2026 travel plans

[Warks]

Trip report please!

I'll just jump in the time machine. Back in a sec!

 

[ShelleyB]

Late to this party I know but have two trips planned and booked for 2026.

1. Jan 2026 (actually commencing NYE 2025, so I suppose technically doesn't belong here). QF points on JAL in PE to Japan for ShelleyB-son and I (PE both ways in/out of Tokyo). ShelleyB-son and I will be there for 24 days. Mr. ShelleyB joining late (revenue flight in Y on JAL) and staying a few days longer. We'll be heading first to Tohoku (Morioka, Hirosaki, Hachinohe), then Yokohama before returning to Tohoku (Sendai) when Mr. ShelleyB joins us and followed by Nagano. Mr. ShelleyB will then head to Hiroshima and Fukuoka for a few days solo travel before flying home from Fukuoka on CI (revenue flight in PE).

2. April 2026. South Island of NZ with ShelleyB-son and ShelleyB-mum. This is driven by the interests of ShelleyB-mum who wants to go to NZ but hates to travel alone. We'll be splitting our time between Queenstown, Dunedin and Te-Anau. Also a short trip as ShelleyB-mum not into long trips (10 days only).

That is very likely to be it for 2026 beyond a few short domestic trips yet to be planned.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Late to this party I know but have two trips planned and booked for 2026.

We'll be splitting our time between Queenstown, Dunedin and Te-Anau. Also a short trip as ShelleyB-mum not into long trips (10 days only).

@Human went to South Island with his Mum recently and did a beaut TR.
If you haven't read his TR yet, you might pick up a few tips @ShelleyB
Enjoy!

 

[jgm]

Convoluted trip to Canada (Panorama) for skiing in January. MEL-DEL with 25hr layover then DEL-YVR both in J and AI with LifeMiles points on separate tickets. The original layover in DEL was 2 hours which would have been cutting it fine, but AI moved the DEL-YVR departure up an hour, and as they won't book luggage through on separate tickets, I had to move the MEL-DEL leg to a day earlier. I then have an AC award in J YVR-YYC. Coming home it's YYC-FRA with 4Y then FRA-SIN-BRI with SQ then BRI-MEL with VA all in J with Aeroplan points.

In January this year I had initially booked AI flights via India to Canada with Aeroplan points, but a couple of weeks out, UA flights via SFO opened up so I was able to transfer to them. I won't be able to do something similar next year with the LifeMiles flights unless there are schedule changes on both flights as the change costs are significant and I also have no desire to risk transits in Trumpland. Coming back, I don't really mind the transits in FRA and SIN so I probably won't even look for last minute changes unless they're forced.

 

[ShelleyB]

@Human went to South Island with his Mum recently and did a beaut TR.
If you haven't read his TR yet, you might pick up a few tips @ShelleyB
Enjoy!

Yes I read that TR and it was indeed excellent and I am sure I will find it useful. ShelleyB-mum is a little younger than @Human mum is but I think will enjoy similar things.

 

[StayGoldPonyboy]

Only 2 trips booked next year so far, both tennis related.

Few days at the AO in Jan

To LHR in May and return from CDG, to Roland Garros for the first time. Was lucky to get QR J 90k savers, hooray.

Thinking about Vietnam at some point but need to co-ordinate dates with friends first.

 

[Warks]

So August 2026 is looking like SYD-DOH-ARN-LIS-FNC-LIS-PRA-PRG and then I am a bit up in the air. Want to look at Vienna, Bratislava and maybe Budapest but have to work out where to fly home from. Maybe Istanbul. Have only booked SYD-DOH on points (J) so far. No return.
Sweden is a visit to friends. Portugal is a first time for me and I have long wanted to go to Madeira so that's my priority. The central Europe stuff is a work in progress. I really wanted to go to Bulgaria but that might be another trip. I had an Iron Curtain trip in mind, Tallinn to Istanbul via all the old Warsaw Pact countries but not next year I think.

 

[RooFlyer]

Maybe Istanbul.

If you haven't been to Istanbul, I suggest you do it, and give it a few days at least. Something for everyone there, except maybe the skiers.

My favourite transit city to Europe.

 

[Human]

If you haven't been to Istanbul, I suggest you do it, and give it a few days at least. Something for everyone there, except maybe the skiers.

My favourite transit city to Europe.

And the food! Do yourself a favour and do a food tour.

(... although in my no doubt unsophisticated opinion, raki is highly overrated...)

 

[blackcat20]

Booked in the WLG dinner weekend, and a status run to AKL in April. Looking like a busy year for once, though nothing planned for the second half of the year yet.