Long Flight to Australia

[amusea]

Delta, Qantas and Air New Zealand all have true flat beds in business class to Australia. Air New Zealand supposedly has the best service and Qantas flies the A380 but Delta's new flat beds are almost identical to Air New Zealand's and if you can get them with mileage it will assure you of a comfortable flight. Ask Delta exactly what date FF business class seats will be available and be on the phone exactly at midnight on that date. Good luck.

[Globaliser]

Is it hard to book a trip with the miles if we do it when they first become available?

While it is a good idea to start asking about availability as soon as booking opens, don't fall into the mistake of thinking that there is a finite number of award seats that are all made available when booking opens, and that then sell out on a first-come first-served basis. The airline industry doesn't work like that. Availability is "dynamic", it can come and go at any time without warning. It may be that there are no seats available when booking opens; availability may then come in without warning, at completely random times and in completely random numbers, responding only to the airline's current yield management model and actual advance booking experience. On some routes or flights, there may never be any award seats on the dates or flights you want - the airline won't allocate award seats to that flight if it can sell every seat for lots of hard cash. On high demand routes, fortune favours the lucky, not the early. But you can maximise your luck by starting to ask as soon as it's possible to book.

[cottagemama]

Jast to add, we are FF with Air Canada who partners with United. We booked about 3 weeks ago thru Air Canada for our Feb 2010 cruise out of sydney and although Air Canada did not have availibility for first class on their flights they booked us on first class United.

[silentbob007]

Hi everyone ... it has been interesting reading. I'm booked on NW/Delta Indianapolis ->LAX -> SYD in December with about a 4 hour layover in LAX between the flights. I've flown to California several times the past few months and am now slightly worried about going on a flight three times as long (though as always I will deal, I'm sure).

 

Will doctors actually prescribe sleeping meds for flying (I did the Tylenol PM thing once and was wired for the entire flight) or do people using these things already have the scripts for other reasons?

[Nancy53]

You can try ambien if your doctor will give your a prescription but they are very habit forming. I take Xanex and they work better for me. My husband takes Tylenol PM and those work for him.

We to are going to Australia/New Zealand in November and have never flown that long. The longest flight was last year to Miami to Buenas Aires, Argentina last December. It was 9 1/2 hr flight. I took Xanex and slept pretty well. We are flying Quantas and they feed you early, then shut off the lights, wake you up about 3 hrs. before you land, then feed you breakfast and then you are there. I think the time will go faster than you think. I plan I getting up several times to walk around because it is good for your circulation but I wouldn't sweat the long flight. Thounsands of people fly that long every day and those usually don't have a problem. We can't aford first class so are just economy. Wish us luck.

[mochuck]

Will doctors actually prescribe sleeping meds for flying (I did the Tylenol PM thing once and was wired for the entire flight) or do people using these things already have the scripts for other reasons?

 

I can't speak for USA but most doctors I know will (I'm an RN). In fact they would prefer to prescribe for this type of reason because they know it will be short term. Most doctors understand how difficult jet lags is and long flights are.

[kenish]

I was chatting with a neurologist friend about my upcoming Oz trip and said I can never sleep on planes. It was just a comment, not a complaint. She wrote an Rx for Amitriptyline which is normally for severe clinical depression but a sleep aid in very small doses. She said it's far better than OTC drugs, and also better than Lunestra or Ambien because it's non-habit forming and also allows you to "cycle" through all stages of sleep. It apparently gives you quality as well as quantity of sleep.

 

One caution she gave me was to adjust the dosage on a night where you don't have to wake up at a certain time. I took a whole pill on a weekend and slept 9 hours ! Half a tablet was much better. Ask your doctor....I don't like drugging myself for every little thing but in the case of my flight to Oz I'm willing.

 

Friends who make the trip yearly say to stay up as long as possible after departure, which is usually around 10-11pm from the West Coast. Try to get a full 8 hours sleep, when you wake up there will be 3-5 hours left in the flight and breakfast will be served. It puts your body clock a long way towards adjusting to Oz time.

[mochuck]

Thanks for the info Kenish. My hubby is on amitriptyline for chronic headaches I might nick a few ;)

[kenish]

mochuck- You're right, my doc also said amitriptyline is used in mid-doses for migraines. Does it make hubby sleepy too?

 

Definitely consult your doctor before you "nick a few"....you need to know the appropriate dosage, interactions with other meds, etc.

[mochuck]

mochuck- You're right, my doc also said amitriptyline is used in mid-doses for migraines. Does it make hubby sleepy too?

 

Definitely consult your doctor before you "nick a few"....you need to know the appropriate dosage, interactions with other meds, etc.

 

I'll use Dr Google :D:D:D

[kenish]

I'll use Dr Google :D:D:D

 

Yeah the internet....there's a good source of accurate, "one size fits all" medical advice!! Seriously, be careful. I'm only going to say the dose on my Rx as a sleep aid is miniscule. Enjoy your flight and cruise!!

[mochuck]

You're absolutely correct. I was joking about Dr Google. :D:D:D

[kenish]

Good, that's a relief.

 

We are making our first trip to Oz in a few weeks. We are getting seriously excited!

[MMDown Under]

Good, that's a relief.

 

We are making our first trip to Oz in a few weeks. We are getting seriously excited!

 

Hope your first trip Down Under exceeds all your expectations.

 

Then y'all can come back again for a longer return visit.

[turtlemichael]

Good, that's a relief.

 

We are making our first trip to Oz in a few weeks. We are getting seriously excited!

 

Yes, and enjoy the fabulous tropical north! Sorry I won't be here when you are as I'll be in your country. Hope you and your son have a great trip.

[silentbob007]

I can't speak for USA but most doctors I know will (I'm an RN). In fact they would prefer to prescribe for this type of reason because they know it will be short term. Most doctors understand how difficult jet lags is and long flights are.

 

Interesting perspective. I'll have to see if the doctors at my University's clinic feel the same way. :)

[kenish]

Thank you mmDownUnder and Turtlemichael. I hope all Australian visitors have a great time here. There are a lot of people traveling between Oz and the US this year, probably due to the record low airfares.

[mochuck]

Interesting perspective. I'll have to see if the doctors at my University's clinic feel the same way. :)

 

I';m not sure that doctors at a university clinic would have that same perspective. The patients tend to be transient, so that the doctor doesn't know them very well. There is also a greater possibility for substance abuse.

 

I was thinking more about GPs who see the same patients regularly and know them which are the greater percentage.

[silentbob007]

Yeah, I meant it a little tongue-in-cheek ... though I've been using their services for 11 years, so maybe I won't be seen as as much of a transient patient ... ;)

[happy trailer]

Delta, United, and Northwest have flights as low as $591 (including all taxes and fees) for flights between LAX (and I think maybe SFO) and Sydney through the end of the year. I saw a posting about the low rates last weekend, and within minutes my friend and I bought seats for a trip in October- I've never seen prices anywhere near this low!

 

I travel to Los Angeles from Tel Aviv a couple of times a year- 12 hours to Newark, then another 6 to LA after a quick layover. The best advice I ever got to ease jet lag was from a cabin steward: make sure to drink PLENTY of water during the flight. Sure, it means you need to get up and use the restroom frequently, but that's also good, because it forces you to stretch your legs.

 

Ever since I started following that advice, I've been able to recover from jet lag within a day or so (and that's with a 10 hour time difference).

 

Aside from drinking lots of water, booking an aisle seat when possible, and getting up regularly to stretch your legs (and also to do some sort of excercise while seated), I always make sure that the seats on my long flights are equipped with AVOD- individual screens on each seat back, with television shows and movies on demand. There are usually dozens (if not hundreds) of choices, and they not only make the time when I'm awake 'fly' by, but flights with AVOD also are much quieter- most people stay seated and happily watching rather than engage in conversations or wander around the plane.

 

BTW- in regards to the passengers who kept talking, even when most others were sleeping: You can always ask a flight attendant to ask them to lower their voices. On long flights, there is usually a 'quiet' stretch, when the cabin lights are turned off, and meals aren't served (there are usually self- serve snacks and drinks set out in the rear of the plane). Many times an announcement is also made about this quiet stretch, asking passengers to enable others to rest.

 

[Having said that, I always travel with earplugs, and keep my headphones on with music playing softly, in order to muffle any cabin noise. And- don't forget to bring a blindfold (eye mask)!]

[ohioNCLcruiser]

I'm so excited for the flight! I love flying and I'm going on V Australia's brand new 777-300s so it should be a great ride.

[The_Big_M]

I'm so excited for the flight! I love flying and I'm going on V Australia's brand new 777-300s so it should be a great ride.

 

Excellent choice. Best entertainment system ever! :D

[kenish]

The VAustralia 773 sounds like a nice ride. We're on an A380 LAX-MEL and I'm almost more excited about the flight than the destination (just kidding). Hopefully there will not be an equipment change to a 744, happens now and then.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

I love love love flying.

 

July 19th I sign off my ship and I fly from OGG (maui)-HNL-IAH-CLE arriving at 2pm on the 20th.

 

July 20th I fly CLE-LAX-SYD-MEL..

 

gonna be a full few days of flying!

[MMDown Under]

I love love love flying.

 

July 19th I sign off my ship and I fly from OGG (maui)-HNL-IAH-CLE arriving at 2pm on the 20th.

 

July 20th I fly CLE-LAX-SYD-MEL..

 

gonna be a full few days of flying!

 

Economy?