Aussie Disneyland Planners come on in and lets plan together :)

[keptwoman]

I don't know what is going on with VAustralia at the moment. Our direct flight from LA back to Brisbane is no longer showing on their website - it is only giving options via Sydney. I called them and it is still showing in their system, so fingers crossed it is still there.

Do you mean on schedules or on an availability search? It may just be that the flight is full.

 

[Jade+3]

Probably something to do with them having to accomodate more passengers on these flights because their direct route from Melb to LA is not going ahead as planned until December.
We got told that we had to go via Sydney or Brisbane, so maybe your flight home is close to full?

When are you able to do seating assignments? I had no idea you could do it well in advance

I did the seat assignment as soon as I made the booking. We are travelling with an infant so I wanted to request a bassinet. We also have a 3 & 4 year old. I had it all sorted so myself, baby and DD(4) were in one row, with DH & DS(3) behind us. Now I am on my own with bub, with the rest of them across the aisle. It is no big deal, but we really wanted to separate the kids as they fight, especially when bored.

The girl on the phone said the flight is not full. I have looked at the schedule and none of the Saturday LAX-BNE flights are showing up on-line any more. From looking at the schedules, I am guessing the aircraft used for that flight may have been the plane that was arriving from Melbourne (ex airline employee here!!).

 

[keptwoman]

I'm glad you mentioned checking seat allocations! I just checked my last email from United and the really really good seats I booked on our SYD LAX flights aren't showing in our latest email but were on the 2 before I hope I can still get them but I'm not holding my breath. I'll be calling Monday!!

 

[Andona]

I don't know what is going on with VAustralia at the moment. Our direct flight from LA back to Brisbane is no longer showing on their website - it is only giving options via Sydney. I called them and it is still showing in their system, so fingers crossed it is still there.

Thanks for the heads-up, Jade+3 - I've just checked our return flights, as we were coming home to Sydney via Brisbane. The web site was showing both the original booking ( which was LAX - BNE - SYD ) and a new one direct ( LAX - SYD )

I've rung V Australia ( gotta love 24/7 Customer service !) and they confirmed that the original LAX - BNE flight has been canceled. Luckily they were able to put us in the same seats on the new flight.

It actually suits us better to be coming home direct but I guess it means the plane will be more crowded though

Andona

 

[Jade+3]

Glad it worked out for you Andona!!

We would go through Sydney if necessary, or get the direct flight the day before. As long as they can still guarantee a bassinet for the baby!

 

[Jade+3]

An update - spoke to someone else at VAustralia, and our direct flight has definitely been cancelled, so we will be coming home via Sydney. Luckily there are bassinet seats still available.

I am actually wishing we had stuck with Qantas now. The price was the same and we would have got FF points. Transferring from international to domestic in Sydney with 3 littlies is going to be a nightmare! I am too scared to tell DH. He hates the whole airport bit of travelling.

I didn't ask about the possibility of getting the direct flight the day before, as that would mean trying to get from Anaheim to LAX on a Friday evening (we are hiring a car).

 

[melbarkwith]

Transferring from international to domestic in Sydney with 3 littlies is going to be a nightmare!

We were thinking the same thing - our LAX-MEL direct flight was also cancelled. But, the one advantage is that when we get home to Melbourne, when can just get straight off the plane, get our bags and go. That part of it will be nice.

Of course this is also bringing back nightmares from 9 years ago of pretty much running between customs in Sydney and the Ansett domestic counter, after our flight from LA was delayed

 

[becpee]

10 weeks today until we leave

Doesn't seem long at all, we're still waiting on our e-tickets though, and after reading here I might get my DH to ring up about our seats (and our e-tickets )

 

[platypus67]

Time really is flying by. We hit the four week mark on Friday. I will make my PS for Blue Bayou tomorrow. I just had a look at the outbound Qantas flight we are on, and as they are still selling seats at the sale price I'm hopeful that the flight will be pretty open and we may get some room to stretch out. Fingers crossed anyway.

 

[keptwoman]

I just rang the airline. They have lost our reservations for the really good seats I chose and now we are seated in seats with no recline!!! So it's that or I have to book seats where we are split, 2 seats/2seats/1 seats, all behind the other right in the centre of the centre row with no aisle seats which is hardly appropriate for a family. I'm so grumpy!!
So I guess we will be checking in really early to try and get better seats.

 

[kylieh]

An update - spoke to someone else at VAustralia, and our direct flight has definitely been cancelled, so we will be coming home via Sydney. Luckily there are bassinet seats still available.

I am actually wishing we had stuck with Qantas now. The price was the same and we would have got FF points. Transferring from international to domestic in Sydney with 3 littlies is going to be a nightmare! I am too scared to tell DH. He hates the whole airport bit of travelling.

I didn't ask about the possibility of getting the direct flight the day before, as that would mean trying to get from Anaheim to LAX on a Friday evening (we are hiring a car).

We had the reverse with Qantas last year - we were to fly directly to Sydney but rather they cancelled our flight and rerouted us via Brisbane. DH ended up on the phone to them and we had a holiday extended by an extra day and flying the next night directly to Sydney. If there is a flight the next day direct to Brisbane,you have the time avail, and bassinette seats, it may be worth trying it, and asking if "they can't or won't" do that for you.

 

[gogo65]

I just rang the airline. They have lost our reservations for the really good seats I chose and now we are seated in seats with no recline!!! So it's that or I have to book seats where we are split, 2 seats/2seats/1 seats, all behind the other right in the centre of the centre row with no aisle seats which is hardly appropriate for a family. I'm so grumpy!!
So I guess we will be checking in really early to try and get better seats.

Keptwoman,
Ring United back and insist that you have at least 3 seats/2 seats config. They managed to move you around so they can manage to move someone else around as well. Hopefully you will get someone that will try and help.
Just tell them that it is not good enough.

 

[gogo65]

Some help from those of you that have booked your Disneyland entry tickets with expedia.
I bought 2 of mine yesterday, printed them off, but when I looked at them they have customer name as me on both, then they also say they are not transferrable and only valid for the travellers listed, however I did not have an option to add any other name.
Can anyone help??

 

[melbarkwith]

Our Expedia tickets all have my name on them too (and I have an AP).

I took the terms and conditions to mean that only the person listed can collect the tickets from the ticket booth.
From what I remember last time, my name was the only one on the Air NZ voucher and I had to show id to collect them.

They were just small cardstock tickets with a spot for a signature, no personal details except for our signatures which we did at the ticket booth.

 

[melbarkwith]

I just rang the airline. They have lost our reservations for the really good seats I chose and now we are seated in seats with no recline!!! So it's that or I have to book seats where we are split, 2 seats/2seats/1 seats, all behind the other right in the centre of the centre row with no aisle seats which is hardly appropriate for a family. I'm so grumpy!!
So I guess we will be checking in really early to try and get better seats.

That stinks! I'd be ringing back (repeatedly), asking for a supervisor etc. Surely not everyone has done their seat allocation yet, there must be 5 seats together somewhere on the plane.

 

[Jade+3]

Keptwoman I would definately be ringing back and asking to speak to a supervisor. That is not good enough.

If there is a flight the next day direct to Brisbane,you have the time avail, and bassinette seats, it may be worth trying it, and asking if "they can't or won't" do that for you.

The next direct flight is not until Monday and we are leaving Saturday. If there had been a flight on Sunday I would have tried that! I have since found out that we can check-in for the domestic flight at the international terminal so will not have to transfer our luggage on the bus. It is unfortunate that it has added around 5 hours to our journey, but I shouldn't complain as these things happen in the airline industry.

Some help from those of you that have booked your Disneyland entry tickets with expedia.
I bought 2 of mine yesterday, printed them off, but when I looked at them they have customer name as me on both, then they also say they are not transferrable and only valid for the travellers listed, however I did not have an option to add any other name.
Can anyone help??

You won't have any problems. I emailed expedia with that exact query when I booked our tickets in 2007 and they said it is ok. I had no trouble with the vouchers at Disneyland.

Those of you that have added a day to your trips because of the Melbourne flights, don't forget to change your travel insurance dates.

 

[dollarmite]

Of course this is also bringing back nightmares from 9 years ago of pretty much running between customs in Sydney and the Ansett domestic counter, after our flight from LA was delayed

I've flown over 100 times, mostly internationally and dosmestically within the US, and the only time I have ever missed a flight was 10 years ago when we had to fly LAX-SYD-BNE. It was thanks to a combination of Sydney airport and Ansett being hopelessly disorganised.

I absolutely DETEST Sydney airport - it wouldn't know how to organise itself out of a paper bag.

I just checked our Qantas home flight and it too has been redirected. Instead of direct LAX-BNE we are now going via Auckland. We leave LAX 2 hours early (which is actually good as it's now 10pm instead of about midnight), but we arrive home at noon instead of 6am.

Only 8 weeks and 6 days till we leave. In fact, we should just have arrived in New York 9 weeks from now.

 

[keptwoman]

Thanks guys, OK I'll ring tomorrow and ask for a supervisor. I know if I was a travel agent still I'd ring my rep and they would likely be able to do something. I feel rather powerless as a passenger, I feel like they will tell me to stick it (but more politely) and really there is nothing I can do is there??

We do have 5 seats together, just two of them don't recline, and with a 26 hour journey (altogether) if we don't sleep on that flight we are going to end up with jet lag issues in NY, I'm just gutted and furious that we had good seats and they changed them

 

[keptwoman]

The next direct flight is not until Monday and we are leaving Saturday. If there had been a flight on Sunday I would have tried that! I have since found out that we can check-in for the domestic flight at the international terminal so will not have to transfer our luggage on the bus. It is unfortunate that it has added around 5 hours to our journey, but I shouldn't complain as these things happen in the airline industry.

It's hard not to complain though isn't it when you plan everything so carefully and then they do something like that. 5 extra hours is horrible!

 

[Jade+3]

It's hard not to complain though isn't it when you plan everything so carefully and then they do something like that.

I'm just gutted and furious that we had good seats and they changed them.

I put so much effort into planning and it is so annoying to have changes made that we have no control over. I would never have even considered a non-direct flight considering the ages of my children and the fact that I have a grumpy DH.

Keptwoman, the problem you guys are going to have is when the people in front recline. I used to work in an airline call centre. We could only move people to seats showing as available. The actual seating allocation was done by the airport. I am not sure if the supervisors can confirm anything, but they should be able to send a request through for you. The other thing I would suggest is to keep ringing every day to see if there are any other seats available - thats unless you can check it on-line. And also get to the airport really early. They always get away with it with the clause that says something like seating requests can not be guaranteed.

I just checked our Qantas home flight and it too has been redirected. Instead of direct LAX-BNE we are now going via Auckland. We leave LAX 2 hours early (which is actually good as it's now 10pm instead of about midnight), but we arrive home at noon instead of 6am.

I share your pain!!!