DelrayChris

Thank you Canarsie!! we are going to try and use our Plat. SkyMiles card for free tickets(90k points each) for the trip, rather than re-opening our closed Amex Plat charge account (for the 2-for-1).

I will call the SkyTeam and see what they can do for us. After a preliminary search on Delta.com, it looks as if each ticket will be about $5k (business/first)! ouch..

Dovster

DelrayChris,

Please change the title of this thread ("International Newbie Needs Help With Honeymoon... "). I got all excited and then learned that it was only about airplane plans.

You are getting married, taking the Mrs. to Rome, and want to UPGRADE your charge card?

That is suicidal!

There is a simple formula taught at the London School of Economics: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1.

1 woman
1 charge card
1 Via Codotti
Total: 1 bankruptcy

DelrayChris

LOL!! More closet space will also be needed for the purchases

USCGamecock

Good luck! ^

DelrayChris

interesting...

I searched Continental.com and found the following, non-refundable fair:

Miami, FL (MIA) to Rome, Italy (FCO)
Depart: Fri., Apr. 1, 2005, 7:30 a.m.
Return: Sun., Apr. 17, 2005, 9:55 a.m.

Price Details
2 Adults: $3,825.22

(D class to/from MIA/EWR and Z to/from EWR/FCO)

Flights/Seats:

CO239 - MIA - EWR - 1E/F

CO40 - EWR - FCO - 2K/L

CO41 - FCO - EWR - 2A/B

CO45 - EWR - MIA - 1E/F

A similar itinerary on Delta is going to cost $6,100 PER PERSON?!? Am I missing something?

DelrayChris

I called Delta directly and was given the same price quote as the Continental.com fair. It seems Delta does not publish their "leisure" fare rates online.

In other good news, we have "secured" the additional points we need for our tickets we will be going this route in first class:

Air France:

MIA - CDG - FCO

ATH - CDG - MIA

campy

Hello FT'ers!

As a loyal lurker for years I can tell you that this is the most important travel tool in my arsenal, and for that I thank you all! I have learned much (bump strategies, best seats, GREAT Cholula sauce) and continue to read and expand my horizons.

My wife and I are taking a slightly overdue honeymoon (2 years) to Hawaii using (all of my) points... I know that there are many posts on this topic, but I wanted to throw our itinerary out there and get any feedback from the group. We'll be staying at the Hyatt's in Kauai and Waikiki and are looking for things to do and places to see. Recommendations of any sort are welcomed!

A few questions though... First, we don't have inter-island travel set up yet. What is fun/romantic? My wife wondered if there are ferries and if they are worthwhile or should we just fly? Also, to rent a car or not rent a car? We would like to get out of the hotel and see the sights and do some exploriing (waterfalls, lava fields, etc.)... is there a better island to do this on? Best type of car? Lastly, on the return, we'll be spending the night at LAX... any ideas there (and yes, we will be trying for a later flight out Sunday morning).

Also.. what travel books would anyone recommend? We have spent some time at our local Borders and found quite a few books... any favorites out there?

I'm scouring the archives and putting information together. I apologize if you feel this is redundant... I just really like the DL gang here and wanted to get your thoughts!

Here are our flights

Sunday April 24
DL 3984 ABQ-SLC 0600-0733 4CD
DL 945 SLC-LAX 0815-0910 1AB
DL 1579 LAX-HNL 1040-1330 7EF

Saturday April 30 / Sunday May 1
DL 196 HNL-LAX 1610-0025 7EF
DL 1852 LAX-SLC 0635-0921 7EF
DL 1124 SLC-ABQ 1000-1132 1AB

Whoohoo! The coveted 7EF seats on the un-coveted 764!

Cheers!

Dave

UpgradeMe

DL?

Why not try the Hawaii forum?

NHFL9

Think of trying for the SLC-HNL non-stop? Also I'd say you want to rent a car. There is so much to see there it would be a shame to never leave the hotel. Although I know of some tours that will pick you up, etc. As for LAX, I like the Westin there, though the shuttle to the airport is usually packed beyond what it can handle... so if you stay there go over to LAX early in case you don't get on the shuttle. (This hasn't happened to me, but the two times I stayed there the shuttle left full, leaving some ppl behind) Inter-island travel, I think other than flying there is a cruise, but am unsure as to the existence of ferries, I don't think so. For flying inter-island I much prefer Aloha, as a result of an awful experience with HA one year, but it isn't that much of a difference, and neither will earn SkyMiles. I'm not too fond of Oahu, seems more touristy and city-like in comparison to the others. For seeing lava, etc Volcanoes Natl Park on the island of Hawaii is the place to go. The island of Hawaii is my personal favorite, has some great beaches and doesn't seem to be as crowded as the others.

GoCanes

What hotel are you staying at??

I was there last September and my girlfriend and I stayed on Oahu... if you want to stay in Waikiki, I highly recommend the Sheraton Moana Surfrider... definitely worth it and a beautiful hotel in thick of it all.

Also, the SLC-HNL flight was quite smooth, so keep contacting DL about that and see if it opens up... even if not, it is Hawaii, have an amazing time.

Also, a restaurant i highly recommend on Oahu in Waikiki is Ocean House... it is in one of the outrigger hotels... amazing food, even more amazing service, and spectacular waterside sunsets... perfect in so many ways.

Also, avoid the Ala Moana Shopping Center... just like a regular mall... nothing authentic...

And yes, rent a car... a drive to the north shore is beautiful and the views will remain forever in your mind!!

Cholula

Aloha campy. And congratulations on your delayed honeymoon trip! You’ve certainly picked one of the most beautiful locations on Earth and I'm certain you’ll both enjoy the trip immensely.
I spend 90% of my Hawaii time on Maui so can’t give you the best of advice on Kauai or Oahu. I’m sure others will weigh in on these islands...I see a few already have.
The only option for traveling between the islands are inter-island flights on either Aloha (AQ) or Hawaiian(HA) Airlines. Won’t do you any good for this trip but FYI there are plans underway to offer Highspeed JetFoil ferry service between the islands in the years to come.
You used to be able to get an airline pass good for a weeks worth of umlimted travel but I don’t know if either AQ or HA offer this any longer. Aloha has some $69 OW fares right now but you need to join their AlohaPass FF program to qualify. Click here for details. You might also want to check out Hawaiian’s website to see if they are offering any special deals. And make sure you hang around FT’s Hawaii Forum as well as many locals there will give you excellent advice.

As others have said, you definitely will want a car on both islands. You can get some decent car rentals rates from all the major car rental companies. You might want to consider renting either a Jeep or a convertible and take advantage of the always beautiful weather in Hawaii.
You scored some good seats to and from Hawaii...the vaunted 7E/F seats which are always in demand. Congratulations! I see you’ve been paying close attention to this Forum.
Have a great honeymoon and let us know how you enjoyed your trip.

BumpMe!

Dave, be careful posting so much detailed information about your travels here.
...There's no telling what some people might do with it.

TTT

Though I have not stayed at the Hyatt on Kauai, it is a beautiful hotel and I am sure you will enjoy it. I would not recommend the Luau at the Hyatt; try to find one that is a little smaller. The Hyatt has 150-300 people at their Luau. The Po'ipu beach area is very nice, which is a short drive from the Hyatt. Also a helicopter ride around the island would be fun to do. They are expensive and touristy though, approximately $179 each. You could also do a Napali coast dinner cruse as well. They are fun and the coast is beautiful. There are also kayaking trips up the Wailua River to the falls, which I really enjoyed. The kayaking trips offer a view of the island that you would not see otherwise. A car is a must on Kauai and not as essential on Oahu, but still good to have if even for a day. As far as books go, The Lonely Planet series is good. Lastly, the Westin LAX is a fine hotel as is the Four Points. The Westin is $119 for your dates and the Four Points is $79. There are also many more hotels at LAX to chose from, and I would say, as long as it’s a brand hotel, it should be fine for just one night. Good luck, and I am sure you will enjoy the islands.

Regards.

andrewp

Damn, and I was planning on booking 2A on the SLC-ABQ segments so that I could kick his seat the entire way!! :-)


To throw my $0.02 in on the discussion...

7EF - Excellent choice. They are the best seats on the plane. Note that unless you are well over 6 ft tall you won't be able to use the footrest on the seat in front of you. Someone on this board suggested using a rollaboard as an "ottoman" during the flight.

Beware of interisland flights operated by Island Air (both HA and QA codeshare with them). They operate on Dash8 Turboprops and leave out of the "commuter terminal" at HNL not sure about LIH. These terminals are cramped and depressing with no services... as are the aircraft. They are also very strict with their baggage weight allowances.

AQ flies ancient 732s (3-3) and HA flies new 717s (2-3). Interisland jet flights are short and the terminals are convenient.

As mentioned before you will want a rental car wherever you stay. On Oahu you should be perfectly fine with your average midsize sedan or a convertible if you like. On Kuai you might want to look into a 4WD if your interests will take you off of the beaten path.

The Frommer's guides are also very good and are updated frequently.

When in Oahu be sure to have dinner at Alan Wong's. From the outside it's not much to look at, but the food is excellent.

outoftown

Was just in Waikiki and Hilo last week. Would absolutely recommend getting a convertible car in HNL (I was able to get Alamo Sebring and PT Cruiser convertibles for $35.99/day through Alamo's website hot deals). You can get the Hawaii what to do list from many sources, so I'll leave that for your research, but feel free to email or PM me if you want my $0.02 worth. I would recommend ATV tour in Kauai. We've stayed at the Kauai Marriott, the Holiday Inn Sunspree (dump) and Kauai Coconut Beach hotels there. Oahu we've stayed in HHV, Marriott Ihilani, Radisson and a B&B, so I'm not familiar with the Hyatt properties but I may be of help on other things to do and see. My restaurant choices lean to idine locations. I'm sure there are better choices than the Seaside Bar & Grill $2.99 breakfast for a honeymooning couple.

outoftown