Help booking J award AKL - YYZ

Old Feb 21, 2014, 4:49 pm
  #31  
 
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They just opened up United MEL-LAX on 787-9 starting end of October (currently nothing available past Jan 16). Take the savings from the fuel surcharge and spend it on a SYD-AKL-MEL Open Jaw ticket. (Fuel surcharge AKL-NRT-YVR was $450)

There seems to be a blackout period on NZ between Dec 12 and Jan 7, so good luck getting the flight on Jan 2...
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 2:58 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by lowside67
Just so we are clear, you are not trying to book a one way home from AKL right?

This needs to be a round trip ticket - YYZ-SYD, AKL-YYZ and tell the agent your POINT OF TURN IS SYD. There is no reason this should not work.

Mark
When you say POINT OF TURN IS SYD what does that mean in terms of the two weeks in AKL? Is that only doable on revenue?
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 3:35 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
When you say POINT OF TURN IS SYD what does that mean in terms of the two weeks in AKL? Is that only doable on revenue?
He means that you state to the agent you are booking an open-jaw ticket with the point of turnaround (POT) being SYD (and not AKL as it is closer and that is why you are having problems getting the return AKL-x-YYZ to be booked by an agent).

The agent will not care how or for how long it takes you to get to SYD-AKL - it will be up to you to book your own transport from SYD-AKL (ie. revenue ticket - should be <$300 one way. The chance of you finding a reward ticket SYD-AKL is highly unlikely so that is why people are trying to suggest this routing for you.
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 6:46 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by mountaingrl
He means that you state to the agent you are booking an open-jaw ticket with the point of turnaround (POT) being SYD (and not AKL as it is closer and that is why you are having problems getting the return AKL-x-YYZ to be booked by an agent).

The agent will not care how or for how long it takes you to get to SYD-AKL - it will be up to you to book your own transport from SYD-AKL (ie. revenue ticket - should be <$300 one way. The chance of you finding a reward ticket SYD-AKL is highly unlikely so that is why people are trying to suggest this routing for you.
Thanks, I get it now. I've been thinking that I could get a reward tix SYD-AKL. I have spoken to so many people who book from YYZ-LAX-SYD-AKL and I thought they all did reward tix straight through.
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 7:49 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
Thanks, I get it now. I've been thinking that I could get a reward tix SYD-AKL. I have spoken to so many people who book from YYZ-LAX-SYD-AKL and I thought they all did reward tix straight through.
Oh they probably did get a reward ticket SYD-AKL - but you need it during high season and availability is super low and you should have been looking the day seats opened up. If you search in March (lower season) for example there are lots of NZ SYD-AKL flights available. There are still SYD-AKL reward seats in January 2015 but they connect through other NZ towns like ZQN (Queenstown). WLG (Wellington), and CHC (Christchurch) so at least 2 stops to get to AKL (look Jan. 8th for SYD-AKL for example). Not sure if you have to be in AKL for sure but the south island is far more scenic and if you can fly SYD-ZQN you will find yourself in a city with mountains around you and lovely lakes! And there is more availability from ZQN or CHC back to AKL during January/February 2015 right now.
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 9:02 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
Thanks, I get it now. I've been thinking that I could get a reward tix SYD-AKL. I have spoken to so many people who book from YYZ-LAX-SYD-AKL and I thought they all did reward tix straight through.
Many people certainly have booked the trip you're looking for on points (I'm one of them--done it twice with a pair of J seats each time--on NZ, direct from west coast of NA), but unfortunately, things have changed in recent years. You're looking for a trip to AKL, in J, with a reasonable routing, and at high season--it just isn't going to happen.

As others have said, routing through Asia might work, but this is high season and you will need to be very flexible in dates. The easiest way to do this now is by booking your reward to SYD and paying cash for a seat across the Tasman.

Originally Posted by mountaingrl
Oh they probably did get a reward ticket SYD-AKL - but you need it during high season and availability is super low and you should have been looking the day seats opened up. If you search in March (lower season) for example there are lots of NZ SYD-AKL flights available. There are still SYD-AKL reward seats in January 2015 but they connect through other NZ towns like ZQN (Queenstown). WLG (Wellington), and CHC (Christchurch) so at least 2 stops to get to AKL (look Jan. 8th for SYD-AKL for example). Not sure if you have to be in AKL for sure but the south island is far more scenic and if you can fly SYD-ZQN you will find yourself in a city with mountains around you and lovely lakes! And there is more availability from ZQN or CHC back to AKL during January/February 2015 right now.
+1

mountaingirl is certainly right about the South Island--way more scenic than the north (not that the north is not scenic). I don't know what your plans are when you get to NZ, but if I only had 2 weeks to spend in NZ, I'd spend it all (or nearly all) in the South Island. Sure, Auckland is a great city, and the North Island of NZ has some great beauty and attractions, but flying in or out through ZQN/CHC could work well or even better than AKL. You can also fly to WLG and take the ferry across to the SI.
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 9:19 pm
  #37  
 
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As posted above, lax to Melbourne on United is quite readily available.

Set Melbourne as destination and you can easily do a stopover in Auckland
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 10:23 pm
  #38  
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Hum... this is all so interesting. Yes, I heard that the south island is just wonderful. One of my thoughts on the itinerary is to go YYZ-SYD. Stay in SYD for a couple of days. Fly from SYD to Christchurch. Spend two weeks touring from Christchurch and ending up in AKL. Fly from AKL back to SYD and somehow manage to get from SYD back to YYZ. Originally I thought that I could get a reward seat in J to Christchurch but the agent says that she sees none available. I don't know if that means that NZ air hasn't loaded as yet or if they just don't release. If I have to buy a ticket between SYD and NZ (whether it's AKL or Christchurch) I will but I just didn't think I would have to do that. You are all so helpful and I really appreciate it.
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 10:57 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
Hum... this is all so interesting. Yes, I heard that the south island is just wonderful. One of my thoughts on the itinerary is to go YYZ-SYD. Stay in SYD for a couple of days. Fly from SYD to Christchurch. Spend two weeks touring from Christchurch and ending up in AKL. Fly from AKL back to SYD and somehow manage to get from SYD back to YYZ. Originally I thought that I could get a reward seat in J to Christchurch but the agent says that she sees none available. I don't know if that means that NZ air hasn't loaded as yet or if they just don't release. If I have to buy a ticket between SYD and NZ (whether it's AKL or Christchurch) I will but I just didn't think I would have to do that. You are all so helpful and I really appreciate it.
No worries, you can go on the Aeroplan website and search for SYD-AKL or SYD-ZQN or SYD-CHC (search round trip as Aeroplan won't book a one way but you can give the information to an agent about availability) and see if some dates work. You can fly SYD-ZQN-CHC-AKL on Jan. 8 and 11, 13, 15, 17, 18th. But do some research and check out Queenstown, NZ (for the magnificent sites) and see if you may like to visit there. We have been to NZ 7 times (just came back on Thursday being away for a month). It is also super easy to take a bus from ZQN to CHC and it gives you a chance to see the country (or rent a car). It looks like NZ has dates released up to January 19 as I see almost every day in January (up to Jan. 19th) you can fly ZQN-CHC and CHC-AKL. Good luck with your trip!
Oh and no J on NZ domestic and I think just the 767s have J on the Tasman routing SYD-AKL.

Last edited by mountaingrl; Feb 22, 2014 at 11:11 pm
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 11:14 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by mountaingrl
No worries, you can go on the Aeroplan website and search for SYD-AKL or SYD-ZQN or SYD-CHC (search round trip as Aeroplan won't book a one way but you can give the information to an agent about availability) and see if some dates work. You can fly SYD-ZQN-CHC-AKL on Jan. 8 and 11, 13, 15, 17, 18th. But do some research and check out Queenstown, NZ (for the magnificent sites) and see if you may like to visit there. We have been to NZ 7 times (just came back on Thursday being away for a month). It is also super easy to take a bus from ZQN to CHC and it gives you a chance to see the country (or rent a car). It looks like NZ has dates released up to January 19 as I see almost every day in January (up to Jan. 19th) you can fly ZQN-CHC and CHC-AKL. Good luck with your trip!
Oh and no J on NZ domestic and I think just the 767s have J on the Tasman routing SYD-AKL.
I will look for a SYD-CHC for Jan. 4 and then I want to rent a car and drive around and end up in AKL. Then I want to fly AKL-SYD on Jan 20 and then SYD-YYZ. Do you think this can be viewed on the AP website?
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Old Feb 22, 2014, 11:31 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
I will look for a SYD-CHC for Jan. 4 and then I want to rent a car and drive around and end up in AKL. Then I want to fly AKL-SYD on Jan 20 and then SYD-YYZ. Do you think this can be viewed on the AP website?
You can search segment by segment for any flight on the Aeroplan site to see if it is available (there are many other search tools like looking for UA blue saver rewards but the Aeroplan website will do) but look for round trips as Aeroplan does not sell one ways that don't have an end in North America- but doesn't look like there are any SYD-CHC flights or even SYD-ZQN flights until January 8th. You should be able to fly CHC-AKL on Jan. 20th but that seat won't be released until tomorrow (you can book Jan. 19th now). Oh and you don't want to take your rental car over the ferry from Picton to Wellington as too expensive ($250 NZ I think just for the car!).

Ooops you want AKL-SYD for January 20th don't think you will find that either - although if you wanted that date I would watch to see if a seat opens up in next 24hrs! But no availability for that routing either from Jan. 1-Jan. 19th.
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Old Feb 23, 2014, 6:28 am
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Safti
I will look for a SYD-CHC for Jan. 4 and then I want to rent a car and drive around and end up in AKL. Then I want to fly AKL-SYD on Jan 20 and then SYD-YYZ. Do you think this can be viewed on the AP website?
Any flights you're going to find between SYD and NZ on Aeroplan are not going to be in J. J cabins have been removed from all but a few flights into AKL, and NZ just doesn't seem to be releasing the J seats for *A redemption. So, you might find that redeeming an extra 25,000 miles just for a Y seat is not great value for your points, when you could probably just purchase a round-trip flight across the Tasman for around $500. And if you're buying the seat for cash, you can pretty much fly any dates you want.

You can still work your way back up to AKL by car, but you won't actually need to take your car on the ferry. Some of the major rental companies don't want their cars to leave the island they start on, but they have a good system in place. For example, Hertz has a rental office at the Interislander terminals in Picton and Wellington. If you rent a one-way car from CHC to AKL with Hertz, you actually drop off your car in Picton and pick up a new one in Wellington when you get to the other side, and then you don't have to worry about the fees of putting the car on the ferry.
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Old Feb 24, 2014, 2:48 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by donnyk
Just as a side note to this thread, Air NZ pulled all Business AKL-HNL availability labour day weekend 2013 and it has never returned. Before that there was a nice bit available. At least one person reported success on the Air NZ forum of just emailing them and they did actually open a reward seat up to star alliance and they were able to book it right away. May have just been a very nice agent but never hurts to try.
Thanks. I tried looking up that thread but can't find it. I would be happy to email someone at AirNZ but have no idea who that might be. Seems to me they are doing lots to discourage tourism if they don't ever open up reward seats. Let me know if you have an address.
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Old Feb 24, 2014, 2:52 pm
  #44  
 
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I emailed them looking for AKL-YVR and was told politely that there was nothing they could (or would) do for me...
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Old Feb 24, 2014, 7:36 pm
  #45  
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Figures. What time of year are you trying to go?
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