flight prices
 

atrocious!
trying to plan a trip to NZ for a few weeks end january... its gonna cost a bomb in flights before we even work out how we will sleep and feed ourselves.
might have to cut short the reccie to two weeks, leave the kids and just get in as many interviews, houses and school visits as we can in ten days (once we have done our over night stops in singapore etc).

Re: flight prices
 

Oooooh bad time of year to go! We're booked to leave the US at the end of March, and we arrive on April 2nd. We're staying for 3 weeks (nearly, we come back on April 20th), and it cost us US$1,500 per person. Still a ton, but it would have been US$2,000 each in January or February. Or March! I checked for March, too. In April the prices drop by 25%. At least from the US.

I hope you can find something cheaper!

Merry Christmas nonetheless! :)

Re: flight prices
 

Yip, NZ high season. Imagine booking flights/accommodation at short notice around Europe in August... same thing.
You think flights are expensive/difficult, you wait until you try and find accommodation!
If you are planning on being in one town for the duration it may be worth it still, but if you are planning a reccie around a few places then it may be time for a rethink.

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Cost us £998 each with Sigapore Airlines for 2nd Jan. I dont think thats too bad really for the time of year and all that.

Here we come :D

Re: flight prices
 

we are heading straight to wellington and staying in one place - thats the idea. maybe try leave it till end of february.

NZIS have had our ITA for two months now, so our application expires end of february. i was thinking that maybe if we asked for our passports back so we can travel it might prompt someone to pick up our ITA and assign a case officer :confused:

now i have been told its unlikely we will have any babysitters, so two small kids will have to come with us. :scared: one on each lap.... :eek: aghghghghhghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

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It's cheaper of you go after the 15 th January and we have found Trailfinders to be the cheapest - it's (hopefully) the visit of ther lifetime, so do what you have to do (and can afford). We don't arrive until the end of Jan but have a spare bedroom near Wellington which you are welcome to if it helps - PM us,
Donna

Re: flight prices
 

My OH has booked with Emirates on the 1st Jan. £698.00 (one way) from Manchester via Dubai. I thought that was really good depending on day he is travelling. Most other airlines were more expensive apart from Korean airlines which costs £609 inc all taxes. The only reason he didnt book with them is that he doesn't like sushi (flight meals) and that was from Teeside via Korea - Australia - Christchurch.

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Had an e-mail from Singapore Airlines today, they have started their New year sale, Auckland from heathrow £660 inclusive. didn't check the details co's my one way flight is already booked :D

Adie

i just had one from Air New Zealand too - £619 inc taxes via HK or LA, inc two one way internal flights too! fro 18th february.... could suit us!

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the La trip isn't too bad (though i didn't do it with the kids) but you will get through LA immigartion check first with the kids

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How bad were the checks going thru' LA? Heard some horror stories inc. people missing flights. My mate works for BA and she says that availabilty is superb that way, I wonder why!!:D :scared:

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Agree K&S. LA was a nightmare with our kids. Busy airport,and add a sprinkling of paranoia and a slice of lack of humour and you have yourselves a bad trip flan right there.

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Super... we have a 6-hour stopover there on the way over. :p

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Sorry-'twas only our experience! Once in LA itself it was good! Americans are mental. I mean-doesn't George Bush in his second term mean owt? Loooons.

Are you just holed up in the holding area for 6 hours? Jesus,swap it to a couple of days! There's only so much fruit you can eat!

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Heh... don't worry, no-one in my family, including me, voted for him. :D We don't have enough time off, otherwise we'd be (a) going for longer, and (b) not stopping for so long in LA. :D We can leave the airport if we want - we're all USCs so there's no problem there. I can just envisage us being very bored indeed...