Itinerary help - New Zealand to Amsterdam and back, via Ottawa?

[ThunderbirdNZ]

My wife and I are trying to get me and my mother to Amsterdam (wife staying home) by August 28 for a family reunion. Mother is 73, and wants to stop enroute in Ottawa to see some very old friends. Wife has 330,000 QFF points, I have 70,000.

I thought we'd fly return to NewYork on Qantas (ie NYC is our hub), and then pick up a cheap return trip to Ottawa, and then another cheap return flight NYC to Frankfurt or Amsterdam. I've looked on Expedia but ~gasp~ there are no cheap flights. $500 return to Ottawa and $2200 return to Amsterdam.

Am I looking at the wrong site for cheap deals?
NB: I tried Qantas' Multi City option but it got very expensive. I also looked at the Qantas Round The World Ticket (one direction) but it was $10,000 pp.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Is this travelling in economy or business class?

 

[ThunderbirdNZ]

Is this travelling in economy or business class?

Economy, we're on a budget. The whole trip was originally going on my fathers AirNZ airpoints, but when he died his points died with him My wife has offered her Qantas points, if they can be used...

 

[TimB]

My wife and I are trying to get me and my mother to Amsterdam (wife staying home) by August 28 for a family reunion. [...]

I thought we'd fly return to NewYork on Qantas (ie NYC is our hub), and then pick up a cheap return trip to Ottawa, and then another cheap return flight NYC to Frankfurt or Amsterdam. I've looked on Expedia but ~gasp~ there are no cheap flights. $500 return to Ottawa and $2200 return to Amsterdam.

Am I looking at the wrong site for cheap deals?

I just looked on Matrix - ITA Software, which came up with a few cheaper options for around Aug 28:

• $1,164 EWR-AMS return with KLM (codeshare on Delta)
• $1,209 JFK-AMS return via Dublin on Aer Lingus
• $1,238 JFK-AMS return via Reykjavik on Icelandair

or to FRA, $925 JFK-FRA return with Singapore.

If you haven't tried ITA before, give it a go. There are many options to explore, but it's quite easy to do a basic search as well.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What city are you flying out of/back in to?

The trouble is with some websites is that when you use a 'multi-city' tool eg SYD/YOW & YOW/AMS it will quote you sector fares SYD/YOW & YOW/AMS rather than quote a SYD/AMS through fare which allows a stopover in YOW enroute.

I would ask a travel agent what it would cost for a return fare to travel ex your city to AMS stopping over in YOW on the way over then ask for their recommendation for the return sector.

There is a website www.flightnetwork.com & they have a return airfare YOW/AMS via DTW & return of CAD1420.35 including taxes. You would fly YOW/DTW vv on Pinnacle "doing business as Delta Connection" which I guess means codeshare in Canadian.
Then DTW/AMS vv on KLM.

You could also call Air Canada directly & ask for their fare eg SYD AC /xYYZ YOW AC FRA & return as they don't fly to AMS then buy a sector fare FRA/AMS/FRA. I believe AC do have a codeshare arrangement FRA/AMS with another carrier so they may still be able to offer an airfare to AMS.

It might also be worth calling KLM & asking them the same question as they do combination fares to/from Europe combined with other carriers eg SYD QF HKG KL AMS KL LAX UA SYD. Phone 1300 392 192

Ditto for Lufthansa tel 1300 655 727.

 

[ThunderbirdNZ]

Thanks OzBB, I think I will bite the bullet and try a travel agent. I normally use the internet but this one is getting a bit complex. My mother has this afternoon just decided on a Med cruise which terminates in Barcelona!

And we depart from Auckland - the only city in NZ - the rest are either small villages or townships...