Flight from US East Coast pointers/suggestions?

[Workin4cruzin]

We are in the beginning stages of selecting a Celebrity cruise for early 2014 to Aust/New Zealand. Since we are too far out to look at airfare for those dates, I've been looking at a similar timeframe for 2013. Ouch! I can only imagine 2014 will have similar (or more expensive) fares.

 

Does anyone have suggestions on airlines/rewards programs/or a combination, to try to help defray the cost of the air? I have had some folks suggest getting an American Airlines card and using it for all expenses for the next year or so, and that miles rack up quickly. However, I don't realistically see me charging over $100,000 in the next year just to be obtain 100,000 points.

 

Anyone who has made this journey, how did you endure such a long flight? Flying is a necessary evil in my mind and I will need to have a good game plan laid out to figure out how I am going to entertain myself for such a lengthy period of time. I haven't seen too many people moan and groan about how awful it was, so maybe it's all in my head and it won't be so bad. There's only so long one can sleep (uncomfortably) on a plane though! :D

 

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas.

[GradUT]

I've made this trip (East Coast - LA - Sydney) several times. I think the biggest mistake people made (and I made it once myself) is thinking that it's a good idea to break up the flight with a night in L.A. WRONG! It just means that you've got to schlep your bags one extra time, go through security one extra time, arrange transportation to/from yet another airport and do a one-nighter in a hotel. You aren't going to be any more rested by doing this than just gritting your teeth and doing the entire journey in one fell swoop. Besides, any time in L.A. is NOT time spent in Australia.

 

My next suggestion is to find an airline that has individual TV screens for each seat in coach. (I'm assuming you are flying coach. If you are flying Business or FC, then your trip is going to be great.) I have flown both United and Qantas from LA to Sydney. United does NOT have the individual screens and I did not enjoy flying United at all. Qantas does have the individual screens and watching movies & TV and playing games really makes the time pass. I don't know about the other airlines which fly this route, but it should be easy enough to check on Seat Guru.

 

Finally, just go with a good attitude. It's going to be a long flight, but at the end of it, you will be in SYDNEY! Trust me, that makes it all worthwhile.

[boingy300]

I'm not much help, but I'm about to make this flight in Feb. We picked seats towards the back of the plane that only seat 2 people so we don't have to spend 18 hours with a stranger crawling over us/vice versa....not that we aren't friendly. We are flying Cincinnati to DFW to Brisbane to Sydney on Qantas. Our goal is to not sleep until at least 7 hours into the flight (DFW to Brisbane). Lots of games and a book. A toothbrush. And lots of relaxation. I'm thinking a relaxation tape....although w/ my ADHD...I'll keep you posted. Economy $2100 (sale), 1st class $8000. We chose economy. A bed would be nice...but I probably won't sleep.

Karen

[bobhsv]

I'm not much help, but I'm about to make this flight in Feb. We picked seats towards the back of the plane that only seat 2 people so we don't have to spend 18 hours with a stranger crawling over us/vice versa....not that we aren't friendly. We are flying Cincinnati to DFW to Brisbane to Sydney on Qantas. Our goal is to not sleep until at least 7 hours into the flight (DFW to Brisbane). Lots of games and a book. A toothbrush. And lots of relaxation. I'm thinking a relaxation tape....although w/ my ADHD...I'll keep you posted. Economy $2100 (sale), 1st class $8000. We chose economy. A bed would be nice...but I probably won't sleep.

Karen

 

We are doing the reverse, Sydney to Miami via Dallas. We too chose those two seats at the back of the plane. Thats one good thing re paying early....but the flight back home is on a different type of plane...so we opted for the aisle seats in the middle. I hate disturbing people if I am next to the window.

The main thing with this long flight is to get exercise. Get up regularly and walk around the aisles. I am also purchasing a pair of those flight stockings this time, and taking plenty of crossword books.

Have a great time downunder....welcome:)

[room010]

Because you are in NE US here's a suggestion which may not be as crazy as it sounds. Instead of crossing the US/Pacific twice, think about a "round the world" ticket heading east to Europe/Asia/Oz first and then back to the US via the Pacific. Or do it the other way round. If you choose carefully your flying time wont be very different overall and most airlines do some amazing deals on RTW tickets. The savings could easily pay for an upgrade to business class and a nice flat bed.

[sparky-elpaso]

We flew United and one of the best things I did was choose bulkhead seats. My thought was that we wouldn't have anyone reclining in our laps but it turned out that we had a few inches more legroom too. Downside was that you have to put all your carryons overhead - but we paid a bit more for priority boarding so we got on before other pax took up all the overhead space with their oversized carryons. :)

 

It wasn't the most fun I've ever had but it wasn't horrible either. The food was pretty good and we did manage to get some sleep. We flew in 2 days before our cruise so we had time to get over some of the jet lag.

 

We had a fairly long layover at LAX and I got tickets for the United Club - worth every penny. Nice chairs, snacks, drinks, etc. - MUCH nicer than spending several hours out in the public areas of the airport.

[Karennella]

More than 7 million Aussies travelled overseas last year, out of a population of 22 million, and most of the flights are long or very long. The number travelling keeps growing and growing, so those flights, if not enjoyable, are not bad enough to keep us at home!

Where possible, we pre-book the two seats down the back, only use airlines with individual entertainment and only last year, got high quality noise cancelling headphones. They made the trip much more pleasant. We have a hard look at the flight schedules, preferring flights that arrive at night. Last year, and I know it is very childish, I crossed off each hour as it passed in a travel diary. I cannot sleep in planes but I try to relax, tell myself it is only a day out of my life and think of the $12,000 or more we have saved by not going business class!

[Workin4cruzin]

These are great suggestions, thanks. Many of those things I would not have thought of (seat location, individual TV's). Gives me a good idea of what to look for when we are ready to purchase the ticket.

 

I agree, I think it will be a mindset.....I am more than willing to sacrifice a couple days out of my life in order to have a fantastic cruise!

 

I will have to look into the Round the world ticket and see how that compares.

 

And yes, I for sure will be traveling economy. My friend may try to go at least business class, so perhaps I will get my exercise by going to visit her up there. There is no way I could justify that type of expense in order for a little comfort. That cost difference could be a couple of additional cruises I could take! :-)

 

If anyone has other ideas/suggestions, keep them coming.

 

Thanks all!!!

[debshomespun]

This is a very interesting thread. We too, are planning a visit to Australia Jan/Feb of 2014. Looking at flying into Sydney, and cruising to NZ(RC Voyager 1-24-14), then some time touring the Sydney area, then cruising up the Queensland coast (RC Rhapsody 2-11-14) to the Great Barrier Reef. I would love to have a stopover in Figi for a couple nights possibly on our way back home. I have heard it is sometimes not much more to add this stopover. We love the islands, and have been to the South Pacific by way of cruiseship. Bora Bora was just fantastic! Still contemplating doing a cruise to the New Caledonia and Vanauta Islands. We are looking at spending between 6-8 weeks away from home. We are from NE Ohio.

[boingy300]

Ohio represents! We are doing the Vanuatu/New Caledonia trek in Feb.

Good thread! Other tips I read are: "don't think alcohol will help lull you to sleep, acts as a stimulant a few hours later".....bummer.... Some have suggested ambien or melatonin. I did forget the moving about tip. There is also a space in the back where you can stretch out your muscles a bit. Avoid being too close to the bathroom (noise/smell/people standing in line looking at you as they wait).

They serve breakfast about 2 hours out of Brisbane (I'm told). I'll know in 176 days!

Karen

[Dmgmd50]

These are great suggestions, thanks. Many of those things I would not have thought of (seat location, individual TV's). Gives me a good idea of what to look for when we are ready to purchase the ticket.

 

I agree, I think it will be a mindset.....I am more than willing to sacrifice a couple days out of my life in order to have a fantastic cruise!

 

I will have to look into the Round the world ticket and see how that compares.

 

And yes, I for sure will be traveling economy. My friend may try to go at least business class, so perhaps I will get my exercise by going to visit her up there. There is no way I could justify that type of expense in order for a little comfort. That cost difference could be a couple of additional cruises I could take! :-)

 

If anyone has other ideas/suggestions, keep them coming.

 

Thanks all!!!

 

We actually cancelled a two week Canada/New England cruise because we decided to go on an Australia / New Zealand cruise the same year and are using the savings to purchase the business class upgrade. Perhaps we are a little older than you but we decided the only way we could travel so far would be upfront. We figured we could always take the other cruise in the future.

[debshomespun]

Ohio represents! We are doing the Vanuatu/New Caledonia trek in Feb.

Good thread! Other tips I read are: "don't think alcohol will help lull you to sleep, acts as a stimulant a few hours later".....bummer.... Some have suggested ambien or melatonin. I did forget the moving about tip. There is also a space in the back where you can stretch out your muscles a bit. Avoid being too close to the bathroom (noise/smell/people standing in line looking at you as they wait).

They serve breakfast about 2 hours out of Brisbane (I'm told). I'll know in 176 days!

Karen

 

Hey Karen....our daughter lives in Mason. We were just down there Mon-Wed. Had our grandson for 5 days, and took him back home. He is just over 2.

 

These are some great suggestions! I don't like to fly all that much, but it's about the only way to get to all those great places in this world. We have cruised to Hawaii twice, first time was a repo to Hawaii, then we flew home, overnight flight. Next cruise was a 30 day from San Diego to Hawaii, the south pacific, and back to San Diego. We contemplated cruising down to Australia, then flying home, but thinking there is way too much to see and do. We only want to be gone for the most 8 weeks, and don't want to spend the whole time on a cruise ship. Still looking at what we want to do once we get to the "Down Under". We are planning this trip along with another couple we met on our 30 day cruise. They now live in Las Vegas. We are just in the beginning stages.

[boingy300]

Ha- small world. Someday I want to go around the world. When we did our Holland cruise the staff told us of an elderly couple who decided to retire on world cruises (cheaper than a nursing home). He had very cute stories about them. Brilliant idea!

Karen

[SmartTraveller]

We are in the beginning stages of selecting a Celebrity cruise for early 2014 to Aust/New Zealand. Since we are too far out to look at airfare for those dates, I've been looking at a similar timeframe for 2013. Ouch! I can only imagine 2014 will have similar (or more expensive) fares.

 

Does anyone have suggestions on airlines/rewards programs/or a combination, to try to help defray the cost of the air? I have had some folks suggest getting an American Airlines card and using it for all expenses for the next year or so, and that miles rack up quickly. However, I don't realistically see me charging over $100,000 in the next year just to be obtain 100,000 points.

 

Anyone who has made this journey, how did you endure such a long flight? Flying is a necessary evil in my mind and I will need to have a good game plan laid out to figure out how I am going to entertain myself for such a lengthy period of time. I haven't seen too many people moan and groan about how awful it was, so maybe it's all in my head and it won't be so bad. There's only so long one can sleep (uncomfortably) on a plane though! :D

 

Thanks for any suggestions or ideas.

 

Hi there

 

I travel to/from the USA regularly. As an Aussie, I am used to very long flights as its a long flight to just about anywhere from here. However, there are some things you can do to make the trip cheaper, more interesting and above all bearable. Whilst I tend to agree with the person that said not to do a stopover (love putting my behind in that seat at LAX knowing the next stop is HOME!!) if you are not used to long haul and want to save some $$$s there are some alternatives -- some food for thought:-

 

1. Avoid going thru LAX (the worst airport in the civilised world. in my humble opinion) and fly direct out of New York or Chicago over the north pole to Tokyo and then after a couple of nights stopover (if you wish), fly onto Sydney. This is with Japan Airlines (very pleasant). Check the jal.com website or aa.com as American can often be cheaper than JAL, even though they are the exact same flights.

 

2. Get a cheap flight to Honolulu and then take a Jetstar flight to Sydney. Jetstar is Qantas's budget airline arm and for the fare you pay, are pretty good. A basic economy fare between HNL and Sydney is usually between $USD450 - $USD500 each way. You can add baggage and a "plus" fare which gives you meals, seat selection and the ability to change your flight without penalty for an extra $50 or so. You can also pay a bit extra for extra leg room. Hawaiin airlines are also pretty competitive between HNL - SYD

 

3. Check out Air New Zealand for LAX-SYD and fly via Auckland. Very good airline and often cheap.

 

4. Virgin Australia is also another option between the west coast and Sydney

 

5. You've got lots of time so sign up for email specials on Qantas.com. Qantas can sometimes be the cheapest even though they are a premium airline as you don't pay extra for bags etc. You can also pay extra and get an extra legroom seat

 

6. Always check fares on kayak.com. You can sign up for an email alert.

[ellieanne]

1. Avoid going thru LAX (the worst airport in the civilised world. in my humble opinion) and fly direct out of New York or Chicago over the north pole to Tokyo and then after a couple of nights stopover (if you wish), fly onto Sydney. This is with Japan Airlines (very pleasant). Check the jal.com website or aa.com as American can often be cheaper than JAL, even though they are the exact same flights.

 

3. Check out Air New Zealand for LAX-SYD and fly via Auckland. Very good airline and often cheap.

 

I agree that if you can avoid LAX, do so. I used to think that Atlanta was Airport Heck, but I now I know better. It's LAX. I avoid LAX at all costs.

 

Air New Zealand and United have flights direct to/from San Francisco (SFO), and it's worth it to me. The flights are usually not much more expensive than those through LAX. I like to spend a night in San Francisco each way just to be sure there are no issues with delayed flights or jet lag. It's well worth it for my peace of mind to have the nights in SF.

[room010]

Air New Zealand trans Pacific is superb. Yes, you have to go via Auckland but its a short stopover and worth every minute. Like many (most?) Aussie flyers we will do almost anything to avoid LAX, the airport from hell for international travellers.

[Dmgmd50]

I agree that if you can avoid LAX, do so. I used to think that Atlanta was Airport Heck, but I now I know better. It's LAX. I avoid LAX at all costs.

 

Air New Zealand and United have flights direct to/from San Francisco (SFO), and it's worth it to me. The flights are usually not much more expensive than those through LAX. I like to spend a night in San Francisco each way just to be sure there are no issues with delayed flights or jet lag. It's well worth it for my peace of mind to have the nights in SF.

 

We are avoiding LAX by flying Qantas from Dallas.

[Mercruiser]

I am planning an Auckland to Sydney cruise in late 2013. I plan to fly first class both ways on United (Star Alliance) using frequent flyer miles. I get some of them from business travel. But I am getting most of them by working all of the non-flying mileage offers:

1) 50,000 mile sign up bonus on Chase United visa card (bonus may be lower right now)

2) 25,000 miles from Fidelity Brokerage for opening and funding an account (You can get up to 50,000 miles from Fidelity if you have enough cash.)

3) 40,000 miles sign up bonus on Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card (to be transferred later to United miles)

4) 4,000 miles by signing up for Netflix using United credit card

 

My wife and I are each doing these separately using individual accounts, so we will have this many miles times two.

 

It takes 80,000 miles one-way on United for a first class saver ticket from mainland US to Australia. Business is 67,500 but availability is limited and I'd rather go for first class. Coach is 40,000 miles. United (and other Star Alliance) awards are available one-way. So you can still fly on award travel if you do not have enough miles for round trip. Or you can go First one way and coach the other.

 

Similar to Cruise Critic, there are web sites all about how to get lots of frequent flyer miles without flying. My favorite is the points guy. (Google it.)

[Mercruiser]

I travel to/from the USA regularly. . .

1. Avoid going thru LAX (the worst airport in the civilised world. in my humble opinion) . . .

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you about LAX. I spent two weeks in Australia this year on business, traveling to Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne. On my return to the U.S.A via LAX, I was truly embarrased thinking about all the Aussies and Kiwis whose first "welcome" to the USA is at the worst airport in the USA staffed by the worst security staff imaginable.

 

This was in stark contrast to the wonderful airports in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney staffed by civilized human beings. My sincerest apologies for this national embarrassment.

[Allis154]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you about LAX. I spent two weeks in Australia this year on business, traveling to Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne. On my return to the U.S.A via LAX, I was truly embarrased thinking about all the Aussies and Kiwis whose first "welcome" to the USA is at the worst airport in the USA staffed by the worst security staff imaginable.

 

This was in stark contrast to the wonderful airports in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney staffed by civilized human beings. My sincerest apologies for this national embarrassment.

 

This doesn't bode well for me...flying through LAX in March :(

[ellieanne]

This doesn't bode well for me...flying through LAX in March :(

 

I think (hope!) it's been rectified, but the last time I went through LAX (in 2009) on an international flight, there was a 2-hour wait for the security lanes AND no restrooms or food service past security. They were re-doing the International terminal, but then, it seems as though airports are always re-doing terminals so it may have been rectified and is now back to a different, but similarly bad situation.

 

Coming back, it took over 2 hours, closer to 3 to get through immigration/customs and I was on through flights so all I had to do was gather my luggage and drop it off at the re-check desk.

 

I have not been back through LAX. I haven't investigated going though DFW, mainly because domestically in the US I fly Southwest and they fly into/out of Love Field in Dallas. I may check that out to see if it's significantly cheaper for my flights home next time.

[Allis154]

I'm flying from Halifax to Sydney, connecting in Toronto and LAX. We'll clear customs/immigration in Toronto. We'll have to switch terminals in LAX, but have 2h40min...hopefully, it won't be too bad.

 

What a way to start a vacation..was going to fly direct from Toronto (via Vancouver) but that is $1100 more pp!

[SmartTraveller]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you about LAX. I spent two weeks in Australia this year on business, traveling to Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne. On my return to the U.S.A via LAX, I was truly embarrased thinking about all the Aussies and Kiwis whose first "welcome" to the USA is at the worst airport in the USA staffed by the worst security staff imaginable.

 

This was in stark contrast to the wonderful airports in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney staffed by civilized human beings. My sincerest apologies for this national embarrassment.

 

 

LOL Mercruiser! LAX is a horror story and when I get off that long flight, I'm only barely in the mood for the surly people at LAX. However, the airport itself is dreadful. I was there las year and at 9 pm, most of the (very average) shops were shut! Ands its only in the last 5-7 years or so that the airline lounges like AA and Qantas have had showers. At least in the Qantas lounge, you dont have a dragon outside the door timing your shower like you do in the AA lounge!

 

Yes, our aiports are good, modern and clean with excellent facilities. However, I'm sure the embarrassment you feel is matched by my own when I think that tourists to Sydney are welcomed to Australia when they step on the worst airport train in the world. Filthy, graffiti covered, often not airconditioned in summer so unbearably hot and stuffy, not dedicated to the airport run so you have to mix it with commuters with your bags. If you are extremely lucky, you can see out the windows -- most of them havent been cleaned for 50 years. Sydney Rail - this is an embarrassing disgrace!

[Workin4cruzin]

This is why I love the folks on Cruise Critic. Everyone is awesome with their great suggestions! I have clearly gotten the message that avoiding LAX is the way to go, so will do my best to try to avoid that stop. Also, appreciate the input on some of the different airline/flight options as well as frequent flier possibilities.

 

Time to start getting on the email lists for some of these airlines and seeing what I can find for points programs. Will check out the Points Guy for sure.

 

Thanks again everyone, and I'm glad there are others in this same boat (no pun intended) looking for this type of info. :D

[Dmgmd50]

I agree that if you can avoid LAX, do so. I used to think that Atlanta was Airport Heck, but I now I know better. It's LAX. I avoid LAX at all costs.

 

My luck: I am flying home from Sydney to Fort Lauderdale via Delta and have to stop in LAX and Atlanta! (At least I am going to Australia via Dallas on Qantas.)