Flying SYD-YVR June-July 09 with family - best deals and route?

[Warks]

Hi all

AFF's most sporadic poster is back with a question.

I'm planning on taking the family (2 adults, 2 kids under 12) to Vancouver next June to visit the rels there and tour around the west. Also want to do a side trip to LAX to do the Disney thing. Have been before in '94 (QF via HNL) and '05 (QF to LAX, UA to SEA then YVR, return via SFO, LAX).

I'd like to avoid the Spanish Inquistion and avoid the USA (LOTFAP) on the way over. I've found only Air Canada with the direct flight and Air Pacific via Nadi that offer this possibility but I think there's a HNL refueling stop on the AP one (do we have to do USA C&I?).

Pricing I have found for most flights (independent of route) seems to be around $11K if we depart after June 16 and around $9500 if we go before. Return date doesn't seem to matter. This is a lot of money and I'd like to see how much better a deal is possible out there. I do have QFF points to cover one airfare but that may make things difficult regarding seat availability for the rest. Don't know.

Was thinking for the side trip to LAX (when we come in from Canada so can go through C&I in YVR airport where they are cool and groovy) to book a package with Alaskan Airlines which includes accommodation.

Your thoughts are appreciated. Sorry for my general ignorance. Haven't doen a lot of research on this yet so I thought I'd throw myself at the mercy of the AFF gurus.

 

[ANstar]

I would avoid Air Pacific as the flights are on a 737 from NAN-HNL-YVR.

The HNL-YVR route is also rumoured to be getting the chop.

 

[NM]

You could look for options such as CX, SQ or JL via their Asian hub ports. You could possibly even do it as a OneWorld Circle Pacific routing something like:

SYD-HKG/NRT-YVR-DFW-LAX-SYD

You could avoid the DFW transit if you are willing to purchase a separate Alaska Airlines ticket YVR-LAX.

If you transit HNL (such as with FJ) you will have to clear USA immigration and customs before departing again.

 

[aybee]

June 17 - July 17 is high season on that route, so keep your outbound date to either side if you can.
Air NZ offer a nonstop to YVR from AKL, but only 2-3 times weekly pending time of year. Air Canada fares to LAX allow stopovers in Canada and are priced better than their fares to YVR, except when sales are on. Most agents would be able to get a few % off whatever the published fare is. Throw in a hotel or two somewhere (Disney package?) and you should be able to get a wholesale fare of sorts through agents as well, which is a more % off option.
Even if going straight through to the States, entering and going through the hoops to get in is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay so much easier, friendlier and better at YVR than at LAX.

There are also the 2 Circle Pac options - oneworld and Star which may work out to be better value.
SYD to either Seoul, SHanghai or Beijing, to Vancouver to LAX to SYD or LAX to SYD via AKL would be the Star way to do it.
oneworld would be via Hong Kong or Tokyo.

 

[Saab34]

Fly Jetstar to HNL then Westjet/Southwest/Virgin America the rest of the way. I did this last year, and all on sale, it Managed to be $1300 return. This was to Seattle