[Lisa&Andy]

Hi
Is there such a thing as cheap flights to NZ? We are trying to organise our reccy trip for July 2007. We are lucky because my OH has a few family in NZ so we will be meeting up with and staying with them and they are going to help us get around.
Is there a 'cheap' or cheaper time to fly? (by this I mean flights around £600ish) I am a Teacher and restricted to holidays end of June to August (not that I am complaining about this;) )
Would we be best going with a travel company or booking flights online? sorry if this has been covered before. We would prefer to fly with Singapore Airlines from the recommendations on this site :nice1

Lisa x

[jubjub]

Try www.expedia.co.uk, we have booked a few things with them, and they are generally one of the cheapest.

Either that or try http://www.trailfinders.com/ not used them myself, but know a few that have, and have been happy with them.

[Jenny & Mark]

The cheapest that we recently found was through Air New Zealand's website. The price we got was less than Expedia, Travelocity, and local travel agents.

Mark.

[Ana&Steve]

I like going through the airline directly, you can get a better price, and you don't pay fees to a middleman like expedia and traveosity.(their prices are hidden in the cost of ticket) Most airlines offer web specials, and I think NZ winter is a pretty cheap time to fly (with ANZ and Quantas anyway) You might want to ease on the Singapore Air and even consider flying through LA if money is tight, as ANZ has some very low prices with that route.
Have a great trip!
Ana

[Lisa&Andy]

Thanks everyone for all of your replies. We wanted to avoid going via LA as others have said it was a bit a nightmare with security issues etc, also we have a three year old and the recommendations suggest that Singapore Airlines are best if you are flying with young children?? We did intend to do a stopover and the hotel in Singapore Airport looks good. Will speak to OH and we try come to some decision :roll

Thanks again for your replies and if anyone has any experiences good or bad with particular airlines especially with young children in tow it would be great to hear

Lisa x

[LesleyS]

Hi Lisa and Andy
This is just from personal experience - but avoid going via LA if possible, my OH went with BA and got stuck in a couple of hours of security check queues and ended up missing his Qantas connection to Auckland. Luckily they managed to find him a later seat on an ANZ flight but the delays and frustration were horrendous:mad: - Oh and LAX is dump, so i would personally not consider this option with children, unless the deal was too good to be true!

We are flying out later this year,:exit and hope to use Singapore Airlines with a nice stopover, as recommended by others on this forum.
Let me know how you go on with prices etc, I always go to Trailfinders first as they tend to be pretty consisitent.

Keep in touch
LesleyS:)

[Lisa&Andy]

Hi Lisa and Andy
This is just from personal experience - but avoid going via LA if possible, my OH went with BA and got stuck in a couple of hours of security check queues and ended up missing his Qantas connection to Auckland. Luckily they managed to find him a later seat on an ANZ flight but the delays and frustration were horrendous:mad: - Oh and LAX is dump, so i would personally not consider this option with children, unless the deal was too good to be true!

We are flying out later this year,:exit and hope to use Singapore Airlines with a nice stopover, as recommended by others on this forum.
Let me know how you go on with prices etc, I always go to Trailfinders first as they tend to be pretty consisitent.

Keep in touch
LesleyS:)


Thanks LesleyS! I am thinking Singapore Airlines too and with a very active three year old boy in tow a stopover is quitre necessary. I will let you know how I get on with flight searching

Lisa x

[LesleyS]

Hey Lisa,

Thanks for that - keep me updated, and i will let you know if I find anything myself!

Have a nice weekend

LesleyS x:)

[veronica]

will second all of the above but would add that you are wishing to travel in July and that is the second busiest time after Christmas. Its a good time for the epats in the UK to fly home and visit during the UK long summer holidays, consequently its one of the most expensive, any chance you could come outside of the school holidays.

[Lisa&Andy]

will second all of the above but would add that you are wishing to travel in July and that is the second busiest time after Christmas. Its a good time for the epats in the UK to fly home and visit during the UK long summer holidays, consequently its one of the most expensive, any chance you could come outside of the school holidays.

Hi Veronica
Unfortunately, I am confined to the school holidays as I am a Teacher (not complaining about holidays) and school holidays are usually the most expensive time to fly :no I will keep searching!

Lisa x

[Mr TW]

Most of the cheap deals with Air New Zealand have to be booked by the end of March. This is a good site for reference, then book with the company direct.

http://www.travelmood.com/cheap-flights-to-new-zealand.asp

[veronica]

the other site that we have found helpful is dialaflight, usually phone them rather than internet booking.

[CAFCValley]

Hi Lisa When we were living in UK (9mths ago) we always flew with Singapore Airlines to NZ. We have 3 children now, ages from 8-12yrs. Our first time was with an active 2yr old (now 12) and 5mth old (now 10). We checked out flights with Austravel thru internet (found them to be the cheapest) and Flightcentre (these were £400 dearer). We would then book on line direct with Singapre Airlines and book our seats as well. Brilliant airline to fly with. Hope this helps you, all the best Tracey

[andrewandjane]

hi we got a cheap flight with air nz but it was through our local travel agent they beat even the air nz homepage by a couple of hundred pounds so worth a look. we flew in last week wih air nz via LA and the transit lounge was no problem at all. loads of free drinks and crisps and fruit, onlt there two hours so wasnt too bad, wouldnt ike to spend any longer there. air nz had loads of leg room on the new airplanes and was really good for us.

hope this helps

andrew

[willowshouse]

When we booked our last lot of Singapore Airlines tickets we got them through Trailfinders and got one child free (which saved us a lot!!).

I say, shop around .. sometines you can't get better than direct with the airlines but I know that our deal was not available directly and so it really does pay to shop around .. boring, but it's the only way you can be sure you haven't missed out, kiss a lot of frogs and see what happens.

[nickydwuk]

I'm not planning out fly out yet but I had read that if you fly via LA you get a larger luggage allowance so if you are going to be living out of a suitcase for a while before your container arrives this might be worth considering.

[Jezza]

I just booked a flight to Auckland with Singapore Airlines, stopping in Singapore, for £709 inc tax through www.ebookers.com .

[Myrkk]

being Scottish ;) we're trying to get the cheapest flight poss too. So far the best place we've found is

www.sidestep.com which searches all the websites [I think] and gives you the price range from cheapest to dearest.

Ebookers seems to be pretty consistently the best re. prices and the prices seem to consistently start around £701 incl. taxes up to silly money

[Lisa&Andy]

being Scottish ;) we're trying to get the cheapest flight poss too. So far the best place we've found is

www.sidestep.com which searches all the websites [I think] and gives you the price range from cheapest to dearest.

Ebookers seems to be pretty consistently the best re. prices and the prices seem to consistently start around £701 incl. taxes up to silly money

Thanks everyone for your responses!! Really helpful and really appreciate it. We have some across a stumbling block because my OH needs to have his qualifications assessed by the NZQA and we have not done that yet aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggg hhhhhhhh!!!!!! He has only had them evaluated by the ERWB. He is an electrician.
The process changed in Dec 2006 and he now has to have the NZQA approval (more ££)
Oh and silly us we have submitted our EOI AND WE ARE CLAIMING POINTS FOR OH AS AN ELECTRICIAN SKILLED MIGRANT CATEGORY :uhoh . We might end up having to do the EOI again!!!!!!:no :

Myrrk,:p
Where are you in Scotland? Where/ When you headed to NZ?


Lisa x

[Trigirl]

lisa - dont panic!!!! although you do need the NZQA doing it wont mean you have to redo your EOI. you would only do that if you'd claimed points for him and he didn't have the quals - as i understand it he does have them you just need to get them assessed. i'd get on it straight away though!

[Lisa&Andy]

lisa - dont panic!!!! although you do need the NZQA doing it wont mean you have to redo your EOI. you would only do that if you'd claimed points for him and he didn't have the quals - as i understand it he does have them you just need to get them assessed. I'd get on it straight away though!


We are on it! believe me! :wah
We have printed all of the documentation off today from the NZQA and the good thing is that my OH has all of his qualifications and references at hand because he had sent it all to the ERWB in 2006. Somone we know has also mailed that NZIS in London for us because my OH quals were evaluated by ERWB in October/November and the letter from the ERWB says he can get provisional license after a course in London, don't know if this will count though. So.......we are still preparing to send quals to NZQA.

Thanks for your help and reassurance


Lisa x

[Myrkk]

Hi Lisa

From Edinburgh originally but currently in Wales nr Swansea

[seagulls]

Just a uick point about one of your original posts.
If you travel via LAX and have a small child they fast track you to the front of the security queues so you don't have to wait in line for hours.