Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

OK, so I am thumb twiddling whilst waiting for the ex's decision on whether I need to take him to court to remove the wee one to NZ.

Thumb twiddling has involved looking at the best/most convenient/cheapest options for:

Flights from London (Heathrow or Gatwick) to Auckland, any options that allow extra baggage and associated costs.

Bank accounts in NZ - pros and cons and whether it's worth trying to get one before we go.

Transferring funds from UK to NZ when we leave. Possible costs and delays in doing so.

Anyone got any experience of any of these things?

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

bank accounts are easy to set up from the UK. and transferring money is again easy. We used HiFx, over a certain amount you don't pay fees.

As for flights bit difficult to say as they change so often. we did Heathrow, Seoul (put up in a hotel as stop over was 18hrs or so) Auckland. then we did an internal flight down to Wellington. Luggage went all the way through to Auckland without having to collect, rescan and reload.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Hi Whattodo.

I landed here in July, I was able to quite easily set up an online saver account with Westpac from the UK and transfer funds into that. All I needed to do when I landed was attend an appointment at a branch with ID and they upgraded me to a full account and gave me my EFTPOS card that day. I am assuming other banks (ASB, ANZ etc) allow similar things I just went with Westpac because that's my friend's bank.

I also wanted to take more than one suitcase to a new life. I booked my tickets with Air New Zealand but the opening flight was actually on Virgin Atlantic. All I did was pay about (£50?) not a huge amount anyway, for an extra suitcase which was really really handy.

There ARE costs on international transfers. I tend to pay about $20 per transaction and the £6 again whenever I transfer any money. You will also need to get used to being asked for SWIFT codes or IBAN codes which Westpac very helpfully provided to me to make it all easier. You can do the transfer yourself cheaper online though and the UK banks will try to make you pay through the nose for doing it in branch.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Thanks Laura,

Can I ask how you booked your flight? I have looked on the Air New Zealand webiste but it will only allow me to book extra baggage on routes that are all ANZ, the ones that have Virgin or whatever at the start it says extra baggage is not bookable.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

I rang the airline and asked that question myself. I ended up having to pay the extra AT the airport because the code sharing meant I couldn't book it ahead. I was really anxious they'd decide they'd told me wrong but they assured me I could do that and indeed I could :)

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Brilliant, thanks. The Virgin/ANZ route is one o the ones I looked at :)

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Happy to help, just as a disclaimer I'd ring and make sure they haven't changed policy on you. I like the Virgin/ANZ one because it's two big chunks and its easier psychologically to manage. NEVER again will I fly Emirates to NZ.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

I would like to throw Qantas into the mix (If they still do business by the time you come to NZ!) They do a immigrant airfare which gives you twice the usual baggage allowance. They do need you visa details as part of the fare, but it was painless.

Banking-wise, we used Westpac and opened the account from the UK. Very easy.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Not just Qantas

Singapore Airlines and Emirates allow you take up to 50kg in baggage (2 suitcases) if you can show that you have a valid visa in your passport

We bought 2 suitcases full of clothes n stuff when we came over with Singapore Airlines. Great airline

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

We did not enjoy a code share flight with air nz and virgin atlantic - apart form the hassle of passing thru the USA - having to collect baggage and check it in again, fingerprints etc etc - we also couldn't pre-book seats on the VA leg and got rubbish seats. cabin crew on VA also have something of a reputation in the industry for being unhelpful (it was true on our flight - I'm sure other people have had better experiences).
We have had better flights on the chinese and malaysian airlines with stopovers in KL, taipei, guangzhou, usually with a free hotel provided.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

We travel extensively and use QANTAS a lot. However, if you are coming straight through, check out Singapore Airlines as it is only one stop at Singapore between London and Auckland, and a much easier transfer at Singapore than anywhere in USA or Canada. If you phone Singapore Airlines in UK, ask them if they do an immigrant fare and baggage allowance that will help you.

Re banks, as we say in NZ, easy as. Contact any of the banks and they will set you up so that all you do is go to the branch on arrival in Auckland and the task is complete.

Re moving money, avoid the banks as they charge more than the international currency brokers. I use HiFX for most of my transactions, but Foreign Currency Direct (Jonathan Watson) is also very good and both of these always beat the banks when quoting me rates. Watch out for transaction fees though. The way that they work is that you sign up with them first, and when you want to move money, they quote you on the phone (or sometimes online), you then internet transfer the UK pounds to them within a time limit of, say, three days, and they transfer the funds as soon as they receive them from you. BUT, you need to set up your NZ bank account first. Watch out also to ensure that your Internet banking limit is high enough to be able to transfer the funds from your UK bank account.

I hope that this helps as you ponder your future.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Thanks nzneville, lots to look into. I have emailed Qantas, but will contact Singapore Airlines too, compare and contrast and all that shiz!

Glad to hear it's easy to setup up an account before we go, and transfer the money over into said account, so it's all ready to use when we arrive, subject to popping in with ID :) Phew, will make life much easier!

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Singapore airlines are fab, flew with them in August. Phoned and spoke to someone and was given as extra few Kgs of baggage as I was only flying one way and I only had a work visa! Also use HiFx for money transfers, tend to tell them how much we have and what rate we would like, they then make contact when the rates right ie we have a transaction going through at the moment as we wanted £1 - $2 as soon as it hit they got in touch and now I'm just waiting for funds to hit my Westpac account that we opened in their London branch :)

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Hi everyone. I dont want to hijack this thread but do the airlines give you the same extra baggage allowance if you are going back home for good from NZ to the UK? It would make things easier. :)

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

pippa - the things that are mentioned above about extra luggage -i was never entitled to when i asked. i always fly with emirates as you get 30kg and they never check the weight of hold luggage.

when i enquired with qantas, air nz and virgin, i was told plainly that another 20kilo suitcase would cost me another £180. things may have changed recently, but that was my experience. cheers.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

:thumbsup:

Email response from Singapore Airlines as follows (this information relates to me telling them I will have a Skilled Migrant Visa) :

Please be advised that for flights departing from London
Heathrow/Manchester and if you hold an unused/unstamped/not validated
Residence visa for New Zealand, then you will be entitled to the migrant
baggage allowance (40 kilos, per seat passenger).

This visa has to be used for the first time to enter into New Zealand and
the migrant baggage will be granted after, the visa has been verified by
our staff at the check-in counter on the day of your departure.

You can have as many items of checked luggage as you wish provided:

The total combined weight of all the items put together does not exceed
your total checked allowances
No single item of baggage exceeds 32 kilos in weight, as a health and
safety requirement

If you are not holding the correct visa mentioned above at check-in, then
you will be entitled to the standard free checked baggage allowance of 30
kilos per seated passenger.

We hope that the above information helps.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Sorry Davros, but QANTAS gives you 30 kilos checked baggage allowance between London and New Zealand, the same as Emirates, as they codeshare. Also, if you are a QANTAS Club member or hold Silver FF status, you get 42 kilos instead of 30 kilos. The rule is that you must be on a QANTAS flight or a codeshare that has a QANTAS flight number.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

This depends on when Davros asked as this only changed relatively recently.

The other good thing about Qantas and Emirates is that it's just a weight limit and a weight AND pieces of luggage limit.

You can have as many bags as you like as long as the average is 30kgs per person and no one bag is heavier than 30kgs.



To the OP;

On baggage allowance we managed to survive over 3 months with the standard baggage allowance we were afforded with the various airlines we used. I even travelled with stuff that went unused.


On the banking there is no reason not to set up your bank account whilst in the UK. Do not wait until you get to NZ to do, it is a huge faff these days, as I found out when I got here.

On the plus side, the wife (who already had an account in NZ) was forced to bankroll me :thumbsup:

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

[QUOTE=TommyLuck;11155421]This depends on when Davros asked as this only changed relatively recently.

Depends how you define recently, as I made a booking at the beginning of April last year and it was alrady 30 kilos, exept for North and South America.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Air NZ I have found had the best price, each time. £75 each to buy extra luggage.

We got bank account in NZ from UK before we left, very easy, and very useful to send money in advance. Once we arrived that bank wasn't the best any more, the switch was easy. Transferring funds takes about a week. If you use HiFX it avoids international banking transfer fees, competitive exchange rates also.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

I stopped using them when they DID check a bag weight for a friend who was travelling with team GB to China (I went too but I was ok) and was charged £500 per kilo for her bag being over!

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Really? Eeek! thats some luggage: for clarity - ANZ baggage charges

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

It was a 30kg allowance, and we were travelling to the triathlon world champs, so had bikes with us. Her bike wasn't that much over but the charges were...:eek:

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

All I know is that I booked a multi-stop with Qantas in August 2012 for flights in May and June 2013 and I was restricted to 23kgs, whilst all around in me in check in were blatantly lugging around more than than that.

I can't remember specifics (because I couldn't change anything and I'd planned for 23kgs anyhow) but it was explained to me at the check in counter at LAX that because I'd booked before a certain date I was on the old weight tariff.

So at some stage between August 2012 and May 2013 they changed it.

Anyway, this means that you're right now, but Davros information isn't that old.

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

thought id update this thread:

London to Christchurch: one way flying end of April
Air new Zealand - £900 - 23kg - 31hours flight
Virgin - £708 - 24kg - 26hours
Qantas - £713 - 32kg - 30hours
Singapore air - £699.50 - 32kg - 25hours
Emirates - £715 - 30kg - 28hours

Found a really cheap way to get to the airport, bloody coach (never thought id say it). From somerset to heathrow £10.50 each for me and the wife 3hr travel. Amazing price if you book ahead. Went with NationalExpress

Extra baggage - using PSSremovals. To airfreight 40kgs tools approx. 11cube will set me back around £400 door to door.

Hope this helps others in future

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Have some BE karma Ray3324 for sharing with others. Very helpful :thumbup:

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

Only if it's a permanent vise, WTR, work visas etc they won't :thumbdown:

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

If you open an ANZ account then fly with emirates then you get double luggage, 53kg BUT can only fly into Auckland, but bear in mind internal flight luggage allowance if you have to fly somewhere from Auckland

Re: Flights, Baggage Allowance and Bank Accounts
 

May I ask why not?