

If you read Henricson's website in conjunction with Doug Dyment's "One Bag" website, you'll be all set from a packing point of view. Dyment's tips are worth reading even if you cannot quite bring yourself to travel with the single carry-on bag that he advocates.

http://www.onebag.com/

One mistake I've seen southern hemisphere visitors make over and over again when they come to Canada's winter for the first time is that they bring too much warm clothing. The interiors of Canadian buildings are well heated. So, while you need warm outerwear for the cold outdoors, you don't need particularly warm clothing indoors. When you're indoors, you'll typically be fine if you wear a pair of jeans and a long sleeved cotton turtleneck shirt. You <b>may</b> find yourself wanting to put a sweater over that, but you may not.

But please don't misinterpret my comments about indoor clothing to mean that you don't need warm clothing when you're outdoors in the Canadian winter. When you're skiing you'll need long underwear, ski pants (trousers), a ski jacket, gloves, a beanie for your head, goggles, and all that good stuff.

The TIPS section of my website has links to practical topics like Canadian money, GST refund for foreign visitors, etc., etc.

http://groups.msn.com/CalgaryandCana...kiesTravelTips

Hope that helps.

Judy, we are heading North from the tropical climes of Queensland to spend two weeks hurtling down the slopes at Big White, we were there in January so have a bit of an idea. Thanks for the handy info though ! I have book marked the websites.

ttt

Marko, given that you have flown across the Pacific before, what more do you want to know?

Judy, so far I have had very polarised views of Air Canada ! No one in the middle ground, I suppose I am just after real people views.

&quot;real people&quot; here and I'm afraid that you'll probably get nothing but polarized views of Air Canada. Canadians either love it or hate it. Personally I'd only fly them if they were the absolute only choice I had. However, having said that, you might have a simply marvelous trip on them. I hope you have a great trip to Canada and enjoy the skiing.

I don't know that AC has ever been known as one of the best international airlines to fly with....but, it is no worse than many others. Many of the entertainment options other airlines offer weren't available, which makes a long flight like this one, that much longer.

If you look at it as a long haul bus ride, you won't be disappointed.