Flight Bookings

abesrve · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 41

Hello,

I've been checking around the forum for flight info and see some of you got really decent deals on flights. Can you tell me where you booked (direct with airline, travel agent, expedia, opodo?), where you are flying from, what type of tickets you have and, finally, cost? Obviously, there will be some variation just now because of the situation in Iraq but it would be good to know where the best deals are to be found.

Cheers.

eric_amanda · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Hi

We are family of five (2 Adults, 3 children (3, 16mth & 6mth)). We are flying Manchester to Auckland via Singapore with Singapore Airlines on 11 Aug, on one way tickets. We are paying for seats for all children and it has cost us £2150. (Infants need car sears suitable for securing with airline lap belt).

We booked direct with Singapore Airlines in the end as this was the cheapest fare, after checking all the usual internet brokers etc. There is some variation in cost as there are two flights out of Singapore in the evenings one around 6pm and another around 9.30pm. Since we will be there 12hrs anyway we decided to go for the earlier flight and pay a bit extra. Flights a week later are also a bit cheaper.

Hope this helps

Amanda

Timbo · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Check out a few web prices and print them off. Take them to your nearest Flight centre and ask them to better it. They advertise that they will beat any quote, including from the web sites. It worked for me.

michelle · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:36 pm Post subject:

If I'm using the internet I tend to use www.airline-network.co.uk and www.ebookers.co.uk. I find Opodo to be expensive by comparison. For high street I use Travelbag.

Look in the weekend travel supplements, phone around and as Tim said don't be afraid to say you can get flights cheaper elsewhere.

Check the individual airlines web sites for the routing that suits you best with minimal connection times.

It does involve a bit of leg work but can usually pay dividends.

As regards car seats, most are suitable but its always best to check with the airline as there is the odd one that isn't. It should have a quick release type harness with a 3 point lap diagonal belt. There is also an age limit of 6 months to 3 years but again check with the airline.

Michelle

karltsmith · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:51 pm Post subject:

We used airline-network and got a price £500 less than going direct to the airline for the same flight same date etc. We paid £1350 for a family of 4, 2 adults and two 2.5 year olds, Air NZ via LAX, March 19th, fr Heathrow.

If baggage allowance is a concern go via LAX and you will get a 60kg/person allowance + 14 kg cabin allowance on 2 pieces of luggage.

We bought over 290kg of baggage with us including 2 car seats, 2 travel cots, 30 washable nappies, 2 potties, 2 bed guards, 1 laptop + sofware and acessories, 1 digital camcorder, 2 briefcases, 2 high chairs, medicines for the twins and virtually our entire wardrobe.

Did we need it all?.......you bet! Nice One

kiwi · Valued Member Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 126

and 2 cuddley toys!

abesrve · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 41

Thanks folks,

Karl, airline-network (£885) saves about £20 from the direct airline price (£904) on my 'test' date (27/08/04) so that's good. However, ebookers clips that a little with a one way ticket for 2 adults from Manchester to Auckland costing £860. Opodo came in at £1131 so they seem to be quite expensive.

Just some numbers to be thrown around for those looking at flights. If anyone finds lower then please let me know.

michelle · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:24 pm Post subject:

Karl

You deserve a medal, suddenly my packing seems so easy.

Michelle

ENZ · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject:

By happy co-incidence, I've placed a new article on the website today dealing with the pros and cons of the different routes into NZ. It should be helpful re. the decision making process.

http://www.emigratenz.org/flights-to-new-zealand.html

Any comments are welcome - I have been known to re-edit articles several times. Yes

michelle · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:38 pm Post subject:

Singapore usually have the best connections from MAN, Emirates is good if you deapart MAN on the early evening flight but has a long ish wait in Dubai on the afternoon flight.

Singapore go MAN SIN AKL
Emirates go MAN DXB SIN BNE AKL although I believe they are starting direct flights without the Brisbane bit.

Just a thought if you have kids in tow as its lots of short sectors instead of 2 long sectors. The crew do 2 meals on each sector so there is less lights out time, not great if you can sleep for hours but good if you like to regularly stretch your legs around an aiport terminal.

Michelle

eric_amanda · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:49 pm Post subject:

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH ENZ

I have just telephoned Singapore Airlines thinking we could only have 25kg of luggage each. They have said that if we have visas that we have not entered on before and we are emigrating we can have 40kg of luggage each, including the same for the children (as they each have seats paid for)

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Thanks again

Amanda

michelle · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:25 pm Post subject:

Yes if you are migating its 40 kg if its a work visa its just the normal 20 kg although you can apply for extra, I beieve you have to put the request in writing to the airline.

They are very helpful unlike Cathay Pacific who refused to budge on the 20kg limit

Michelle

Moorf · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject:

Great article - thanks, I think we made the right choice Nice One

Lee&Nicky · I Like It Here Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 70

Has anyone used Trailfinders? As we may have to prove onward flights out of NZ as part of our visitor's visas, I was wondering whether a "round the world" ticket would be a good option in this respect. I have only ever used Trailfinders for this before, are there better out there? A "rtw" ticket also gives us the flexibility to stop off two of three times on the way out to NZ as an extended holiday before the serious business of securing PR in NZ starts.

Anybody got any views or experiences they can share in this regard?

Thanks.

Lee&Nicky

eric_amanda · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:56 pm Post subject:

Hi Michelle

Thanks for mentioning this, Eric quieried this aswell when I told him!

I have just called back to reconfirm and after explaining the type of visas we all have (work visas for us and visitor visas for the boys all lasting until Jan 2007), they have confirmed that we can all have 40kg + 7kg hand luggage plus laptop etc etc.

Hope this helps anyone else aswell.

Amanda