Flights

Flights have been more troublesome than ever, but I think we've found our winner. Jen went to Flight Centre yesterday to get a quote, but we decided that we’d rather fly V Australian rather than Air Pacific as we’d know that they’re a good airline. The cheapest direct flight from Sydney to LA that we could find online was $2984 (excluding the flight from Bris to Syd and the flight from LA to Orlando). We were both happy with this, but since I had an exam at Uni today I thought there would be no harm in getting another quote from STA travel on the University campus. They’re a great travel agent, I’ve gone to the before for my trip to London and Paris, so if they had reasonable priced tickets I’d be comfortable booking it through them.

I got a quote through STA Travel from the airline Air New Zealand for $4398.46 (2 Passengers, $2196.73 ea) and that was for a return ticket that can be booked 18 months in advance. STA travel also said that there is a $85 fee for changing the return date, however if the change was made 3+ months in advance to departure from LA, STA travel would be able to do it for free, which I don’t think we’d be able to find anywhere else! Initially I wanted just a direct flight to LA; this one does have a stopover in New Zealand. It’s for 4hrs, which does seem long, but from what I found out when I went to London & Paris, most of that time is taken up by getting out of the plane, finding your way back to the gate in which you go through a security check, again, and then wait for everyone to check-in, then you board. Sounds like a quick process, no? My stopover in London from Paris was 3hrs and it went by quick, so that’s good.

This would be our itinerary if we decide to go with STA Travel and Air New Zealand:

4^th January 2012

Depart Brisbane at 11:15

Arrive in Auckland at 17:25

Depart Auckland at 22:45

Arrive in LA at 14:00

So if we decide to fly with Air New Zealand we make a $50ea deposit to book the flights, and then have about 3 months I think it was to pay off the flights. I now realise I forgot to ask what their prices that they could find for accommodation were and whether they have Universal packages or something, but I can always ask that on Monday when I have my next exam…