prov2727 Posted May 30 #1 Share Posted May 30 American/Quantas currently have a really good rate on flying from the US to Auckland--only about $300 more than letting NCL choose my flights which I am reluctant to do. My cruise ends there but it starts from Melbourne. I know that I would have to go get my luggage and re-check in at Auckland to fly to Melbourne but is there anything else that might make that difficult? Any recommendations on how much time I should allow between flights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodscruise Posted May 30 #2 Share Posted May 30 There is one Air New Zealand flight in the morning, however a couple in the afternoon and evening. To avoid stress in case of delays etc, I would personally go for the afternoon flight, especially since you will need to clear customs and immigration in NZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffinz Posted May 30 #3 Share Posted May 30 we flew Auckland / Vancouver return last July on Air NZ.... we met some people on the flight back who were flying onto Melbourne from Auckland... the flight from Vancouver arrived in Auckland 5:45am and they were on a 9am? flight from Auckland to Melbourne As they were flying Air NZ from Vancouver to Auckland and onto Melbourne their luggage was checked all the way to Melbourne, so they didn't need to get their luggage at Auckland and re-check it in to go to Melbourne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted May 30 #4 Share Posted May 30 1 hour ago, Muffinz said: we flew Auckland / Vancouver return last July on Air NZ.... we met some people on the flight back who were flying onto Melbourne from Auckland... the flight from Vancouver arrived in Auckland 5:45am and they were on a 9am? flight from Auckland to Melbourne As they were flying Air NZ from Vancouver to Auckland and onto Melbourne their luggage was checked all the way to Melbourne, so they didn't need to get their luggage at Auckland and re-check it in to go to Melbourne They would have been transit passengers and not have to go through Immigration in Auckland. That would save time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted May 30 #5 Share Posted May 30 It can also happen like that with flights from the US or Chile, just transit travellers. It would really depend on how your tickets were purchased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clairebearinaus Posted May 30 #6 Share Posted May 30 In my experience you have a better chance of being checked straight through if you book with the same airline. Qantas flies from Auckland to Melbourne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted May 31 #7 Share Posted May 31 At the risk of being a pedant, there’s no U in QANTAS. Just sayin! Also, I always capitalise it as it’s an acronym. Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Service. 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbeh Posted May 31 #8 Share Posted May 31 2 minutes ago, Sparky74 said: At the risk of being a pedant, there’s no U in QANTAS. Just sayin! Also, I always capitalise it as it’s an acronym. Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Service. 😁 You stole my post. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted May 31 #9 Share Posted May 31 Just now, Bubbeh said: You stole my post. 😉 I’m happy to share. 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbeh Posted May 31 #10 Share Posted May 31 10 hours ago, prov2727 said: American/Quantas currently have a really good rate on flying from the US to Auckland--only about $300 more than letting NCL choose my flights which I am reluctant to do. My cruise ends there but it starts from Melbourne. I know that I would have to go get my luggage and re-check in at Auckland to fly to Melbourne but is there anything else that might make that difficult? Any recommendations on how much time I should allow between flights? I might be having a blonde day but I'm finding your post confusing. Are you planning to fly to Auckland from the US? Why fly to Auckland if your cruise starts in Melbourne and then fly onto Melbourne? Sorry but I don't quite get it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbeh Posted May 31 #11 Share Posted May 31 6 minutes ago, Sparky74 said: I’m happy to share. 😁 Kind of you, I've always said the @Sparky74, you're very kind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiser3775 Posted May 31 #12 Share Posted May 31 If you fly with the same airline that you did the first leg on,you can have your luggage checked right through to Melboune. Auckland is not a huge airport, so doing a transit there is not difficult. But long internationalflights are often delayed, so I would allow a minimum of three hours for the transfer. Remember you need visas for both New Zealand and Australia. Get them before you book anything non refundable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2022cruisey Posted May 31 #13 Share Posted May 31 @Bubbeh OPs cruise ends in Auckland so it may be cheaper to get a return airfare from the US to Auckland if there is a special deal. Two one way airfares can often be more expensive, even with the extra flight MEL-AUK it might be cheaper. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted May 31 #14 Share Posted May 31 Yes, nothing wrong with buying a return instead of a multi city ticket, usually much cheaper. If you allow at 3-4 hours between flights, you should be okay especially if you have club access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodscruise Posted May 31 #15 Share Posted May 31 I think the OP is purchasing a return ticket from the US to NZ. A return ticket to and from the same city is usually cheaper than what in the industry calls open jaw ticket (that is US to AU surface New Zealand and return to US). If all the flights were issued on the one ticket, then the luggage will be through checked to Melbourne, however if it is a separate ticket, then the passenger would be required to collect luggage and re-checkin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted May 31 #16 Share Posted May 31 5 minutes ago, woodscruise said: I think the OP is purchasing a return ticket from the US to NZ. A return ticket to and from the same city is usually cheaper than what in the industry calls open jaw ticket (that is US to AU surface New Zealand and return to US). If all the flights were issued on the one ticket, then the luggage will be through checked to Melbourne, however if it is a separate ticket, then the passenger would be required to collect luggage and re-checkin. And go through customs and immigration. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov2727 Posted May 31 Author #17 Share Posted May 31 (edited) 13 hours ago, Bubbeh said: I might be having a blonde day but I'm finding your post confusing. Are you planning to fly to Auckland from the US? Why fly to Auckland if your cruise starts in Melbourne and then fly onto Melbourne? Sorry but I don't quite get it. Price$$ and the cruise ends in Auckland. Thanks, all for the input. Still undecided, LOL! Edited May 31 by prov2727 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov2727 Posted May 31 Author #18 Share Posted May 31 Called American Airlines (partnering with Qantas) and confirmed that they will not book the luggage all the way through since they have a flight that goes to MEL (for a lot more!). Round trip home to AKL- $1573 + $195 one-way to MEL=$1768 only about $400 than letting NCL BOGO book me however/whenever is cheapest Multi-city 2 hr drive to major airport to MEL and then AKL to major airport= $2450, $1100 more than letting NCL's BOGO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted May 31 #19 Share Posted May 31 What about a return flight to Melbourne. Then take a flight from Auckland to Melbourne upon disembarkation, probably stay a night in Melbourne (which may negate any savings) and then catch the return flight home? Just throwing another idea into the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jean C Posted May 31 #20 Share Posted May 31 If you flew into Auckland and caught a flight a few hours later to Melbourne, remaining in the airport in the same international terminal, wouldn't you be a transit passenger and not need to go through customs and immigration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov2727 Posted May 31 Author #21 Share Posted May 31 (edited) 1 hour ago, Jean C said: If you flew into Auckland and caught a flight a few hours later to Melbourne, remaining in the airport in the same international terminal, wouldn't you be a transit passenger and not need to go through customs and immigration? I would have to leave the security zone to get my luggage and check it onto the Auckland to Melbourne flight so I might need to go through customs. 1 hour ago, Sparky74 said: What about a return flight to Melbourne. Then take a flight from Auckland to Melbourne upon disembarkation, probably stay a night in Melbourne (which may negate any savings) and then catch the return flight home? Just throwing another idea into the mix. Also a good idea- similar concept but for some reason round trip to Melbourne is more expensive than to Auckland. Edited May 31 by prov2727 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Afloat Posted May 31 #22 Share Posted May 31 Worst case scenario you collect your luggage at Auckland, go through Customs and turn right when you walk out the door to the check in counters and check in for your flight to Melbourne. As mentioned previously Auckland International terminal is not large (on a world scale). Best case scenario you book your return flight to Auckland and your AKL-MEL flight with a carrier in the same “alliance” e.g. One World and at check in ask if they can check you all the way through to Melbourne. They will give you your boarding passes for both flights and you will be a transit passenger in Auckland and will not have to go through customs etc before boarding your flight to Melbourne. I would recommend having a carry on with some clothes etc as airlines have been known to ‘misplace’ luggage. Whichever you chose, have a great holiday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbeh Posted May 31 #23 Share Posted May 31 50 minutes ago, Kiwi Afloat said: Best case scenario you book your return flight to Auckland and your AKL-MEL flight with a carrier in the same “alliance” e.g. One World and at check in ask if they can check you all the way through to Melbourne. They will give you your boarding passes for both flights and you will be a transit passenger in Auckland and will not have to go through customs etc before boarding your flight to Melbourne. I would recommend having a carry on with some clothes etc as airlines have been known to ‘misplace’ luggage. What a great idea! I'd also suggest including a couple of days (at least) of any necessary medications in your carry on, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodscruise Posted June 1 #24 Share Posted June 1 1 hour ago, Kiwi Afloat said: Best case scenario you book your return flight to Auckland and your AKL-MEL flight with a carrier in the same “alliance” e.g. One World and at check in ask if they can check you all the way through to Melbourne. They will give you your boarding passes for both flights and you will be a transit passenger in Auckland and will not have to go through customs etc before boarding your flight to Melbourne. This would work if the onward flight was in the same reservation, and hence a through fare to Melbourne. If on a separate ticket and reservation, then the airport staff do not see the onward connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Sparky74 Posted June 1 #25 Share Posted June 1 43 minutes ago, woodscruise said: This would work if the onward flight was in the same reservation, and hence a through fare to Melbourne. If on a separate ticket and reservation, then the airport staff do not see the onward connection. I would be a bit nervous about missing the connection in Auckland if it wasn’t in the same reservation. JMHO In 2022 we flew Coffs Harbour to Sydney (domestic flight) to Vancouver to Seattle. Fortunately it was all on one reservation. Our Coffs Harbour to Sydney flight was delayed so we missed our connection. They rebooked us. Our new flight from Sydney to Vancouver was also delayed so we missed our next connection. We received a complimentary overnight hotel in Vancouver (including dinner) and eventually arrived in Seattle. Initially our bags were booked all the way to Seattle but as we had to stay overnight in Vancouver we got our bags for that night. 😁 Lessons learned from this experience. 1. Expect delays and disruptions when you’re travelling. 2. Always fly in the day before the cruise. In this instance I’d allowed two nights in Seattle before our cruise. Flight delays reduced this to one night but that was OK. It really reduced my stress knowing we had an extra day up our sleeve. 3. For me it’s worth paying extra so a multi-flight itinerary is on one reservation. It was their problem to sort out our connections. This also reduced my stress level. We were really pleased with the customer service from QANTAS and had no out of pocket expenses nor did we need to claim through our travel insurance. As always, YMMV. 4. Never forget to take your PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) when travelling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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