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Best way with kids

Best way with kids

Old Sep 3rd 2009, 7:31 pm
  #1  
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Default Best way with kids

We are coming over in March, holiday and reccie. Coming for about 3 weeks and was wondering the best way with kids in tow (8 and 6) for the flights. Price wise at the moment we have 3 options. Korea with a 24 hour stopover, means losing a day, Brunei with a 10 hour stopover, £360+ for hotel as can't get family room!! Or Air New Zealand, no stopover and flies after 9pm so could get an extra day in New Zealand.
Wife is concerned that straight through might be to much for the kids, not keen on 24 hour stopover and not hearing anything positive about Brunei.
Your thoughts and experience welcome.

Thanks

Martin
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Old Sep 3rd 2009, 8:00 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We're flying through Dubai with Emirates, and that stops for 11 hours, with a hotel room (curtesy at that!). We'll only have 1 child (though he is 1!) with us.

When we get to NZ, we're hiring a motorhome as figure that might be more comfortable in the long-run.
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Old Sep 3rd 2009, 8:22 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

Originally Posted by Marjol
We are coming over in March, holiday and reccie. Coming for about 3 weeks and was wondering the best way with kids in tow (8 and 6) for the flights. Price wise at the moment we have 3 options. Korea with a 24 hour stopover, means losing a day, Brunei with a 10 hour stopover, £360+ for hotel as can't get family room!! Or Air New Zealand, no stopover and flies after 9pm so could get an extra day in New Zealand.
Wife is concerned that straight through might be to much for the kids, not keen on 24 hour stopover and not hearing anything positive about Brunei.
Your thoughts and experience welcome.

Thanks

Martin
Hi Martin

We did this back in May with a 9 & 7 year old, we flew Air New Zealand via Hong Kong, left Heathrow about 22.00, it all worked out fine, the kids coped very well, when we arrived in Auckland picked up motorhome and headed to pre booked Wairera springs just north of Auckland for day of relaxation at hot springs, second day sitting in first interview at 9.00.
Good luck with your plans

Paul
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Old Sep 3rd 2009, 8:46 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

Originally Posted by Jo_Paul87
Hi Martin

We did this back in May with a 9 & 7 year old, we flew Air New Zealand via Hong Kong, left Heathrow about 22.00, it all worked out fine, the kids coped very well, when we arrived in Auckland picked up motorhome and headed to pre booked Wairera springs just north of Auckland for day of relaxation at hot springs, second day sitting in first interview at 9.00.
Good luck with your plans

Paul
you might be surprised with the kids, ours at 2 and 5 did better than we did on the journey and the jet lag.

"Waiwera" that is BTW, just in case anyone is thinking of Google! Its the next place north of Orewa on the "old" SH1. Great spot to relax and you can get there on the bus from Orewa/environs if you need to.
Having a car for the first couple of days might not be too great as you will be very tired........
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Old Sep 3rd 2009, 10:36 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We came in April with 12 and 8 yr old ( and elderly mum in law) we came straight through with just a couple of hours in HK. Kids coped well - we got a night flight left Heathrow about 9pm. Kids ate, slept and watched movies. My 8 yr old is usually a bit whingey but he was fine until Auckland and I thought - hell we're nearly there now!!! We exhausted them with a weekend in London sightseeing in the hopes that they would sleep most of way!

On our experience I'd def go with the straight through and get here as soon as you can.
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 1:04 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We didn't come on a recce, but when we emigrated here we chose to get the journey over and done as quick as poss, so came with air NZ, via LAX. Had 2 hrs in LA transit lounge (which, by the way was fine .. and gave us a chance to 'exercise' the kids).

Kids were fine ... and whilst we were a little jet lagged, the journey was good.

Lou
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 2:10 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We emigrated last November and came through LAX which had a 1hr 40 mins stopover the kids we're fine coped really well with the flight, personally i wouldn't waste ya money on a Reccie but so many people do, i believe being on holiday somewhere is completly different to living there!! We also came La way as you get the extra baggage if you come USA way round (2 x 22kgs each passenger) if you come Asia way its only 1. Good Luck and i'm sure the kids will cope better than you!!

Andrea x



Originally Posted by Marjol
We are coming over in March, holiday and reccie. Coming for about 3 weeks and was wondering the best way with kids in tow (8 and 6) for the flights. Price wise at the moment we have 3 options. Korea with a 24 hour stopover, means losing a day, Brunei with a 10 hour stopover, £360+ for hotel as can't get family room!! Or Air New Zealand, no stopover and flies after 9pm so could get an extra day in New Zealand.
Wife is concerned that straight through might be to much for the kids, not keen on 24 hour stopover and not hearing anything positive about Brunei.
Your thoughts and experience welcome.

Thanks

Martin
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 2:42 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We've only every done the straight through run, Air NZ via LAX. TBH I couldn't be arsed with collecting luggage and then rechecking just for 1 or 2 nights somewhere I really didn't want to be! And if the kids were going to get whingy I'd rather they were doing it whilst we were still heading to our destination rather than at a stopover with another long stretch to go. I just like to get the journey over and done with. Kids were a bit old than yours 11 and 13 and they loved the flight. Plenty of entertainment to choose from on the personal sets. The only whinging they did was at me for stretching my legs out across them!
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 8:17 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

We did the Air NZ via LAX with 2 hours in the lounge with boys aged 6 and 9. The kids were no bother,coped ok had plenty to keep them occupied. They even managed to sleep a bit too. My advice would be get it over and done with in one go.

Phyl x
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 9:48 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

HERE HERE ours were 5 and 8 and they loved it it was like a little adventure to them although they did sleep from 2pm till 7 am the next monday when we arrived bless um!!! but in general they were fantastic don't do any of this stopping over lark get it over and done with!!!!

Andrea x


Originally Posted by weejie
We did the Air NZ via LAX with 2 hours in the lounge with boys aged 6 and 9. The kids were no bother,coped ok had plenty to keep them occupied. They even managed to sleep a bit too. My advice would be get it over and done with in one go.

Phyl x
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 2:14 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

I'm with them get it over with!! First time with kids 4 and 6, second time 8 and 10, both times no problems. Found it easier to book 3 seats together and 1 nearby. Meant one adult could go and sleep whilst other kept eye on kids ( that means OH could go and snore somewhere we could pretend he wasn't with us )
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Old Sep 4th 2009, 3:15 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

Thanks for all the replies, it makes the averages easier to work out. The general view seems to be no stopover, that also means extra time. Father in law lives just outside Auckland so no problems with accommodation or transport (or babysitter).
Thanks again

Martin
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Old Sep 5th 2009, 10:07 am
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Default Re: Best way with kids

Originally Posted by PatLiz
We're flying through Dubai with Emirates, and that stops for 11 hours, with a hotel room (curtesy at that!). We'll only have 1 child (though he is 1!) with us.

When we get to NZ, we're hiring a motorhome as figure that might be more comfortable in the long-run.
---------------------------------------------------

A question for PatLiz...

Did you book your flight direct with Emirates to get this deal or did you use an travel agent and if so can you please tell me who it was with.

We can book a flight with Emirates direct but we are not sure if we would be allowed to book a hotel between flights (10 hours).

Thanks in anticipation.
B
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Old Sep 5th 2009, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

For our reccie last year we flew direct via LA with a 7 & 5 year old. They were both fab. I took endless craft bits for them to do which they totally ignored and just plugged themselves in to watch endless Disney and Hi5.

They coped with the jet lag better than we did, but it did take it out on my 5 year old who threw up a few times on the first day in Wellington and was totally wiped out. But the next day he was fine. They spent the rest of the first week falling asleep at tea time (even in their food/at the table) and woke early but essentially were fine.

We're emigrating to Wellington in 2 weeks time, but have decided as we now have the time to fly via LA and stop for 3 days to do Disneyland. As well as breaking up the journey it helps to have something to get them really excited by. My now 9 year old is finding it really tough to leave her friends, especially as they went back to school this week and she is stuck with boring old mum(!) and no friends around, but the added excitement of America on the way to NZ is certainly helping.

Hope you enjoy your reccie, certainly from our kids point of view and for us too, it really helps that they know where they are going and what it's going to be like which is a great weight off all our minds.

Enjoy!
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Old Sep 5th 2009, 9:03 pm
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Default Re: Best way with kids

Originally Posted by MOSO
For our reccie last year we flew direct via LA with a 7 & 5 year old. They were both fab. I took endless craft bits for them to do which they totally ignored and just plugged themselves in to watch endless Disney and Hi5.

They coped with the jet lag better than we did, but it did take it out on my 5 year old who threw up a few times on the first day in Wellington and was totally wiped out. But the next day he was fine. They spent the rest of the first week falling asleep at tea time (even in their food/at the table) and woke early but essentially were fine.

We're emigrating to Wellington in 2 weeks time, but have decided as we now have the time to fly via LA and stop for 3 days to do Disneyland. As well as breaking up the journey it helps to have something to get them really excited by. My now 9 year old is finding it really tough to leave her friends, especially as they went back to school this week and she is stuck with boring old mum(!) and no friends around, but the added excitement of America on the way to NZ is certainly helping.

Hope you enjoy your reccie, certainly from our kids point of view and for us too, it really helps that they know where they are going and what it's going to be like which is a great weight off all our minds.

Enjoy!
2 weeks how exciting

Silly question really, we are thinking of stopping in L.A to do disney with the kids as well. I was just wondering how you have managed your baggage?. I assume you have gone via USA to take advantage of extra baggage allowance??, Do you have to take off all your bags at L.A as you are not going on to connection straight away......

Hope this makes sense

Dewb
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