Is this a good price for flights???

[Oz Mum]

Hi all, still pretty new to this forum

I heard that Virgin was on sale so went down to the Travel Agent today & was quoted $6861 for 2A/2C to fly SYD to LAX then LAX to Honolulu then Honolulu back to SYD... This is flying out Sept 17th so a couple of days before the NSW School Hols start.

Agent tells me this is a good deal but I'm worried to lock it in & really have no idea about prices - what do you guys think???

Thanks so much for any input, Kelly

 

[becpee]

Have you priced the flights online yourself?

Try bestflights.com.au because it lets you put in several legs and not just a return trip, otherwise Zuji.com will also let you.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome to the DisBoards.

If my maths is correct, that's looking like about $1900 for an adult ticket.

I'm normally looking at around $1300 or less for MEL-LAX; and I did get that price at the Qantas Aussie Day sale last year. However, I have no idea what the going rate is for this year.

I also don't know what the price is for a HNL stopover. I stopped pricing the stopover to HNL as most of the carriers don't automatically stop there anymore and the price got pretty expensive. It's easier to plan a holiday just to Hawaii.

Perhaps one of the other Aussies might be able to help.

 

[gogo65]

Have a look at kayak.com. It allows multi city trips and compares all airlines.Once you click on a price it takes you to the website where you can provide more details like child age etc.
I think it sounds pretty good with a Honolulu stopover.

 

[Oz Mum]

Wow thanks guys - just had a look & could find the exact flights $600 (in total) cheaper!! Not sure what to do now.. The agent is calling me tomorrow so i'll mention it to her I guess... I've never booked such a big flight on my own before so I'm a bit nervous but to have an extra $600 i'll do it!!

 

[Mumtotwocuties]

Hi there I booked the exact same flights leaving Syd 10/09 2 adults and 2 kids $5217. I found the flights on Webjet and then Flight Centre beat it by $1 per person. Hope that helps.

 

[dabecs]

I'm currently stalking my dates (Oct) because I haven't seen them on sale yet..

Airfares are such a big chunk of the holiday budget and are also the deciding dates and for me the sense of 'reality' that the trip really is going ahead!

My only tip is once you book your airfares don't look at them again - sometimes ignorance is bliss And if you are happy with the price you paid and the carrier/connections/departure time etc then in the end that's all that matters

 

[Oz Mum]

Oh I'll pop down to Flight Centre & see if they can price match - fingers crossed!! Thanks for the tip

Yes I'm so nervous about booking these flights - sooo much money & it means yes we are def going... It's not just a dream anymore, we are actually counting down to go overseas. Are we doing the right thing spending the money??? Have I picked the right time to go??? Aarghh just got to bite the bullet & book then RELAX!!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Definitely go into the Travel Agents knowing what you're talking about and be assertive with prices you have found.
There are some great travel agents out there who do their best to meet the needs of their customers, but there are also some awful ones who just want a quick sale with high commission.

For example, my in laws have never travelled before and have decided to treat themselves to this year's Australian Grand Prix. They went to an agent, who surely sensed their naïveté, and were quoted a hotel that was apparently "the best choice" for them.
Thankfully they thought to check the deal with me first and I was horrified. It was one of the worst reviewed hotels on Trip Advisor and was miles from the track. I can't help but think that this place was offering agents huge commission.
After I was able to find countless deals that were better, they went back to the agent and said they were aware of how awful this place was and if the agent couldn't offer them a deal that was genuinely "the best choice" they would take their business elsewhere. Lo and behold, the agent found a hotel that was well-rated, across the road from the track, and only marginally more expensive.


Also, have you priced up Hawaiian Airlines? We are paying approx AU$4000 for 2 adults and one child to fly to Auckland - LAX return with a stopover on the way home in Hawaii and that's in peak school holiday season. Annoyingly, it includes a 2 1/2 hour layover on the way to LAX in Honolulu, but I don't mind too much because I'm happy with the price.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Also, we used the multi stopover option on Expedia to make the booking as the NZ version of the Hawaiian Airlines website didn't have this option. I'm not sure what it's like in Australia, but here in NZ almost every airline (and agent) seems to now be charging fees for using credit cards to book. I'm not sure if I should thank Hawaiian Airlines or Expedia (or both), but with this booking I was charged no such fees.

Lastly, if you haven't done so already, have a play around with prices if you adjust your days by a little bit. You can potentially saving hundreds by shifting your days a day or two to a day when flights are cheaper.

 

[Oz Mum]

Thankyou thankyou thankyou so much all.

After following everyone's advice & fronting Flight Centre with the cheaper fare I found we now have an extra $600 in our pocket after they matched it. So happy - thanks again

 

[gogo65]

Thankyou thankyou thankyou so much all.

After following everyone's advice & fronting Flight Centre with the cheaper fare I found we now have an extra $600 in our pocket after they matched it. So happy - thanks again

The power of the Dis
I feel sorry for all those that don't realise just how much money can be saved by doing some research, for some people I think they don't care, however I'm sure the majority just believe they are given the best price to start with.

I booked my sons airfare this week and ended up saving $350 on the best price previously given to me, it was a complicated itinerary and I don't think the TA's could be bothered looking for a good price. I normally book all my own flights, but I couldn't get the same price online. It just goes to show research pays off

 

[LizfromOz]

I love the feeling of relief once flights are booked - now you can concentrate on the fun stuff!

It really does pay to do your research, after being assured by a flight centre TA that this was an "amazing price" for our multi-stop trip to the States this September, I went home and found the same flights a whopping $1700 cheaper for 3 adults and 1 child. $1700!!!!! I know they are in business to make money, but really? That's an awful lot of Disney spending money, lol.

Congratulations on booking your flights - let the fun begin!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

I have been coming up with some reasonable prices to LA return (and stopover Hawaii) with Hawaiian for dates in October - depends on the day you fly - but as low as $1200 which I thought was pretty good - haven't committed yet as playing about with going further afield and cheapest prices in combo with US airlines to get to the east coast.

 

[Tashinwdw]

I love the feeling of relief once flights are booked - now you can concentrate on the fun stuff!

It really does pay to do your research, after being assured by a flight centre TA that this was an "amazing price" for our multi-stop trip to the States this September, I went home and found the same flights a whopping $1700 cheaper for 3 adults and 1 child. $1700!!!!! I know they are in business to make money, but really? That's an awful lot of Disney spending money, lol.

Congratulations on booking your flights - let the fun begin!

I am finding the same thing, I tell the TA what we are looking for in regard to US internal flights, accommodation, disney tickets etc and everything they quote us I can get cheaper going through the internet and booking myself. A little research is worth it.

 

[Kangarucci]

I am in the process of finding airfares in June. I have tried several different sites but no bargains. The Matrix site gives a very high price compared to others but is supposed to show all fares.

What websites do you look at?

Expedia, zuji, webjet, flight planet, kayak, Travelocity, one travel, cheapoair, bestflights, ita matrix, bravo fly, orbitz, hipmunk, airline websites...

Does anyone have any different sites that they use and have found good fares on?

 

[aussie shaz]

I am in the process of finding airfares in June. I have tried several different sites but no bargains. The Matrix site gives a very high price compared to others but is supposed to show all fares.

What websites do you look at?

Expedia, zuji, webjet, flight planet, kayak, Travelocity, one travel, cheapoair, bestflights, ita matrix, bravo fly, orbitz, hipmunk, airline websites...

Does anyone have any different sites that they use and have found good fares on?

I usually just look at the airline websites. There's not too many airlines from here to the US. Once I like a price, I'll go to the other websites like Zuji etc. Last time Zuji was a little bit cheaper, but also didn't charge credit card fees.

The only problem we had with booking with a booking site, not direct, was when it came to seat selection. Airline said we had to go through our 'travel agent', Zuji said they don't do it, we had to go through airline. Finally, after a few calls back and forth, Virgin did our seat selection for us.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I am in the process of finding airfares in June. I have tried several different sites but no bargains. The Matrix site gives a very high price compared to others but is supposed to show all fares. What websites do you look at? Expedia, zuji, webjet, flight planet, kayak, Travelocity, one travel, cheapoair, bestflights, ita matrix, bravo fly, orbitz, hipmunk, airline websites... Does anyone have any different sites that they use and have found good fares on?

You've listed all the main ones as well as some I've never heard of.

my suggestions:

1. Try the websites of the actual airlines
2. Try adjusting your dates slightly. Mondays, for example, are often cheaper than Saturdays.
3. Try adding a stopover. I've seen flights drop quite a bit once you factor in a stopover. Air Tahiti is one airline where I've seen this.
4. If none of this works, it sounds like there aren't really any deals to be found for that time of the year. You will either need to accept the fares being offered or cross your fingers for a special.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The only problem we had with booking with a booking site, not direct, was when it came to seat selection. Airline said we had to go through our 'travel agent', Zuji said they don't do it, we had to go through airline. Finally, after a few calls back and forth, Virgin did our seat selection for us.

I had the same issue with Expedia. They assigned me seats I wasn't happy with and Hawaiian Airlines wouldn't let me change them online. A quick phone call to Hawaii and I was able to change them.

 

[Kangarucci]

Thank you for your replies.

I have checked the airlines' websites but no better.

We are flying Melbourne, Seattle or Vancouver, New York, Boston, Tampa, Lax, Melbourne.

Maybe a great deal will pop up at the Travel Expo in Feb!