Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin pref

[gracekelly]

Hi - Have got myself in a state. Retrenched and think should go on holiday now while I have time and it is US summer. Plus relative v. ill so would like to see while still OK. But the airline gods are not in my favour. Have many Qantas FF points. However, am out of status there as switched work travel to Virgin. Have no points on Virgin but Gold status which I would like to keep. So figure fly Virgin (family of 4), pool status credits, for not much different in cash due to Qantas taxes. Plus enjoy status/clubs/etc for once with the family.

However, it is school holidays and prices are crazy! Can anyone help? Sadly economy. Positive is I can go anywhere and don't mind stopping wherever.

Must go - San Francisco

Desire - Bismark, North Dakota - there's a challenge for all of you! (but also means I could fly into Seattle, Vancouver)

Desire - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Wouldn't mind - NY, Washington DC
LAX - always fine, and can go to Disneyland
Odd but potential - could go via Hong Kong

Am I delusional that I can organise a trip in the next few days and leave anytime between between Sunday night and July 4th?
Anyone have any tips at all - are there still USA passes or some such to get around the US on Virgin or partners?
Any sites or help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Cheers
Sue

 

[Pushka]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

One thing to get onto is the USA visa ESTA waiver if you don't have one.
Sorry but can't help with flights but someone else will soon no doubt.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

Look at Circle Pacific fares either with One World (QF etc) or Star Alliance (UA etc). You are allowed a number of stops in the USA (and not just along the coast), as long as you vaguely go in one direction. Would come back via Hong Kong either with CX (1W) or UA(*A). Various fixed prices, depending on mileage flown. You should get under the lowest one.

CP fares are usually good value, and if they haven't repriced these fares after the recent fall in the A$, they could be a bargain. (The CP fares are fixed for various mileage limits and do not vary in 'real time'.)

Use a travel agent for a complicated itinerary such as what you want, and in a short time frame. That's what they are there for, but make sure the person you speak with knows the Circle Pacific Rules. Also, should there be a 'problem' on your itinerary, a good one should be available to assist you.

A TA can also efficiently compare the CP prices to manually constructed itineraries.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

Good point pushka. ESTA site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

If you don't put the ESTA visa waiver number in your booking, you won't be allowed to even check in. You can do it at check-in though.

 

[erkpod]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

I recently booked a trip to the US for late 2013/early 2014 & for under the price of a Y SYD - LAX - SYD ticket, I got a VA/SQ Circle Pacific fare.

Airline Special Offers | Velocity Frequent Flyer

Long story short, you can't book online, the call centres at VA & SQ will probably suggest to ring the opposite centre. 2 travel agents (different agencies) struggled to find it & I'm still waiting 4 weeks later for travel agent 2 to call me back.

So I booked it with Best Flights Round World Flights - Cheap Flights - Phone Flights Results - I had a ballpark figure confirmed within 5 minutes (on a Sunday!) & the final price confirmed the next day (the ballpark figure was correct). So I'm flying VA SYD - LAX & then flying SQ (on the A380!) LAX - NRT then NRT - SIN & SIN - SYD.

Within America, check out both Virgin America & Delta. You can get points/SC with both depending on the ticket. Make sure with Delta though that they are operating the flight & not Alaska or you won't get points/SC (as I found out here, even with a DL flight number & flying F). I've flown Delta & had no problem but haven't flown VX (yet!).

 

[erkpod]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

As for destinations:

LA - can't wait to get out of the joint. Over-rated. I don't mind Long Beach. LAX is a necessary evil - I wish VA would fly direct to San Francisco! I had little trouble though earlier in the year using LAX both with VA1/2 & connecting flights. Not sure how VA1 goes now it arrives into TBIT rather than T5.

San Francisco & NY - Love the place.

Washington DC - Reminds me of a larger version of Canberra. The red double deck bus tour is a great way to start & see what you want to see & where it is. The red route is a long one!

Other US cities I like are Chicago, Portland (OR) & San Antonio.

.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

I recently booked a trip to the US for late 2013/early 2014 & for under the price of a Y SYD - LAX - SYD ticket, I got a VA/SQ Circle Pacific fare.

Airline Special Offers | Velocity Frequent Flyer

Never knew about that. Good one; thanks.

 

[gracekelly]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

A very belated thank you on this thread!!! Am in LA waiting for my jet lagged children to wake up. Some great suggestions, esp the circle pacific. You are right tho, they never got back to me! In the end while chatting to a travel agent while another was working on circle pacific, she said ""lets check Virgin again" - then a gasp. Three seats came up at the old old sale price and I grabbed them. Under $4,000 for the three of us so very happy. Then next crisis - kids passports had expired a week earlier! But emergency ones from US and Oz and here we are. Now just back on the net looking again for the fare for my husband to join us in a few weeks. So annoyed I have Qantas points and Qantas surcharges and no seats, while Virgin has seats and not such big surcharges! Anyway, thanks again!

 

[Skyring]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

Glad you made it with a good price. What are your plans for the rest of the stay? You could maybe burn a few of those Qantas points on internal flights on American Airlines. I recently took out an AA 30 day Admiral's Club membership, which gave me access to the lounges. Cost me $99 and was a bargain.

I guess you'll be hitting Disneyland in the next few days.

 

[gracekelly]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

OH that's a good idea! I still have to get to North Dakota and Minneapolis, so will start researching. And I like the Club idea; had forgotten how more annoying flying in the US is. Whereas I got nice special service onVirgin even tho in economy, and also at the Holiday Inn I am at in LA (took the son to. LA Galaxy soccer game). We were going to go to Disneyland today but I don't know if they'll ever wake up! It's 10am.

 

[Skyring]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

I loved Disney World in Florida a couple of years back. Only had an afternoon and evening there after KSC in the morning, but boy we had a blast! You will need a whole day just to see the basics.

For fun, the Santa Monica Pier is always good. Ride the big wheel on the Pacific's edge, have a meal at Bubba Gumps.

Rent a car and horrify yourself on the freeways. With a good GPS it's not too bad and you can ride the transit lanes with the family aboard. After the initial terror subsided, I actually enjoyed it.

By and large, LA is a place I avoid. It's a great way to get a face full of America, and that can be awesome, but it gets old after a while. Anyway, there's a tonne of things to do in the USA - you'll have a ball!

Pete, dreaming of riding Route 66 again. Just got an offer from Albuquerque that set me to humming the old songs, thinking of mountains and deserts and hokey souvenirs

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Help!Need to go to USA in next 2 weeks. Many options/utterly overwhelmed! Virgin

Not sure of the exact dates you're looking to get your husband over to the US & from which Australian city however there is availability ex Nadi (NAN) to LAX & return if you want to burn some QF ff points by opting for the Partner/Classic Award on Air Pacific/Fiji Airways.

It may be cheaper to do an award ticket NAN/LAX/NAN then purchase a regular fare ex Aust to NAN return as often the fares Aust/NAN/Aust can be cheaper than the taxes on the award tickets ex Australia. Points ex NAN are mostly less than what's required ex Australia.

Nadi/Los Angeles

Economy available ex NAN - 16/18 July 36,000 points plus taxes FJD194.60 one way (AUD112.00 approx)

Business available ex NAN - 02/03/06/08/16/21 July 72,000 points plus taxes FJD194.60 one way (AUD112.00 approx)

Los Angeles/Nadi

Economy available ex LAX July/Aug plenty of avail 36,000 points plus taxes USD2.50 one way (AUD2.70 approx)

Business available ex LAX July/Aug plenty of avail 72,000 points plus taxes USD2.50 one way (AUD2.70 approx)