My wife and I are almost packed and will soon be ready to leave on our first around the world adventure. We are heading to New Zealand for a 14 day vacation, stopping in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Zurich while flying business class on Air Canada, Air New Zealand and Swiss International on an Aeroplan rewards ticket. We'll cover 25k miles over 46 hours in the air during our three week vacation.
I wanted to setup this post as a place holder for all of my reviews of flights and hotels, short stories, and photos. You can follow me through my travel website, departingyow.ca (http://www.departingyow.ca), or through Twitter @departingyow for notifications, or I will be updating this post with links as they are written. To start, I've composed an introduction to the trip and explained how we managed to book such a flight.
My DSLR is packed and I hope to share lots of photos of beautiful New Zealand with everyone. I welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions through either this forum or via email at michael@departingyow.ca
Individual Page Links:
Introduction and Explanation (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-introduction-and-explanation/)
YUL-LAX (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-montreal-to-los-angeles)
Stopover in LAX (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-two-days-in-los-angeles)
LAX-AKL (via RAR) (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-los-angeles-to-auckland)
Video of our take-off from Rarotonga (http://youtu.be/xM2I9clCVPY)
Fourteen Days in New Zealand
Auckland (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-auckland/)
Rotorua (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-rotorua)
National Park (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-national-park-and-tongariro-alpine-crossing/)
Wellington (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-wellington/)
Photo Collection from the North Island (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-la-and-the-north-island/)
Blenheim (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-blenheim-and-wine-tasting/)
West Coast (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-west-coast-and-glacier/)
Queenstown (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-queenstown/)
Milfrod Sound (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-milford-sound-and-te-anau/)
Dunedin (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-dunedin/)
Photo Collection from the South Island (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-south-island-and-voyage-home/)
DUD-AKL (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-dunedin-to-auckland/)
AKL-NRT
Twenty-four hours in Tokyo
NRT-ZRH
Twenty-four hours in Zurich
ZRH-YUL
Conclusion
A few sample photos from the two sets...
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7444396740_982846f347.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444396740/)
Mitre Peak and Milford Sound on a still and hazy day (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444396740/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7126345993_13c4247542.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126345993/)
Panoramic view from just off the summit. L-R, Blue Lake, Emerald Lakes, Red Crater (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126345993/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/7126456541_898c71fcf4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126456541/)
Maori boat (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126456541/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7444307906_183d1fd6dd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444307906/)
Dinner at Wither Hills Winery. One of the best meals on the trip (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444307906/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7444309368_0ecb038afa.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444309368/)
On a driving break between Blenheim and Greymouth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444309368/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
dataflux
Mar 29, 12, 3:47 pm
Introduction and Explanation
In December of last year, Aeroplan – Air Canada’s associated frequent flyer program – ran an unofficial and unannounced promotion that allowed for business class reward redemptions at economy class rates. Luckily, I had been hoarding points for a number of years and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them. After some deliberations - including coordinating work schedules and putting off adopting a dog - Erin and I decided to take advantage of the promotion and book flights to the destination at the top of our ”To Do” list – New Zealand.
One of the major benefits of the Aeroplan program is that the redemptions of points is not limited to a set dollar amount credited towards the base fare of a ticket (like other redemption programs, such as Avion). Aeroplan bases redemption levels on regions (ie., between Canada and Europe) and not does not limit rewards on ticket price. Another benefit is that you can redeem Aeroplan points not only for Air Canada flights, but any of the Star Alliance Partners. You can also redeem for gift certificates and toasters, but the value of the points is highest for flight redemptions, and specifically business class. The limiting factor for Aeroplan reward booking is seat availability (unlike other programs, like Avion), which can often be a major frustration if your dates and/or destination are not flexible. Another recent annoyance with the Aeroplan program is fuel surcharges on flights for many Star Alliance partners, which can make your “free” ticket cost several hundred-dollars for intercontinental flights.
A hidden benefit to Aeroplan (for those who enjoy flying and want to extend their vacation) is the ability to turn a basic reward into an “around the world” experience with multiple stops. Basically, Aeroplan allows – within certain guideline and limitations – two stopovers on rewards tickets in addition to your destination. The second hidden benefit is that when redeeming for certain reward flights, you can book your flights so that they cross both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing for “Around the World” trips. There are, of course, restrictions on these rewards, including limiting the number of flight segments (10) and setting a maximum permitted mileage between your departure and destination city (but there are exceptions to these rules). Working within the rules, reward redemptions can offer the opportunity to build an almost unbelievable flight itinerary spanning two oceans, three destinations and could cost only a few hundred dollars for a ticket valued at over ten thousand dollars. (For more information, the Aeroplan forum at FlyerTalk is a great resource, specifically the FAQ on mini-Round the World Trips).
Our redemption was for a Canada – Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific reward in business class. Since New Zealand is a popular destination and has a limited number of direct flights from North America, we had to build our entire flight around the only North America-New Zealand flight we could find in business class – LAX-AKL via the Cook Islands. After two days of internet research and piecing together separate flight segments into a complete itinerary, we called the Aeroplan call center and pulled the trigger. Our first itinerary included a circuitous start of YOW-YYZ-YUL, a two-day stopover in Los Angeles, 10 days in New Zealand, and a two-day stopover in Hawaii on the return home. While Hawaii would be a beautiful place to end most vacations, we already had a January trip planned to the Hawaiian Islands and we wanted to maximize our time in New Zealand. Plus, many people who had experience in New Zealand noted that 10 days was not enough time to explore both islands at a comfortable pace, especially given the time required for Erin to adjust to 17-hours worth of jetlag and me to adjust to toilets flushing in the opposite direction.
Rather than flying back to Ottawa heading east, I began to explore options for flying west – that is, the long way home. Eventually, I found flight segments that allowed routing via Japan and Europe that would extend our vacation in New Zealand by over four days and avoid the unnecessary stopover in Hawaii. Plus, even though ‘stopovers’ in Japan and Europe would be less than 24 hours, it would give us a night to explore two new cities. When I called, two out of three Aeroplan customer service representatives agreed that the new routing from New Zealand worked (the second – the one that scared me – said that it was neither a published routing nor within the maximum permitted miles). After a $90 “change fee” per ticket we finalized our New Zealand itinerary of YUL-LAX-RAR-AKL-NRT-ZRH-YUL and the four-month wait to the departure began.
Our routing starts in Montreal (since there was better availability from Montreal compared to Ottawa) and takes us to Los Angeles on Air Canada. Our original plan was to stay with friends in L.A. but this fell through after they decided to move from L.A. to Alberta shortly after we booked our flight. Plans in L.A. include renting a car and driving the PCH north, seeing a Clippers game, and maybe taking the TMZ Bus Tour. After a few days in L.A. we fly to Auckland on Air New Zealand to start our two-week New Zealand vacation. We plan on renting a car and driving from Auckland to Dunedin, staying in most cities for only a single night. After two weeks of photography, hiking, touring and exploring we fly Dunedin to Auckland on a non-rewards ticket, and begin our voyage home. We are flying Auckland to Tokyo on Air New Zealand, with an overnight in Tokyo. We then fly Tokyo to Zürich on Swiss International, with an overnight in Zürich. Finally we fly Zürich to Montreal on Swiss International, with a train ride back to Ottawa to finish off the trip.
In total, we are flying almost 25,000 miles over two full days in the air broken into roughly 10 hour segments (unfortunately, you cannot collect additional Aeroplan rewards miles while on a reward ticket). Thankfully our time spent on the airplanes will be in business class in comfortable seats with plenty of legroom and good meals. We plan on enjoying a few international lounges, aquiring amenity kits from three different carriers, and sampling the complimentary beer and wine. We are flying Airbus’ A319, A340-300, and A330-300 and Boeing’s 737, 767-300 and 777-200. Each ticket cost 80k Aeroplan points (business normally costs 135k to the South Pacific) and only approximately $300 each in taxes, fees, fuel surcharges and booking fees. Certainly an amazing experience before either of us turn 30 and a great deal considering the normal cost of flying just to New Zealand, let alone around the world.
I intend to use departingyow.ca to keep in contact with friends, family and colleagues during our three-week vacation. I will be posting reviews of the flights and maybe of the hotels, daily pictures, and hopefully some interesting stories about sheep, getting lost in Tokyo, driving on the wrong-side of the road, and finding food that both of us can eat (my predictions, at least). The frequency of the updates will depend on free internet connections and Erin’s willingness to either drive or transcribe my reviews from the passenger seat. I will certainly catch up on writing during our intercontinental flights in between episodes of Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
worldtrav
Mar 29, 12, 6:09 pm
Looking forward to the report, NZ is my favorite place on earth.
dataflux
Jul 17, 12, 12:43 pm
This is overdue (and still incomplete) but I am not sure if I'll ever get around to writing the story of the trip home. We had an amazing trip and took lots of pictures. Wanted to share the story with the flyertalk community who helped put it together through advice and shared knowledge. Questions and comments welcomed at michael@departingyow.ca
Main blog: http://www.departingyow.ca
Trip report: http://www.departingyow.ca/new-zealand-round-the-world/
Twitter: departingyow
Individual Page Links:
Introduction and Explanation (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-introduction-and-explanation/)
YUL-LAX (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-montreal-to-los-angeles)
Stopover in LAX (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-two-days-in-los-angeles)
LAX-AKL (via RAR) (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-los-angeles-to-auckland)
Video of our take-off from Rarotonga (http://youtu.be/xM2I9clCVPY)
Fourteen Days in New Zealand
Auckland (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-auckland/)
Rotorua (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-rotorua)
National Park (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-national-park-and-tongariro-alpine-crossing/)
Wellington (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-wellington/)
Photo Collection from the North Island (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-la-and-the-north-island/)
Blenheim (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-blenheim-and-wine-tasting/)
West Coast (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-west-coast-and-glacier/)
Queenstown (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-queenstown/)
Milfrod Sound (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-milford-sound-and-te-anau/)
Dunedin (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-dunedin/)
Photo Collection from the South Island (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-south-island-and-voyage-home/)
DUD-AKL (http://www.departingyow.ca/nz-dunedin-to-auckland/)
AKL-NRT
Twenty-four hours in Tokyo
NRT-ZRH
Twenty-four hours in Zurich
ZRH-YUL
Conclusion
A few sample photos from the two sets...
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7444396740_982846f347.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444396740/)
Mitre Peak and Milford Sound on a still and hazy day (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444396740/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7126345993_13c4247542.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126345993/)
Panoramic view from just off the summit. L-R, Blue Lake, Emerald Lakes, Red Crater (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126345993/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/7126456541_898c71fcf4.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126456541/)
Maori boat (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7126456541/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7444307906_183d1fd6dd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444307906/)
Dinner at Wither Hills Winery. One of the best meals on the trip (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444307906/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7444309368_0ecb038afa.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444309368/)
On a driving break between Blenheim and Greymouth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/departingyow/7444309368/) by departingyow (http://www.flickr.com/people/departingyow/), on Flickr
corruptcanadian
Aug 1, 12, 12:53 am
curious why you didn't stay longer in other places. Aren't you allowed 2 stopovers and one point of return?
dataflux
Aug 1, 12, 7:28 am
curious why you didn't stay longer in other places. Aren't you allowed 2 stopovers and one point of return?
I agree that we did not use the stopovers to their full potential; however, we're both under 30 with finite vacation and had a trip to Hawaii earlier in the year. Our goal was to maximize our time in New Zealand. Even our time in LA could have been shorter - we originally planned to visit and stay with friends but they moved out of LA shortly after we booked our tickets!
corruptcanadian
Aug 1, 12, 9:35 pm
Well, I have enjoyed reading your posts, pictures and recommendations! I am planning on an around the world in the next 2 summers and one of my stops is going to be New Zealand (or Australia and pay for the ticket to NZ)! Your pictures boosted my excitement and quashed any qualms about going there in our summer. (Though I would like to hear more on that). Was it too cold? Wet? or well worth it?
dataflux
Aug 2, 12, 6:52 am
We were there in April, so our spring, their fall. Weather was perfect for traveling. We had mostly high teens, low- to mid-twenties depending on our location. Even got to see some of their fall colors during our many drives through the countryside. With rain, we got lucky, and only really had a day or two while we were on the North Island checking out the spas of Rotorua.