Flight Prices December/January

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

As of yesterday afternoon we now have our international flights purchased and one of the internal legs. .

The TA came to the party and got us on the flights we wanted. So for now:-

9 Dec - Syd-Dallas-Orlando
20 Dec - Orlando-NYC

13 Jan - Washington-Dallas-Sydney

The flights cost $8420.00 for 4 with Qantas, plus insurance on top.

After a very frustrating conversation with ANZ on the phone, I went into the branch and asked them if I would be able to do a transaction over my limit if I had the credit loaded with enough credit to cover the whole transaction. The teller said, of course. Simple as that.

I decided that if it wouldn't go through in 1 transaction at the TA's, then I would do it across 2 transactions which should get me over the issues of the credit limit since I had put 5k over the limit into the card.

Guess what - the transaction went through as 1, no problems at all.

The cost of the 1.9% probably cancelled out the value of the FF points gained but I liked the idea of paying on the credit card for a paper trail. I hate paying cash for anything!!!!!

So , big flights booked. Now just to book the internal stuff and Canberra Sydney-Sydney Canberra. Might use FF points for the domestic flights and will spend some time doing a bit of research for the internal US stuff.

It seems that I can't find any direct flights into Quebec. It looks like we will have to fly through Toronto which is a pain in the butt but I'm having a rethink about whether it would be cheaper/easier to do:-

NYC-Toronto-Quebec-Toronto-Niagara Falls-Buffalo-Boston-Washington-home

rather than what I had been thinking:-
NYC-Boston-Toronto-Quebec-Toronto-Niagara-Falls-Buffalo-Washington-home

If I need to fly through Toronto to get to Quebec, I might be better to buy a one way flight to Toronto and then a return flight to Quebec and back to get down to Niagara Falls. I can't seem to find anything from Quebec to Buffalo direct. I'm sure there must be so I'll keep looking.

BAGGAGE COSTS - I can't believe how much the baggage costs are on all of the airlines now. Most are $25 for first bag, $35 for second bag. With the amount of legs we are doing, this is some serious dollars.

I'm not sure whether I feel happy and relieved the flights are booked or whether it has just added more stress to my life.

 

[battymum]

Sorry cant help with the itinerary, but on getting the international flights booked!!!

You have got me thinking about my next ideal trip, would love to go to NYC again and take a cruise from there up to theCanada and New England coast, including Boston and Quebec - and maybe a few days at DLR on the way home, I dont know how to fit Niagara into this scenario but would love to go there as well. Maybe 2014

I was going to pipe up and say that it is more secure to pay with CC -

As for baggage, you should try and limit it to one checkin per person, as mentioned before you can take quite a large bag as carryon - besides the $$, its going to be exhausting getting all that luggage through all those airports.

 

[battymum]

Oh, one more thing, did you buy the Qantas insurance, I found that to be ridiculously expensive - there are much cheaper options out there. Even your credit card probably has insurance cover included.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Sorry cant help with the itinerary, but on getting the international flights booked!!!

You have got me thinking about my next ideal trip, would love to go to NYC again and take a cruise from there up to theCanada and New England coast, including Boston and Quebec - and maybe a few days at DLR on the way home, I dont know how to fit Niagara into this scenario but would love to go there as well. Maybe 2014

I was going to pipe up and say that it is more secure to pay with CC -

As for baggage, you should try and limit it to one checkin per person, as mentioned before you can take quite a large bag as carryon - besides the $$, its going to be exhausting getting all that luggage through all those airports.

I think your cruise idea sounds absolutely wonderful and you would avoid the luggage issues .

The problem with the luggage for our trip this time is we are going to need more bulky winter clothing for the trip. All taking up more room in the cases. We will likely fly out with 3 cases, with 2 rolling duffels and another case empty inside of the packed 3 cases. And we will then expand it as my DH shops ....

He will probably shop heaps in Orlando so we might post some stuff back before we head to NYC. The next big shopping spot would be NYC, could perhaps send some stuff home from there too if we needed. It may actually be easier and cheaper to post some stuff back rather than having to lug more cases around.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Oh, one more thing, did you buy the Qantas insurance, I found that to be ridiculously expensive - there are much cheaper options out there. Even your credit card probably has insurance cover included.

No we got the Covermore cover through the TA. She couldn't do much in the way of discounts off the flights from what I found online, only just under the online price but she discounted the insurance and we got our $20 vouchers for finding the cheaper online price and she was happy to apply that straight to the insurance so that worked out great.

 

[battymum]

Yay, for FC vouchers!!!

I have spent the last couple of days researching cruises - they only go during a short window in September/October - weather can be iffy,and probably a bit boring for the teens, -I am thinking they wont be coming

I just want to eat fresh Maine Lobster!!!

 

[Melbourne5]

As of yesterday afternoon we now have our international flights purchased and one of the internal legs. .

The TA came to the party and got us on the flights we wanted. So for now:-

9 Dec - Syd-Dallas-Orlando
20 Dec - Orlando-NYC

13 Jan - Washington-Dallas-Sydney

The flights cost $8420.00 for 4 with Qantas, plus insurance on top.

After a very frustrating conversation with ANZ on the phone, I went into the branch and asked them if I would be able to do a transaction over my limit if I had the credit loaded with enough credit to cover the whole transaction. The teller said, of course. Simple as that.

I decided that if it wouldn't go through in 1 transaction at the TA's, then I would do it across 2 transactions which should get me over the issues of the credit limit since I had put 5k over the limit into the card.

Guess what - the transaction went through as 1, no problems at all.

The cost of the 1.9% probably cancelled out the value of the FF points gained but I liked the idea of paying on the credit card for a paper trail. I hate paying cash for anything!!!!!

So , big flights booked. Now just to book the internal stuff and Canberra Sydney-Sydney Canberra. Might use FF points for the domestic flights and will spend some time doing a bit of research for the internal US stuff.

It seems that I can't find any direct flights into Quebec. It looks like we will have to fly through Toronto which is a pain in the butt but I'm having a rethink about whether it would be cheaper/easier to do:-

NYC-Toronto-Quebec-Toronto-Niagara Falls-Buffalo-Boston-Washington-home

rather than what I had been thinking:-
NYC-Boston-Toronto-Quebec-Toronto-Niagara-Falls-Buffalo-Washington-home

If I need to fly through Toronto to get to Quebec, I might be better to buy a one way flight to Toronto and then a return flight to Quebec and back to get down to Niagara Falls. I can't seem to find anything from Quebec to Buffalo direct. I'm sure there must be so I'll keep looking.

BAGGAGE COSTS - I can't believe how much the baggage costs are on all of the airlines now. Most are $25 for first bag, $35 for second bag. With the amount of legs we are doing, this is some serious dollars.

I'm not sure whether I feel happy and relieved the flights are booked or whether it has just added more stress to my life.

It's a big step forward and a big one to have locked away. Congrats

 

[Kangarucci]

Hope that you got a decent deal with the travel insurance as TAs receive a 50% commission.

 

[Andona]

Congratulations on getting your "big" flights booked!

Just a suggestion for your packing, I found that those roll-up compression bags were a great space saver for our cold weather trips. I put our heavyweight jackets and things like gloves, scarves etc in them for the warmer weather sectors and we just wore or carried them in the chilly places.

I'm really looking forward to our next trip as its the first time in years that we only have to pack warm weather gear.

Andona

 

[alicia1506]

wow ms shuttergirl -- i can't believe you've got your international flights locked away so early -- yay for you!!

i'm keeping an eye out for mine...we're only doing bne - lax there, but we have to fly lax - syd/mel - bne on the way back as apparently there are no direct flights for the day we want to come back...

we're having difficulty with our internal flights.. we were going to book through delta for our lax - mco leg, then with jetblue for our mco-lax leg (we ended up cutting out our chicago trip).

now with the jetblue fiasco they are off my list, and i just saw the delta prices for luggage so i am now thinking of flying southwest and their first 2 bags fly free -- their flights aren't direct though, so it would involve stopovers.

last time we used southwest, we managed to get direct flights which was great but i don't know how we'll be with stopping over & changing planes. the last thing i want is for our luggage to go missing...

delta have direct flights for approx $100 more, plus the $60 for the 2 bags each, means an extra $220 over what we could pay for the indirect southwest route....

i think i need to do more research to see if i can do maybe a southwest flight direct mco - las, then las - lax as direct flights for less than the delta direct flight...

the only good thing about still being on bed rest -- extra time to work through these scenarios

 

[WAMUMOF4]

we're having difficulty with our internal flights.. we were going to book through delta for our lax - mco leg, then with jetblue for our mco-lax leg (we ended up cutting out our chicago trip).

now with the jetblue fiasco they are off my list, and i just saw the delta prices for luggage so i am now thinking of flying southwest and their first 2 bags fly free -- their flights aren't direct though, so it would involve stopovers.

last time we used southwest, we managed to get direct flights which was great but i don't know how we'll be with stopping over & changing planes. the last thing i want is for our luggage to go missing...

delta have direct flights for approx $100 more, plus the $60 for the 2 bags each, means an extra $220 over what we could pay for the indirect southwest route....

i think i need to do more research to see if i can do maybe a southwest flight direct mco - las, then las - lax as direct flights for less than the delta direct flight...

the only good thing about still being on bed rest -- extra time to work through these scenarios

I hope your starting to feel better With Southwest i was worried about the same thing with luggage so we decided on the flights that say no plane change then hopefully our luggage will not get of and neither do you so you dont have to reboard.

As of yesterday afternoon we now have our international flights purchased and one of the internal legs. .

Congratulations on having your flights booked

 

[aussietravellers]

No we got the Covermore cover through the TA. She couldn't do much in the way of discounts off the flights from what I found online, only just under the online price but she discounted the insurance and we got our $20 vouchers for finding the cheaper online price and she was happy to apply that straight to the insurance so that worked out great.

Congratulations on getting your flights done! That's exciting!

Does your credit card have travel insurance? With my credit card I have travel insurance when I have booked a certain amount of the trip with that cc.

wow ms shuttergirl -- i can't believe you've got your international flights locked away so early -- yay for you!!

i'm keeping an eye out for mine...we're only doing bne - lax there, but we have to fly lax - syd/mel - bne on the way back as apparently there are no direct flights for the day we want to come back...

we're having difficulty with our internal flights.. we were going to book through delta for our lax - mco leg, then with jetblue for our mco-lax leg (we ended up cutting out our chicago trip).

now with the jetblue fiasco they are off my list, and i just saw the delta prices for luggage so i am now thinking of flying southwest and their first 2 bags fly free -- their flights aren't direct though, so it would involve stopovers.

last time we used southwest, we managed to get direct flights which was great but i don't know how we'll be with stopping over & changing planes. the last thing i want is for our luggage to go missing...

delta have direct flights for approx $100 more, plus the $60 for the 2 bags each, means an extra $220 over what we could pay for the indirect southwest route....

i think i need to do more research to see if i can do maybe a southwest flight direct mco - las, then las - lax as direct flights for less than the delta direct flight...

the only good thing about still being on bed rest -- extra time to work through these scenarios

How are you feeling Alicia? I've been wondering how you are doing

I wouldn't be too worried about Jetblue to be honest. If it's cheaper, includes luggage i would still fly with them. What happened with them could happen with any airline and really it sounds like the co pilot did an amazing job (and the off duty pilot on board) with handling the situation. Really any airline could have the same problem. I'd be more worried about an airline having plane issues due to maintenance.

 

[ColinA]

As of yesterday afternoon we now have our international flights purchased and one of the internal legs. .

Good, you have the easy flights sorted, now for the internal flights and where to stay.

We get our travel insurance direct through QBE. Credit card travel insurance really covers very little.

In the past we have applied for the flight upgrades to PE or Business 3 months to the minute of the flight time, this year the Qantas site accepted the upgrade request after we made the booking. If you have the points I would not be leaving the upgrade request until you get to the airport.

Will you pay the extra $20 per person per sector for seat allocation on Qantas.

 

[aussietravellers]

Credit card travel insurance really covers very little.

Your credit card travel insurance may cover very little! Mine was fine and my credit card travel insurance actually covered a condition that QBE did not on our last trip! and yes I have had cover from QBE and MBF (and a number of others over the years).

It's actually a great back up to have and many don't realise they have it!

 

[Figment2101]

Your credit card travel insurance may cover very little! Mine was fine and my credit card travel insurance actually covered a condition that QBE did not on our last trip! and yes I have had cover from QBE and MBF (and a number of others over the years).

It's actually a great back up to have and many don't realise they have it!

Whatever!

 

[aussietravellers]

Whatever!

There's really no need to be rude

I actually asked Ms. Shuttergirl a question, Colin then answered, with a reply that was aimed at my question to Ms.Shuttergirl, with information that was correct for him, but not correct for everybody. I was pointing out that it may be his experience, but that is not the only experience out there, as I had a different experience.

We all have a lot of information on this board, we have all travelled to many different places around the world and have different experiences, with lots of different services and we love to share our information with others and also get lots of different incredible and valuable information to help with our travel plans. We can then work out which information and services best suit us and our families specific needs and wants. No personal experience is wrong and nobody should be made to feel that they and their experience is not valuable.

I myself really value all of the members on this board and really value and appreciate the information that they share.

 

[ColinA]

There's really no need to be rude

I actually asked Ms. Shuttergirl a question, Colin then answered, with a reply that was aimed at my question to Ms.Shuttergirl, with information that was correct for him, but not correct for everybody. I was pointing out that it may be his experience, but that is not the only experience out there, as I had a different experience.

We all have a lot of information on this board, we have all travelled to many different places around the world and have different experiences, with lots of different services and we love to share our information with others and also get lots of different incredible and valuable information to help with our travel plans. We can then work out which information and services best suit us and our families specific needs and wants. No personal experience is wrong and nobody should be made to feel that they and their experience is not valuable.

I myself really value all of the members on this board and really value and appreciate the information that they share.

Nothing rude that I see!

 

[aussietravellers]

Nothing rude that I see!

Are you two married or something

The comment by Figment2101 was unnecessary Colin

"Whatever" Is not something that I would just butt in and say to someone, who was replying to someone else's comment, in a conversation that I wasn't even involved in. It was not a constructive reply, it was an unnecessary reply.
I have not said or done anything to Figment2101 that would warranted a "whatever". I was simply adding my experience to your experience.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Whatever!

Figment - What a very strange response. I definitely don't think that was necessary or relevant to this particular conversation.

Aussietravellers - I remember your story with your condition and the credit card which is another reason why I thought it was good to use my credit card for the flights purchase. It's always stayed in the back of my mind. Thanks for adding your experience. I really appreciated it and I know the majority of the regular aussie disboarders value your vast experience and generosity too.

 

[aussietravellers]

Figment - What a very strange response. I definitely don't think that was necessary or relevant to this particular conversation.

Aussietravellers - I remember your story with your condition and the credit card which is another reason why I thought it was good to use my credit card for the flights purchase. It's always stayed in the back of my mind. Thanks for adding your experience. I really appreciated it and I know the majority of the regular aussie disboarders value your vast experience and generosity too.

Thanks Ms.Shuttergirl

Yes, I actually wouldn't have been able to travel that trip if I didn't have my cc insurance We would have had to cancel As the QBE insurance I had didn't cover my condition and i couldn't risk travelling without it. My cc insurance actually had unlimited emergency medical, unlimited hospitalisation cover (amongst other things). Can't get higher than that. And it's not necessarily something that would suit everybody or you would rely completely on (although many do as the insurance on mine is provided by a major Australian insurance agency). But it's good just to know that it's there too, an added bonus. If someones cc does have it, they can check the policy and see what's covered on theirs (if someones cc has it, they don't have to pay any extra for it, they have it wether they want it or not, so it doesn't hurt to see what's covered) and decide if it's enough for their family or not .

I'm looking forward to hearing about the rest of the flights. I'll get ours booked... sometime before we leave in December . Knowing me, we will leave the 2nd and I'll do the flights on the 30th Nov