AKL-LAX - Stopover in Aus?

[LuisT]

Hi All -

Was looking at flights to LAX and on the VA site noticed that PE is much cheaper ($2100 vs $3200) from Auckland via Sydney then it is SYD-LAX direct.

So my questions - is it possible to have a stopover in Sydney on the way back? I need to go to NZ anyway, so could do that before the trip, but don't really have an immediate need to go straight back so it would be good if I could take a stopover there and use the rest of the ticket for a future trip...

Also a little curious why it is so much cheaper for a longer flight!

Thanks...

 

[smit0847]

Is the AKL-SYD-LAX in NZ$?

 

[LuisT]

Nope - already converted to AUD. Would be awesome value if it was!

 

[Fruitcake]

Nope - already converted to AUD. Would be awesome value if it was!

Still awesome value anyway, in my view - I'm doing this exact thing next month, and using the "savings" gained to fund a few days skiing in ZQN first.

I'm planning on throwing away the final sector - I'm based in SYD and I'm returning LAX-BNE so the hassle of getting up to BNE to take up my "deferred" BNE-AKL sector seemed to be too hard.

You'll need to call them up or see a travel agent to book the trip with a stopover. I didn't want to have to admit to them on the phone that I was throwing away a sector so I just booked it online.

 

[LuisT]

Still awesome value anyway, in my view - I'm doing this exact thing next month, and using the "savings" gained to fund a few days skiing in ZQN first.

I'm planning on throwing away the final sector - I'm based in SYD and I'm returning LAX-BNE so the hassle of getting up to BNE to take up my "deferred" BNE-AKL sector seemed to be too hard.

You'll need to call them up or see a travel agent to book the trip with a stopover. I didn't want to have to admit to them on the phone that I was throwing away a sector so I just booked it online.

Are there any problems with SCs posting if you throw away a sector? I know some airlines (Emirates maybe?) don't credit anything unless the entire trip is flown...

 

[Fruitcake]

Section 6.17.1 of the Velocity Terms and Conditions states that:

6.17 Unless otherwise specified, Points and Status Credits are not earned for the following:
6.17.1 for tickets which are unused (in whole or part) or refunded (in whole or part). If you do not travel on all sectors of a ticket, you will not earn Points or Status Credits in respect of the unused sectors;

So in theory... points and SCs will be lost. But in practice, their system doesn't wait until an itinerary is complete before points are posted so I'd be surprised to see it retrospectively suck back points that have already been awarded. Perhaps I should spend up big on refundable award tickets as soon as points post, just in case!