[Jo and Andy]

Well with all the messing around i don't seem to have sorted the flights very well.

Can't get direct from Singapore to Christchurch, and so am looking at the following.

Birmingham, Dubai, change planes (1.5 hours) direct to Singapore. 1 week Singapore. Then to Aukland change plane and terminal 2.5 hours then to Christchurch. Price looks good at about £1800 but not sure how stressed I will be with the changing planes, at least it allows you to stretch your legs I suppose.

This was through OPODO, Not sure how I will manage to do the frequent flyer points.

Help anyone

[Tia Maria]

Not sure if I can help, but if you give us all a few details, I'm sure between us all we can find some options.

1) When do you want to fly?
2) How many people?
3) Is Singapore you're only stopover (1 week?)
4) Do you have to fly from B'ham? Is London a possibility? (either drive, or stay in airport hotel the night before). Would you prefer this if you can get a direct flight/more options?

Cheers

[Babette & Andy]

Hi Jo

What a pain! Have you tried online with Travelocity? We've booked Andy's flights with them (Cathay this time rather than S'pore Airlines). May not be too different from OPODO but worth the try.
Good luck!!

Babette

[Jo and Andy]

Thanks will try tavelocity.

Looking to go around the 20th November, 1 week stopover in singpore, Andy me and Rhiannon (8).

Still trying to push through the sale of the house, or rent it, just finalised the container, got the price and insurance down, didn't think about the flights.

[Tia Maria]

Another suggestion, have you tried Travelbag? (www.travelbag.co.uk)

I don't know about flying from Birmingham, but they do have flights on 20th November, from Heathrow to Christchurch, which only stop in Singapore.

Good Luck with your search.

[Miffy]

You might get more luck flying from Heathrow? The change over in Auckland I found was pretty seemless, just get the (free) 5 mins bus from the international terminal to the national flight terminal.

With the air points, if you have the air miles card, you just hand this over when checking in and thwy swipe it and you get the points.
Apply for the card direct to the Air line. (singapore airlines is with the Sta Alliance group as is Air NZ so you can collect points on you air miles card from one airline when travelling on another Sta Alliance airline.)

[Diny]

Jo

Don't worry about it being stressful. The length of time you have stated in each airport gives you loads of time.

Last year I did the following journey - just me and the 2 boys (then aged 6 and 7):

Gatwick to Dubai
Dubai to Singapore
Singapore to Brisbane
Brisbane to Auckland
Auckland to Palmerston North

Did it one fell swoop too - no stop overs anywhere. I'm lucky cos my kids travel well. Yes it was tiring but no hassle at all.

Diny

[Pookeko]

Hello

These are the other "bargain sites" that I'm aware of that offer long haul flights:

www.expedia.com
www.ebookers.com (you get nectar points when booking, if that's a bonus to you?!)
www.lastminute.com

I'm looking for flights Jan-Feb (just for a visit) and I've found that the prices vary hugely between the sites. The best deals at that time for us are available from lastminute and opodo .

Like you, my closest airport is Birmingham, and I noticed that Emirates is fairly reasonable price-wise (and very conveniently placed of course) for flights as far as Auckland, but then there is a price hike if your destination is elsewhere in the country. If you are worried about the cost (which I always am :D ) of getting to Chch, then do you know anyone in NZ who could book you a cheap flight from Auckland to Chch? I think there are some cheapish companies for example freedom air (?), although Air NZ & Qantas sometimes have specials. For example earlier this year I got as far as Auckland with Singapore (for a reasonable price) and then my mum booked us a cheap flight from Auckland to Wellington (I think it was someting like $60ea, which was cheaper than the price difference between return travel London-Wgtn and return travel London-Aklnd).

Personally, I would recommend any journey that took you to NZ in bite-size chunks (if you have the time for it)! Plus some airports, like Singapore, are quite good for a breather. If you don't already know, there are free tours available at Singapore airport if you are in transit and have 3-4 hours spare, you can choose between the beach tour or the city tour (or both I guess if you've got loads of time!). The tours take about an hour I think.

Btw, its funny that you are moving to Chch from B'ham, I've made the opposite move!

Good luck with the move & travel. :)

Caroline

[Smiler]

and try trailfinders and austravel.

http://www.trailfinders.com/index.htm we found they were very helpful on the phone too.

and

http://www.austravel.com

Hope this helps.


D

[Tanya]

Hello



If you are worried about the cost (which I always am :D ) of getting to Chch, then do you know anyone in NZ who could book you a cheap flight from Auckland to Chch? I think there are some cheapish companies for example freedom air (?), although Air NZ & Qantas sometimes have specials.
Caroline

Be careful though, If you have excess baggage allowance for emigrating, you won't get it on any flight not booked continuously. If you come Air NZ for example via LA with the 64kg allowance (which you get regardless of emigrating or not)and don't have the connecting flight booked together, you will have to pay excess baggage on the bit from AKL to CHC.

Tanya

[veronica]

Dialaflight have sorted some good prices out for us in the past so it might be worth giving them a try too.

[Jo and Andy]

Thanks all,

I contacted a company called Travelmood.com, the guy there has been brilliant, not booked yet as he is an exam but he has found us singapore airline flights from Manchester on 17th to Singapore (touch down in Geneva), 5 days in Singapore (got to sort out hotel), then flight on to Christchurch approx £1400 for the 3 of us.

Got that whilst looking up some of the links you gave us.

I will try and get him to get the extra allowance on both legs of the journey, altough we are opting to send a few boxes by parcel force with extras in rather than carrying them or Excess luggage.

So won't have too much over. Packing a case of summer stuff and some mixed warmer items in the case.

A few toys, sheets, warmer clothes in the boxes, plus xmas decorations as our container won't get there in time.

I await the guys phone call to sort it all out.

I can't believe how quickly time is passing. Still so much to sort out.

As Bishops are packing you don't feel you can pack stuff up and put it aside, I might ask them for some boxes.

Aim to finish clearing the attic next week.

[Tia Maria]

Well done - £400 saving, what are you going to spend it on? Champagne cocktails and full body massage in Singapore? Or an extra large box of Cadburys chocolate, hidden somewhere in a crate?

I think you'll be glad not to have to change at Auckland, it would be a pain to touch down in NZ and have to get on yet another plane.

I'll definitely be giving Travelmood a look when I book, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

[kiwidebs]

So when are you guys planning on going Jo? Will def check out travelmood too! Thanks for the tip.

Debs

[Jo and Andy]

Well not to shock the rest of you, but the flights are for the 17th November 2005. ie not that many days away.

Such a daunting prospect without everyone saying "How Brave".

[kiwidebs]

Less than a month to go-bet you're busy!!! Wish it was us. I've just rung the estate agents and threatened to pull out if we start getting into High Season Xmas airfares!! I've said if we get to that we'll withdraw the house from sale and start again next year!! Is it a bluff - hmmm, don't think so. Well, maybe, not sure. I just want it all done so we can go (like last month maybe!!:wah )

Debs

[Jo and Andy]

BOOKED THE FLIGHTS.

can't recomend Travelmood enough.

£1735 for 2 adult 1 child tickets to Christchurch, 1 direct Manchester - Singapore,
Shangri la hotel sentosa 4 nights, including transfers to hotel. direct flight from Singapore to christchurch.

Feel excited now, but have to tell the family it's booked.

Only getting 20kg luggage though.

[kiwidebs]

Hi Jo

Only getting 20kg luggage though.

Have you tried talking to the airline (Singapore Airlines??) directly? Just a thought.

Debs

[Timbo]

I cant speak for SA, but Emirates will definately up your baggage allowance if you can show them that you have a PR or long term work permit. A friend did this with them in April this year, en-route for OZ.

[Jo and Andy]

I will try to ring them, but I think I will end up in trouble anyway, as they don't let you do it if you have a break in teh flight.

Always worth asking though, even if it is abit more.