UK to Australia/New Zealand over New Year
May 12, 2006, 5:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold
Posts: 229
UK to Australia/New Zealand over New Year
I'm trying to plan a trip from the UK (don't mind which airport) to Australia and New Zealand, leaving just after Christmas day (possibly 26th) and coming back early January.
I've got enough air miles for myself and my friend to fly one way in business class, and this will allow me to have a stopover in Sydney on the way to New Zealand (or the other way around).
This means that we'll need to buy a one way ticket for either the outward leg or return leg (in economy).
I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on routing, airline and dates, as I've never flown to that corner of the world before. Would preferably want to use the miles on the more expensive leg, so that the paid ticket needed will be cheaper. I have *G status (my friend has none), so Star Alliance is preferable for lounge access, etc on the paid ticket.
Thanks for any suggestions
I've got enough air miles for myself and my friend to fly one way in business class, and this will allow me to have a stopover in Sydney on the way to New Zealand (or the other way around).
This means that we'll need to buy a one way ticket for either the outward leg or return leg (in economy).
I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on routing, airline and dates, as I've never flown to that corner of the world before. Would preferably want to use the miles on the more expensive leg, so that the paid ticket needed will be cheaper. I have *G status (my friend has none), so Star Alliance is preferable for lounge access, etc on the paid ticket.
Thanks for any suggestions
May 12, 2006, 5:58 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold (and other non-status plastic)
Posts: 1,889
Originally Posted by jim739
I'm trying to plan a trip from the UK (don't mind which airport) to Australia and New Zealand, leaving just after Christmas day (possibly 26th) and coming back early January.
I've got enough air miles for myself and my friend to fly one way in business class, and this will allow me to have a stopover in Sydney on the way to New Zealand (or the other way around).
This means that we'll need to buy a one way ticket for either the outward leg or return leg (in economy).
I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on routing, airline and dates, as I've never flown to that corner of the world before. Would preferably want to use the miles on the more expensive leg, so that the paid ticket needed will be cheaper. I have *G status (my friend has none), so Star Alliance is preferable for lounge access, etc on the paid ticket.
Thanks for any suggestions
I've got enough air miles for myself and my friend to fly one way in business class, and this will allow me to have a stopover in Sydney on the way to New Zealand (or the other way around).
This means that we'll need to buy a one way ticket for either the outward leg or return leg (in economy).
I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on routing, airline and dates, as I've never flown to that corner of the world before. Would preferably want to use the miles on the more expensive leg, so that the paid ticket needed will be cheaper. I have *G status (my friend has none), so Star Alliance is preferable for lounge access, etc on the paid ticket.
Thanks for any suggestions
One-ways are however, generally poor value, so would you consider doing paid Y return? Or Miles + cash biz for half the miles in each direction?
As for airline, I think it will be dictated by availability and the price you're willing to pay
For the miles seat, use the ANA tool to check availability, but I suspect you may end up on TG (if you are lucky) or OZ (if you are adventurous), because biz availability on SQ, NH, OS and NZ will be poor around that time. Even (in fact, especially) on the SYD-AKL leg, now that TG no longer do it
For the paid seat, check with Trailfinders as your first benchmark fare, and then online on the usual suspects Travelmood, Opodo, Airline Network, etc. The cheaper seats won't normally be released until closer to the Autumn though, so you may be taking a gamble by securing your miles seat inbound now, and then not being sure what price to pay for your outbound paid cash seat till closer to the time
Just MHO, but hope that's useful!
May 12, 2006, 6:34 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold
Posts: 229
Originally Posted by kt74
One-ways are however, generally poor value, so would you consider doing paid Y return? Or Miles + cash biz for half the miles in each direction?
I did consider this, but the prices from SIN-SYD/AKL or HKG-SYD/AKL were coming up as more expensive than the one way LHR-SYD/AKL, but I might have just been looking in the wrong place.
I had a quick look using the ANA tool and did find some SQ availability but most of it was with NZ and TG. I'd have to be flexible with the dates to get SQ even now so would probably need to book soon to secure a good carrier.
I'm tempted to wait until the Autumn for cheaper flights, but so far the cheapest I've found is about £500 and I don't see it getting much cheaper than this?
Any more suggestions would be much appreciated.
May 12, 2006, 8:47 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Sydney NSW Australia
Posts: 2,337
Instead of a one way in Business, why not get a Business return for the longer portion of the routing to say BKK on the reward and then buy seperate BKK-SYD-AKL-BKK return from one of the notoriously cheap BKK bucket shops? I'm presuming of course the difference in miles required for the Asia return against the Sth Pacific return is enough to get you the two seats needed.
The longer part of the trip on this option is in "comfort" and the shortish BKK-SYD SYD-AKL AKL-BKK (or AKL-x/SYD-BKK) legs can be done mainly in daylight in TG's Y, which is reasonably comfortable with the 34" pitch, AVOD etc etc etc. Being a paid seat you would get access to TG's coded flights on NZ trans-tasman.
The longer part of the trip on this option is in "comfort" and the shortish BKK-SYD SYD-AKL AKL-BKK (or AKL-x/SYD-BKK) legs can be done mainly in daylight in TG's Y, which is reasonably comfortable with the 34" pitch, AVOD etc etc etc. Being a paid seat you would get access to TG's coded flights on NZ trans-tasman.
May 13, 2006, 3:47 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold
Posts: 229
Originally Posted by Al B
Instead of a one way in Business, why not get a Business return for the longer portion of the routing to say BKK on the reward and then buy seperate BKK-SYD-AKL-BKK return from one of the notoriously cheap BKK bucket shops? I'm presuming of course the difference in miles required for the Asia return against the Sth Pacific return is enough to get you the two seats needed.
The longer part of the trip on this option is in "comfort" and the shortish BKK-SYD SYD-AKL AKL-BKK (or AKL-x/SYD-BKK) legs can be done mainly in daylight in TG's Y, which is reasonably comfortable with the 34" pitch, AVOD etc etc etc. Being a paid seat you would get access to TG's coded flights on NZ trans-tasman.
The longer part of the trip on this option is in "comfort" and the shortish BKK-SYD SYD-AKL AKL-BKK (or AKL-x/SYD-BKK) legs can be done mainly in daylight in TG's Y, which is reasonably comfortable with the 34" pitch, AVOD etc etc etc. Being a paid seat you would get access to TG's coded flights on NZ trans-tasman.
If I don't mind starting in a different zone, e.g. CPH which I can get to cheaply, it is only 37,500 miles + cash for business to HKG, but 60,000 miles to BKK. I think I will try and go for the return with miles, e.g. CPH-HKG however and then try and book a return ticket for a shorther leg.
Thanks again