How do you guys plan a trip?

[Kalan]

Hi guys.

I'm thinking of taking a holiday over the northern winter from mid-december to mid-january (about 5 weeks in total). I know it'll be freezing cold, but that's the experience I'm after. The places I'd like to see that come to mind are:-

San Francisco
London (love to be here for Christmas)
Copenhagen
Florence

I wouldn't mind breaking the flights into trips of no more than 8 hours, which is why I've allowed 5 weeks (1 week in stopovers if need be, and 4 weeks in the cities).

I don't know where to start. Any ideas on order to visit, stopovers, airlines etc. etc.? I'd rather not use a travel agent, because I've read posts here in the past and you're all very cluey (O'Doherty, you included ).

 

[littl_flier]

Hi Kalan.

You'd be surprised, it won't actually be that cold in San Fran or London at Christmas. It'll be above zero most days.

TBH, I was disappointed by Christmas in London. I found they didn't get into it as much as I'd expected and New York would be a better option. New York at Christmas time was amazing, Christmas carols are played everywhere, christmas trees were much better and the general atmosphere felt much better than London. New Yorkers seem to do "happy holidays" so much better than the British did. I guess it depends whether you're after the "movie" type christmas experience. I'm looking at a similar thing this year and deciding whether a family christmas would be better in North America or London and I'm swinging towards North America. drron stayed in a mountain lodge in upstate New York which sounds amazing and you'll definitely see snow.

Breaking it down into approximate 8 hour trips, you could look at SYD-HNL-SFO-JFK-LON-CPH-HEL-CDG-LON-HKG-SYD on a Oneworld explorer. You would still have two 9 hour + journeys to get to HNL and LON-HKG. Alternatively, you could look at the cheaper Star Alliance RTW's which are mileage based, though you won't have any problems with your itinerary.

You could book the OW RTW through QF direct or AA direct (and save on the fuel fines) rather than go through a TA. I'm unsure whether the *A can be booked through an airline direct.

 

[wandering_fred]

Well getting across the Pacific in no more than 8 hour flight segments will prove to be ah... interesting.

Also do you want Biz class? Do you have a preference for an alliance?
Are you willing to do an el cheapo ticket to Singapore Bangkok or Colombo to get the cheap(er) Biz class? Are you willing to add a couple of Low Cost Carrier (LCC) flights in Europe to ensure you get to all the places you want to visit? EG OneWorld would be difficult to arrange LHR-CPH-FLorence-other points with the round the world fares.

I'd be looking at either a OneWorld Explorer (xONEx) or GlobalExplorer 26K (GE) but that's my preference for OneWorld. To get across the Pacific without a 13 hour flight you'd need to stop in Honolulu and/or Fiji (GE).

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Kalan]

New Yorkers seem to do "happy holidays" so much better than the British did. I guess it depends whether you're after the "movie" type christmas experience.

I've actually been to New York and really wasn't that impressed by it. I've been to London before and it suits me a whole lot better - something homely about it.

I'm unsure whether the *A can be booked through an airline direct.

If I have to use a travel agent I will (at you guys direction of course) but it'd be so much more gratifying knowing I hadn't.

Well getting across the Pacific in no more than 8 hour flight segments will prove to be ah... interesting.

Also do you want Biz class? Do you have a preference for an alliance?
Are you willing to do an el cheapo ticket to Singapore Bangkok or Colombo to get the cheap(er) Biz class? Are you willing to add a couple of Low Cost Carrier (LCC) flights in Europe to ensure you get to all the places you want to visit? EG OneWorld would be difficult to arrange LHR-CPH-FLorence-other points with the round the world fares.

I'd be looking at either a OneWorld Explorer (xONEx) or GlobalExplorer 26K (GE) but that's my preference for OneWorld. To get across the Pacific without a 13 hour flight you'd need to stop in Honolulu and/or Fiji (GE).

Last time I flew from Brisbane to LAX it was 13 hours and it almost killed me! Oh well, if it can't be done...

In terms of preferences, I want to do this the cheapest way possible but I don't want to be on an airline with a poor safety record. I have no plans on dying yet! I don't care for alliances etc. I have qantas frequent flyer but I find I'm never using points - in fact I gifted most of them away because they were just sitting there.


EDIT:- If it saves a fair wack of cash then I'll definately consider scrapping the US altogether, and head to london the usual way. Thoughts?

 

[trooper]

It's possible you could do that trip on the "Star Light" RTW ticket...I will play with that....:mrgreen: If <26000 miles you're good to go... and these RTW tickets seem generally to represent damn good value!

One could fly across the Pacific in stages... IIRC you could go SYD(BNE?)-AKL-APW(or RAR)-LAX flying NZ.... or to NAN with NZ and NAN-LAX with FJ (Air Pacific) - as NZ stops flying that route in April... Why the sad face?- I was booked on NZ21 LAX-NAN in June and am now confirmed on the FJ flight... ah well.. at least the confirmed upgrade was retained!.. but no NZ Business class service for me...:-| (I LIKE the staff on that airline!)

That still gives you a minimum 9.5 hour flight though... on a 767 (NZ) or an older 747 (FJ)... you COULD fly AKL-LAX (11.5 hours?) with NZ on the RTW ticket and even pay the surcharge for that leg to "Y+".. "Pacific Premium Economy".. which I like very much (but only on the 747!!! IMO not worth the cost on the 777)) or - again on the 747 preferably - fly NZ in ordinary Y which is actually pretty decent as far as Economy cabins go........(you did mention keeping the price down..)

Just remembered you could go Australia-AKL-HNL-LAX as well... again the long flights are on the 767.. NZ to HNL and UA to LAX... that keeps it under 9 hours per leg.. but I think I'd have to recommend NZ's 747 in preference...YMMV!

Of course a HNL stopover holds it's own attraction.....

I'll play with some routings/distances and report back....

In answer to your general question.... I plan a trip these days by starting with where I need/want to go (normally somewhere in the US for a competition).. then looking for the best value/most comfortable/best mileage earning way of getting there... I generally follow the "get to Asia first and get a good value Business deal" tactic that wandering fred alluded too... (next one is BKK-HKG-NRT-ICN-YVR - all in Biz - with a good value SYD-SIN (A380!)-BKK on SQ in Y to start with) I normally also build in a couple of days for a US domestic "mileage/status run"... Got to keep that "*Gold" doncha' know!

I tend to plan a more direct return... but have started booking the Transpacifics in the stages mentioned above...(This time via NAN.. next time I think I'll go via RAR) as I can get relatively good value confirmed upgrades on NZ (REALLY hard to get an Upgrade on the 747/777 with the flat beds!)... and I quite like their "old style" 767 Biz cabin.... To each their own of course!

Sorry to go on (and on...) Hope something there was of some use!

 

[NYCguy]

I've actually been to New York and really wasn't that impressed by it. I've been to London before and it suits me a whole lot better - something homely about it.

To each his own... Perhaps you had severe jet-lag when you were visiting NYC? Or some other sort of mental impairment?

I wouldn't bother with Copenhagen, since you already live in BNE. I really couldn't tell the difference, other than CPH being somewhat more tasteful.

As for the Pacific Ocean it is, as you found out on an earlier trip, a whole lotta water. Unless you want to break up your trip on some cheesy island, I suggest you don your anti-embolism stockings, take a couple of Xanax, and ask a friendly FA to wake you for breakfast.

 

[Kalan]

To each his own... Perhaps you had severe jet-lag when you were visiting NYC? Or some other sort of mental impairment?

I wouldn't bother with Copenhagen, since you already live in BNE. I really couldn't tell the difference, other than CPH being somewhat more tasteful.

As for the Pacific Ocean it is, as you found out on an earlier trip, a whole lotta water. Unless you want to break up your trip at some cheesy island, I suggest you don your anti-embolism stockings, take a couple of Xanax, and ask a friendly FA to wake you for breakfast.

You could be right on NYC - I should try it again, but not on this trip.

Interesting about Copenhagen - anybody else feel the same?



Trooper, that's fantastic! Very much appreciated.

 

[wandering_fred]

I think I would take Copenhagen over Brisbane any day.....:mrgreen:
However Brissy is almost certainly cheaper unless you are into hostels.
But it was almost 25 years ago when I was in CPH.....

BNE-NAN-HNL-SFO-ORD-BOS-LHR-CPH-(LHR/BUD)-MXP-HEL-HKG-BNE
Milan is probably as close to Florence as OneWorld is going to get you.
Routing through NAN you would need to use the GLOBx fare 26000 miles

Great Circle Mapper says via BUD is 25362 miles
longest legs are HEL-HKG at 4859 and HLG-BNE at 4306

Only way to shorten the Europe-SE Asia legs would be to route via Dubai
BNE-NAN-HNL-SFO-ORD-BOS-LHR-CPH-BUD-MXP-BUD-AMM-DXB-BKK-SIN-BNE
total 25898 on 15 segments with longest segments SIN-BNE 3816 BOS-HR 3265 NAN-HNL 3162 I suppose you could do SIN-DRW-BNE..... but by that time you will probably just as soon want to get home.

Edit: Looks like the flights into northen Italy are code shares on Alitalia :shock:
so may not work..... And getting from Italy to AMM is also interesting... so it looks as if FCO (Rome) (or Geneva/Zurich) may be needed with a train trip to get to Florence......

BNE-NAN-HNL-SFO-ORD-BOS-LHR-CPH-BUD-FCO-BUD-BEY-AMM-DXB-BKK-SIN-BNE
still under 26K but will need some overnights I think.....
Re edit: Looks like RJ does do FCO-AMM but not every day.........


How do I plan? I mainly base the planing ex-Singapore. Where do I want to go. DO I have the time off to do it? Will the flights at the end of the year maintain my AA PLT status? Why SIN (or SE Asia)? It's cheaper and normally with fare classes that earn more miles/status points.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[trooper]

No prob....

On the NYC topic... well... I am very glad I went there..........once. Enjoyed myself enormously - saw the things I really wanted to see...... BUT.. BIG cities are really not my thing.... I dislike crowds almost to the point of a phobia...

To each their own.... "cheesy islands" indeed... :mrgreen:

As far as NYC accommodation goes... the day before we flew out shock: ) I received an e-mail from the New York B&B we were booked in to... saying they were shutting down temporarily due to some personal crisis....

With NO time to spare (I had just returned from a week long comp in QLD and had to pack THEN get to SYD!) I ended up booking us in to a budget chain hotel off the island... it actually worked out OK... from where we were in New Jersey there were excellent "express" buses from virtually outside the door.. straight to the Port Authority... it caused us no real inconvenience at all...(we are not "show" people... we like museums/galleries etc!!) and saved a scad of $$$$

We felt we must at least TRY the subway system... and ended up using it a lot... much, much better than I expected!

Glad I didn't try driving there though!!!

Nice work on those routings fred!!!

 

[Kalan]

I really appreciate the time you've spent on me guys. Thinking about your responses, I think my two bases should be London and Florence (or as close as I can get to it). I can then take a train or hire a car or follow some fellow travellers around for a bit.

Very impressed by the routes I've been shown. I'll crunch some numbers tomorrow morning.