Austrailia/New Zealand/USA airfare?

[jarand]

We are looking at a cruise starting in Sydney and ending in New Zealand. Is there a website or strategy for getting reasonable airfare to and from the USA? Are there any great stopovers mid-flight that help the trip length and/or cost?

 

Thanks!

[Bizziecruzer]

Try expedia dot com using their multi stopover option. Add some accommodation and you should get a fairly cheap package. IMHO - don't do a stopover. Fly your home to LA then to Sydney, get some accommodation there, cruise to Auckland then fly Back to USA Via Auckland. Good luck with your planning

[Jacs]

Qantas will also fly direct Dallas- Sydney on some days if that works better for you, and Air New Zealand I think does direct to San Francisco too. If you do want a stop over, Fiji, Tahiti or Hawaii are your best bets for direct flights from NZ and then to US, but it usually isn't cheaper than a direct flight, unless you use a budget domestic for Hawaii- home.

[Fletch1]

I would look at Virgin as well...they sometimes have some good fares to and from the USA. Air New Zealand is another option.

 

Stopovers.....if any, I would only do the USA to Sydney leg, possibly in Cook Islands or similar...they would be about half wayish??? On the way home, I would fly direct as flying from Auckland, you are 3 hours closer.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Check out Hawaian Airlines as well. They have been throwing some pretty good deals around lately.:)

 

[Goldygolfer]

Our TA advised us this week that Qantas will be adding on a fuel surcharge - begining from next week. I believe that Virgin have already done this. She suggested that it would be in the vicinity of $150 pp for a return flight from Aus to LAX. We paid up immediately for our 2014 USA cruise in the hope of avoiding it.

[The_Big_M]

That's true if you're flying with Qantas.

 

Ticketing has to be done before Aug 13 before the surcharge goes up.

 

For US flights, it will be a $25 increase one way.

[kuldalai]

Advise you book with Air New Zealand which flies from both San Francisco and Los Angeles via Auckland to Sydney and Melbourne.

 

Would fly USA Auckland (12 hours), stay at Novotel at Auckland Airport then onto Sydney next day (3hours). Do your cruise Sydney to Auckland. Allow a couple of days in Auckland then fly Auckland to San Francisco or Los Angeles (12 hours).

 

NB: Qantas no longer flies between USA and New Zealand. Qantas flies Dallas Fort Worth - Sydney (16 hours), and Los Angeles - Sydney and los Angeles - Melbourne only .

 

Fare wise flying with Air New Zealand throughout will get you the cheaper fare .

[MicCanberra]

If you want to break the flight up with a stop over, Hawaii is the obvious choice, What I think really is the easiest and cheapest is a return flight from Colorado (DEN) to Sydney (SYD) via Dallas (DFW). Then you will need a oneway flight from NZ back to Sydney. An alternative is using LAX instead.

With a stop overincluded, you could go multi city with all the stops you want.:D

[Mercruiser]

We are doing a stopover in Tahiti on our LAX to AKL flight, spending 5 nights in Moorea. It costs the same as a direct LAX-AKL flight. I'm using this as an opportunity to visit a very exotic (expensive) location for very little additional money. After the Tahiti stopover, we continue on to Auckland for our Solstice cruise to Sydney.

[MicCanberra]

We are doing a stopover in Tahiti on our LAX to AKL flight, spending 5 nights in Moorea. It costs the same as a direct LAX-AKL flight. I'm using this as an opportunity to visit a very exotic (expensive) location for very little additional money. After the Tahiti stopover, we continue on to Auckland for our Solstice cruise to Sydney.

 

That is a great plan.:D

[The_Big_M]

We are doing a stopover in Tahiti on our LAX to AKL flight, spending 5 nights in Moorea. It costs the same as a direct LAX-AKL flight. I'm using this as an opportunity to visit a very exotic (expensive) location for very little additional money. After the Tahiti stopover, we continue on to Auckland for our Solstice cruise to Sydney.

 

There's a lot of stopovers from here that don't appeal. But I like the sound of that one. :)

[MicCanberra]

I am just wondering how cost effective it is though, I think I would rather just get there and then have it done with, a direct flight from the US is not that long, 15 hours.:D

[fishtaco]

I am just wondering how cost effective it is though, I think I would rather just get there and then have it done with, a direct flight from the US is not that long, 15 hours.:D

 

I agree, just get it over and done with with!

 

I bought tickets with Qantas Perth to LAX for June 2014 for only $1650 each return. 15 hours plus the 5 hours Perth to Sydney with just a 1.5 hour layover in Sydney, last year the same flight cost me $2400 each:eek:

[MicCanberra]

I agree, just get it over and done with with!

 

I bought tickets with Qantas Perth to LAX for June 2014 for only $1650 each return. 15 hours plus the 5 hours Perth to Sydney with just a 1.5 hour layover in Sydney, last year the same flight cost me $2400 each:eek:

 

Great price, It certainly pays to grab the sales when they come.:D

[GeoUSA]

I had a similar trip back in February/March 2013. I booked with http://www.kayak.com because of the friendly multi-stop interface. In the end I booked Air New Zealand (ANZ) through Orbitz using Kayak. Doing it again, I would have booked directly with the airline.

 

Orbitz didn't show that some of the flights were actually United instead of ANZ. The itenerary I received still showed ANZ when it was actually United. The amenities offered by United (including the non-stop flight back from Sydney to LA) were not as nice as those we enjoyed on the one segment with ANZ.

 

We chose a 9 hour layover in Honolulu on the trip out from LA, rented a car, and enjoyed the break.

 

Keep in mind you lose one day from USA to AUS/NZ and gain it back on the return trip.

[Oz_Steve]

I had a similar trip back in February/March 2013. I booked with http://www.kayak.com because of the friendly multi-stop interface. In the end I booked Air New Zealand (ANZ) through Orbitz using Kayak. Doing it again, I would have booked directly with the airline.

 

Orbitz didn't show that some of the flights were actually United instead of ANZ. The itenerary I received still showed ANZ when it was actually United. The amenities offered by United (including the non-stop flight back from Sydney to LA) were not as nice as those we enjoyed on the one segment with ANZ.

 

We chose a 9 hour layover in Honolulu on the trip out from LA, rented a car, and enjoyed the break.

 

Keep in mind you lose one day from USA to AUS/NZ and gain it back on the return trip.

 

I've flown a couple of legs with US Airlines and I am hearing what you said about the difference between United and AirNZ. Qantas is excellent as well. The US airlines have definitely beaten our airlines in their race to the bottom.

[kiwimum]

We do a multistep Australia/New Zealand on a regular basis and have always had luck with Air NZ. Take a look at their website and build your own trip. You can leave out legs of the trip, just click on the line between two locations and select own transport. Should work out okay as long is you do not double back thru a city you have already been to. Route we have done, LAX-SYD-own transport to Queenstown-Christchurch-Auckland-Fiji-LAX. Hope this makes sense.

[MicCanberra]

I've flown a couple of legs with US Airlines and I am hearing what you said about the difference between United and AirNZ. Qantas is excellent as well. The US airlines have definitely beaten our airlines in their race to the bottom.

Yes, the code share trap, we have been caught a couple of times, yes you get the Frequent flyer points and the cost is the same but service can vary from airline to airline.:D

[Bowie MeMe]

We are doing a stopover in Tahiti on our LAX to AKL flight, spending 5 nights in Moorea. It costs the same as a direct LAX-AKL flight. I'm using this as an opportunity to visit a very exotic (expensive) location for very little additional money. After the Tahiti stopover, we continue on to Auckland for our Solstice cruise to Sydney.

 

We too are doing a stopover in Tahiti on the LAX to AUK flight. If you fly Air Tahiti Nui there is a deal to have up to a 3 night stopover at one of 3 hotels for a very good price (I think about $100 night). I booked for Jan 27, 2014 last month at $1,419 pp (LAX -PPT-AUK) roundtrip. I also have a 1 way flight from BWI to LAX at $140 and waiting for a price on the return flight LAX to BWI. Throw in a couple of Jet Star flights from AUK to Wellington and Christchurch to Wellington and I have all my air for less than $2000pp which I am happy with. Hawaiian Air was more expensive according to my pricing and I would have to go to JFK or EWR in the middle of winter -- not doing it. All legs are non stop. Air New Zealand was just a bit more expensive. Air Fiji (old Air Pacific) was slightly cheaper but harder to find a resort around the airport. If you are doing land tour in around Australia then might see what you can get in air pass etc.

 

We thought about non stop flights but then decided that a 3 day stop each way in Tahiti in the middle of winter was not at all a disadvantage!:D For all your possibilities got to ITA matrix and you will see many possibilities and the great spread of costs!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

We too are doing a stopover in Tahiti on the LAX to AUK flight. If you fly Air Tahiti Nui there is a deal to have up to a 3 night stopover at one of 3 hotels for a very good price (I think about $100 night).

 

Try and pick a Hotel with some shops nearby so you are not locked in to the Hotel prices for food. Its very expensive in Tahiti.

 

 

[MicCanberra]

Try and pick a Hotel with some shops nearby so you are not locked in to the Hotel prices for food. Its very expensive in Tahiti.

 

 

Resort restuarant food is ultra expensive.:D

[Jamocall]

We always use Zuji dot com. Great website, terrific savings.

[MicCanberra]

We always use Zuji dot com. Great website, terrific savings.

Be careful with posting certain sites that aslo can act as a TA, CC doesn't like it. That said we have also used them for a package deal that was excellent.:D

[Alaskanb]

We will be flying out of LAX next February to AKL and return from Sydney. I like the idea of a break in the long flight.

How does the Hawaii layover work in terms of spending the night between flights --do you pick up luggage when you arrive then recheck-in the next day?

Re Moorea: Is the multi-day layover option available year round?

Does anyone have any experiences to share? Thanks