I'm planning a trip to Australia in mid-March. Seems like United Airlines has the cheapest price but never flew them. I was thinking Qantas for an extra $200 because the flight is more than 14 hours.
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Cat:Australia and the South PacificForum:0EE6B300
Cat:Australia and the South PacificForum:0EE6B300Discussion:05f836f5-cab7-49bd-bdef-143ab48e1a96
I'm planning a trip to Australia in mid-March. Seems like United Airlines has the cheapest price but never flew them. I was thinking Qantas for an extra $200 because the flight is more than 14 hours. Also I was told that it's cheaper to book flights within the country with a travel agent than here in the states with one airline. I'm traveling solo. if anyone can give some good advice, that would be helpful. I would appreciate it.
I'm going to suggest UA because you can purchase an Economy Plus seat, offering a few inches additional legroom. Which on a long haul flight is significant.
Find out what equipment is flying the routes you are considering then check the seat maps at seatguru.com for details on seating for that aircraft.
When booking flights I use lastminute.com.au rather than a traavel agent who charges a commission.
Going direct through the airline is the cheapest option I find.
Internally in oz we have Qantas (considered very safe but expensive & there was a lot of industrial action a few months ago), Jetstar - Qantas' budget airline.
I prefer Virgin.
There is also Tiger but they get a lot of bad press.
Flew UA Sydney LA return in November, NEVER AGAIN, inedible food unfriendly cabin crew, uncomfortable seats, filthy toilets old aircraft, 14 hours of not much going for it. Spend extra with Qantas, i'll be flying Singapore next time.
If you're not an elite member of Star Alliance (United) or One World (Qantas), it really doesn't matter that much as both United and Qantas are "minimial" carriers. I like United more, and it's definitely better service M-F than on the weekends. I agree the Economy Plus is worth the extra legroom but the seat is the same width. If you have frequent flier points, this is the trip to use them to upgrade. Virgin is also good, if not better than either, but flies less frequently. 14 hours is long but not horrible. Eat the meal, sleep for 8 hours, eat another meal and you're there. Worry about the big things instead...like red or white wine with your meal.
I am a new reader to Frommers but wonder where you are flying from? I am a Australian female working in the Middle East for the last 5 years who travels home 2-3times a year on Emirates. I take the direct flight -14hours and it passes in no time. If you pay a little more it does not even stop in Singapore. Singapore Airlines and Etihad have a good reputation but they all stop for hours in places and this makes the trip very hard. If you had known you were going Emirates recently had a fabulous Global Air fare sale and I booked my June flight direct and saved a lot of money. Qatar also fly to Australia and at the moment have a sale but they are usually expensive. Where in Australia are you flying to and is it a personal or business visit as lots of visitors fail to note that distances between cities are over 1,000 klms. Hope this helps Catherine
Check out whether Qantas is offering deals on bundled flights, i.e. international flight then one or two domestic flights. The airline probably is for the non-peak month of March. Even in July, we got a good deal when we booked our domestic flights as part of the international ticket. I think Qantas also has an Aussie Pass or something like it. You can also sign up for Qantas email alerts.
We fly only Qantas to Australia because of the service, the food and the videos on demand. I like to read on planes, but sometimes I just can't sleep sitting up and after three hours get tired of reading. Plus I catch up on new Australia movies that never get released here.
IF you can afford the $200 STAY AWAY FROM UNITED .. it is a damned long flight .. if you don't pee a lot get a window seat .. seatguru.com will help .. UA is worst of the worst and they are ruining what used to be a good airline .. Continental .. check Air New Zealand AS WELL
Go to itasoftware.COM .. find lowest fare then go to carriers website and you will probably find a fare a little cheaper .. NEVER use travel agents for airfare only .. if you want some one to lay out the entire trip then they can help BUT much cheaper to buy airline tix direct with airline .. and yes sometimes it can be cheaper to buy from an international carriers home web site
Having been to AU a couple of times you can email me and I can offer a few tips .. like Sydney hotel etc
I would never fly Qantas ever again after the last time, and that is saying a lot for someone who is from OZ and worked in the airline industry back there before migrating over here. That airbus holds 500 people plus crew and it's jam packed unless you want to fly first class. I would have no trouble flying United, but I also have a friend who comes over every year and has flown them all, and swears by Virgin airlines. I will try them next time myself. Another airline to consider is Air New Zealand who has one of the best records in the industry for safety. Your 14 hour flight may stretch into 16 hrs. so don't be surprised. Enjoy your stay and go visit a working sheep station, you'll love it and find some B&B's to stay at and you will get the real feel for Aust. If you are in Sydney see if you can take a trip up the gold coast and definitely visit Bondi beach. If you go to Melbourne, go out to the Healsville sanctuary for the close up of the animals, beautiful place. best of luck and good times for a memorable experience for you.
I just returned from a month visit is Australia. I live on the US east coast, so I flew to California,spent the night there and out to Australia the next day on Qantas. The airline has several new classes and I chose "Premium Economy" which was great. It's a little more,but ou have reclining seats, movies, lots of food and wine. Makes the trip pass very easily. If you are a frequent flyer, the miles to Australia just about gets you a free trip when you get home In Australia, I fly Jetstar. You can also get a boomerang pass here to fly around Australia.
i used the Qantas Airpass 1 1/2 yeaers ago & was actually able to combine it with a hotel package for the 4 cities that we traveled to. The airpass is based on the time of year you are going & which areas that you are flying to. When we added an additional city it was just $100. The plane is massive & takes 2 gates. The staff were very attentive & came around at least every 1-2 hrs to see if you needed anything. There are snack areas on the plane with soda, cookies, fruit etc if you want & extra room around them if you need to stand up stretch. In Australia we mostly flew Qantas (which again was an improvement over US airlines) with the addition of 1 flight on Jetstar which was the only one that flew direct from Adelaide to Cairns. The seats do not recline & they charge for everything including a glass of water on a 4 1/2 hr flight. When we were getting ready to fly out there were cyclone warnings. All of the Australians told us not to worry if we were on Qantas as they were the ones that always got out ok (priority flying at the airport) & didn't crash! Love their sense of humor.
Personally, I'd stick with Quantas or Air NZ. I've flown them both and found them far superior to any American airline I have flown, although I have not used United specifically for an international flight. I especially liked the personal entertainment (screens on the back of the seats with movies/video games etc.) I think British Airways has them too.
If you are visiting a few countries in Australia, look into the Aussia Airpass. You can get a good deal with that.
Fly Air New Zealand but make sure it is Air New Zealand , run by Air New Zealand. It's worth the layover in Aukland to be on their aircraft, enjoying real food and more then professional courtesy. I flew the route to Sidney on Air New Zealand, run by United and back on Air New Zealand, run by them. The difference in how I was treated, what I was fed and by whom was so much better on the way back. They also did my visa by phone for 20 bucks in one day and noone except them even told me I could do that, including Expedia, who should know these things. Nicest people, great wine, terrific food (even 2 course lunch from Sidney to Aukland) and good prices for the fare and you'll still get your Star Alliance Miles.
I find that there's a MAJOR difference between Qantas and United when it comes to service/friendliness of the crew. I'd spend the extra to avoid a US airline. Qantas also offers some great packages that only require you to book a couple night's accommodations with them to get a significant break on airfare. We had them book our most difficult rooms (moderate-priced accommodations in Yulara) and did the rest ourselves.
Qantas is great for within australia as long as you dont mind paying the extra . They are a expensive unless you pick up deals or book ahead. They dont have premium economy but you can pick seats with extra room. Flying into the country you should try British airways, Emirates or Thai Airways.
we used Air Pacific. Found that it was lots cheaper than Quantas and we were able to afford Business Class which was amazing. They only have two classes, economy and business. Would highly advise you to check with them.
I think the choice of an incoming airline is really up to you. We have flown Emirates several times to Italy from Australia. The long 6 hour stop over in Dubai while interesting the first time is now a real drag. Our first flight in economy with Emirates was great. After that it went down hill. We only fly Emirates because it is the cheapest airline to Italy and we now have a lot of fps to use for upgrades. If we have the opportunity we always prefer to fly Singapore Airlines. I am glad someone suggested signing up to webjet. They always have specials - incl a Friday special. You can pick up really cheap internal flights here - you do have to be quick so check out the options of where you want to fly to and be ready when the deal comes up. Yes, our cities are far apart and you will waste a lot of time in airports or just getting to airports. Not many Australian cities have public trtansport, i.e. trains right up to the airport. In Melbourne is it best to use the Skybus to get into the city (Southern Cross Station - Spencer Street) and then either train it to an outer suburb - cheaper accommodation or take a taxi to get to your inner city lodging. Apartments such as Oaks make good alternatives to hotel rooms if you do not want to pay for the frills. Sydney has a good transport system and if you are a senior, it is a very good deal as the ferry, train and bus are all included. You do pay a extra premium for the section between the airport and the city. Be aware that Jetstar and Tiger can both cancel their flights for one reason or another, so if you have a connecting flight, you could be in trouble!
