[themilkybarkid]

My wife and I are looking to do a rekkie/holiday on March/April from Manchester to Auckland and I've been checking prices out.

Emirates via Dubai is much cheaper at around £870

Singapore and air NewZealand are around £200 more expensive.

Any reason why we shouldn't go ahead with Emirates - Am I missing something - anything I ought to know?

Anyone flown this route?

any other advice for cheaper flights?

many thanks

MBK

[lockstock]

I flew Emirates when i came over on my reccie last year. It's quite a long flight with a change in Dubai (why that place is there I'll never know- what will happen if someone forgets to pay the water bill, but I digress)- lots of gold to buy in the shopping area. The next bit usually has one or two stops for refuelling and a quick spruce up of the plane which means you get off with all your hand luggage and have to go through security again just to get back on. It's only an hour and a half or so to stretch your legs but it's most welcome so be able to use a loo you don't have to wedge yourself into (and out of). There are even showers if you're quick.
The service was very good and the food lovely - I lost count of how many breakfasts we had crossing timezones etc. They just kept feeding us. The in-flight was good (saw Shrek 3 about 18 times on and off). It's a very long flight but I didn't feel it was in any way a 'budget' flight. I'd fly with them again. We flew Air New Zealand to get here which wasn't bad but watch the singing when you're using the headphones. OH nearly had me thrown off the plane.

[themilkybarkid]

thanks Lockstock

sounds fine to me - though nothing like any flight we've ever done before - 24 hours phew!

though we were thinking of not spending a night in Dubai but going straight through - hope that's not foolish but we want as much time as poss in NZ

gonna stay for 3wks but considering 4 weeks?? any views

thanks ppl

[James 1077]

Just to add another plug for Emirates they are a great airline. They are also one of the few airlines in the world actually making money at the moment and have spent lots on new planes.

If you are coming out in March / April then the chances are you could possibly be on one of their brand new A380's (they start flying them to NZ in Jan/Feb).

As for Dubai it is a good place to stock up on duty free but the airport is a bit crowded at the moment (they are building a new terminal to ease it and are also building a whole new airport as well!).

With respect to the recce trip length I can't answer that one as we didn't bother!

[KerryS]

You usually have to stop in either Brisbane or Melbourne as well as Dubai, as there are no direct flights from Dubai to NZ.

[Jalapenocheese]

Emirates is an amazing airline, up there with SQ and CX as my favorite airlines. :)

[ourquest]

You usually have to stop in either Brisbane or Melbourne as well as Dubai, as there are no direct flights from Dubai to NZ.

And Singapore or Bangkok.

Great airline though. We didn't get bored on any of our 37 (I think) hour journeys from Durban to Auckland via Johannesburg, Dubai, Singapore, Brisbane. And that included three boys aged between 5 and 10.

[beanbeanz]

I think many people choose to fly via North America since you get a bigger baggage allowance.

I flew with Emirates to Christchurch via Dubai (didn't originate in the UK though). It was a very comfortable flight. Service was great, was fed often and they had on demand entertainment. It was a pleasant flight.

I cannot compare to Singapore or Air NZ as I haven't flown long haul with them. But, Emirates is a world class airline and I was very happy with the flight with them.

Be aware that you will have to stop over in Australia (I went via Sydney) and will board another flight which will likely be an Air NZ plane copartnered with Emirates.

[sweetpea]

Be aware that you will have to stop over in Australia (I went via Sydney) and will board another flight which will likely be an Air NZ plane copartnered with Emirates.

I flew the Sydney to Auckland leg (flight originated in Dubai) on an Emirates plane, so it may depend on the flight number or time/day.

I was really pleased with Emirates too.

[benandclare]

We emmigated on Emirates from Birmingham UK - Dubai. 3 hour stop over and be prepared for the wall of heat as you leave plan to catch bus to terminal :nice1
Then flew to Sydney and 90 mins stopover whist they re fuelled and tarted up the plane then back on and onto Christchurch, Yahoo.

Very very happy with the flights and service and entertainment on board and had to stiffle laughter whilst listening to " Monty Python" :D:D

[mgbridges]

Emirates is our airline of choice for the long haul trip between UK and NZ but when we emigrated we couldn't get the connections we wanted so flew Singapore.

OH has flown Emirates and rates them highly, we all flew Singapore Airlines when we emigrated and I'd rate them as well.

To find out leg space etc. this website is handy: www.seatguru.com

Anneliese

[themilkybarkid]

All very helpful and reassuring - thanks everyone

I'll go for Emerites then .. it is a good few hundred cheaper too!

cheers

now to plan a reccie .... where do you start!?

[Scotty69]

Im glad to hear all these good things about Emirates as hopefully this is the one i will use with my son as they where the cheapest one going at £1702 at the moment for 2nd Decemeber for myself and son with a looonnngg stop over in Dubai, anyone know if they have day rooms their or is Dubai too posh. Great info thanks

Natasha

[castleclan]

Dubai international Hotel is at the airport and you can get a room for a number of hours in various price brackets from 1 hour upwards. We too flew Emirates to Christchurch via Sydney. It was very good, great food and entertainment. Good leg room too. Only pain was after we booked they added and additional stop over on the way back in Thailand and when we got off to stretch legs only took valuables (as advised) and they cleared out kids sweet supply and jet lag tablets etc in back of seats. Did get a goody bag but can only get the tablets in NZ (I think).

[hosebergine]

now to plan a reccie .... where do you start!?

We did just under three weeks in the North Island after deciding Auckland or Wellington were our most likely places for work. Booked flights, booked first two nights accommodation and did the rest whilst we were already there. It was out of season and it was easy to find accommodation on the day and meant we weren't on a timetable so could recover from the flight in our own time. Spent about 4 nights in Auckland and 3 nights in Wellington, the rest was travelling around.


We combined it with a big holiday but made sure we saw an estate agent, looked round some houses, checked car prices, saw a recruiter, went to the supermarket, clothes for kids etc. We generally took a lot of interest in what was going on around us rather than switching off and talked to everybody as though we were interrogating them for info about life there. Best thing we did was meet a couple of recent ex-pats for coffee - I'd met them on a forum. And also spent the day with an English family who were cousins of a great friend of ours and had been in Wellington for 8 yrs. This gave us the chance to talk about the settling in process. We didn't do schools as our eldest is only 3.

We probably would have done more if I hadn't have been pregnant. Anyway, it was enough to convince us and our ITA is on the kitchen table waiting for police certificates and medicals :exit:nice1

Good luck, even if it isn't for you long-term, you'll have a great time
:clap

[themilkybarkid]

hosebergine that's really helpful thanks

daft as it may seem I never thought about estate agents, looking at a house or arranging a get together with forum members - good ideas

Hope it all goes smoothly for you

cheers
MBK

[jasonelsa56]

You could try korean Air (via Southall Travel) we saved 30% compaired to all the others. 6 of us flying in Jan £3010.

J

[gazza1000]

just though I'd add my experience with Emirates earlier this year when I flew with my 2 kids ( 5 & 2 ) to meet up with my wife who was already in NZ
Frankly in my opinion they were bloody awful ! Didnt get a scrap of help with the 2 kids throughout the entire flight & during the transits ( Dubai , Singapore, Brisbane to Auckland )
Food for young kids I thought was rubbish ( my daughter ending up with food poisioning after eating undercooked chicken ) and often only smaller portions of the adult food ( smoked salmon & cream cheese for a 2 year old !? )
The transit through Dubai is awful as the plane parks about 30 mins away from the terminal which when you finally arrive there was the busiest place I have ever been in my entire life. Spent the whole 2 hours worrying about losing the kids in a terminal with very few facilities. No doubt it will be great once finished but I for one wont be transiting it every again
Interestingly after my wife sent an email to complain we got a bit more attention on the way back home !
We are flying to NZ next week via Air NZ / LA as we needed the bigger baggage allowance ( 2 x 23kg ) as we are staying for a least a year and needed to take as much as we could !
Have previously flown with Singapore and they were great and would definately fly with them again but Emirates not a chance !
Gazza1000

[Scotty69]

just a wee question does dubai airport have shower ect to freshen up.
thanks

[Flutterby]

emirates was brilliant when we used them about 5 years ago, and the food was very yummy, but i got an upset tum in both directions (must have been from the food) but other than that it was lovely, and the food really was very nice, the service was brill and they were bringing drinks very regularly.

Also like Malaysia Airlines they had a very similar service to emirates and nice food (that didn't give me an upset tum)