Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Canada

[Jimbo B]

Hi everyone!

It has been a while since I have posted, which I firmly blame on doing a summer subject for first time. Anyway, I am lucky enough to be getting married to an amazing woman next January (2017) and we are doing it in the middle of a Canadian winter. Crazy I know, but we both met in winter and love the snow, so it seems fitting to get married in the same conditions. Plus who hasn't wanted to make the words to Billy Idol's iconic song White Wedding sing true?

So, to give you an idea of my predicament a bunch of my family and friends will be flying over from Australia and for most of them it will their first time to Canada. I want to do everything I can to make the trip as affordable and comfortable as I can, seeing as though I am the reason they are travelling so far in the first place. The wedding is taking place just north of Toronto in mid January 2017, and there will be a few of us who will be travelling to Banff, AB afterwards to ski and snowboard, as well as the strong possibility for a visit to New York prior to the wedding. I am looking for any advice and tips that anyone has in regards to flights, transport, accommodation and anything else you think is relevant.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
Regards, Jimbo B.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Look at Airbnb and sky scanner

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

At the moment your request is far too general to be able to suggest specific tips.

can you be more specific?

airbnb and skyscanner is a good start. Perhaps even a Travel agent, however I find them to be useless but its good to do tour research and compare.
Another accomodation site is VRBO.

There will be so many options

ROOFLYER is a canada roadwarrior and he may be able to offer some tips.

Westjet is a favourite among Canadians. Canada suffers from restricted air rights and therefore lack of competition within their airline industry so when Westjet came along many people dumped the legacy Air Canada.

I think in your case the most difficult part is trying to be the travel arranger for a group of people. I would strongly suggest not falling into this trap. The worst and most difficult thing to do in life (even compared to organising a wedding) is to be a travel arranger for a group of people. You will be forever changing schedules as people can't make up their mind and good luck with trying to get them to pay up.

Big Tip:
You get tips from here
You give tips to Friends and relatives
They book their own travel. You book your own travel.

 

[Denali]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Personally I think the smartest thing is you give people the dates and places you will be at for the wedding and skiing and leave them alone to sort it out for themselves.

Trying to arrange a big group is like herding kittens. Otherwise sign up for all the airline sale emails, Air NZ has some good ones, I got one the other day with $400 discount but if you find a travel agent that will manage the group, ask the agent "whats in this for me?" If you get a min number of people booking, do you fly free? My hubby has been on a few free scuba trips by having a group book.

Good luck and congratulations!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

I would echo what others have said, and not to be a travel arranger or even the 'go-to' person. Another hassle this will bring about people wanting to fly certain airlines so they can get points etc. Avoid it like the plague!

On the other hand, I think it would be worthwhile getting hold of a travel agent and putting it to them that there are X possible separate clients (you would steer everyone to the TA) to be had and see what they can come up with. I would not recommend a 'Flight Centre' type agent. I can PM you with the name of mine if you like. The important thing with TAs is to instruct them very precisely (especially about the flexibility of the fares!!) and get them to price three or so different scenarios: for instance, most direct; dirt cheapest; one specific airline/route (eg Fiji Airways - see below). Then, don't just accept what they say, ask them 'what if'. Price one scenario yourself to cross check. They shouldn't charge you a fee (commission comes from the airline) BUT sometimes airlines put fares on their web site that TAs can't access through the GDS they use.

Remember, there are probably a limited number of cheapest seats on any flight, so not all of your group will be able to get the same fare.

Getting to Canada: generally, the least convenient tend to be the best priced, but that doesn't mean that they are bad.

Look at Hawaiian Airlines (stopover HNL) and Fiji Airways (stopover Nandi ) to LAX. They have code share alliances to take you on other airlines through to New York and/or Toronto (American in the case of Fiji Airways). Jetstar flies to HNL I believe, but I'm not sure if they can get you any further east on the same ticket. I would strongly recommend travelling all the way, or at least to LAX on the same ticket, as this protects you if there is a delay/problem/missed flight. On your honeymoon, you don't want to have to stress about connections.

This far out, you may be able to get some well priced fares on the larger airlines, such as Virgin, who has a partnership with Delta in the US and through to Canada.

Within Canada and between Canada/USA, Westjet has a good economy product (they don't do Business but think they have a 'Economy Plus' product or similar). Air Canada is expensive, but they do have a low cost carrier called Air Canada Rouge. Its sort of like Jetstar - perfectly OK most of the time, but when things go wrong, you get the LCC treatment! They do have a business class product.

Its conceivable that it may be cheaper to fly a US airline Toronto to Vancouver or Calgary via, say, Chicago. You will pre-clear US customs and immigration in Toronto on departure, so its not as great a PITA as you might think. But ten its Canadian C&I on arrival again and that can be a PITA!!

Where abouts, north of Toronto, can I ask? I used to rumble around there. I'm still rumbling around Calgary and Banff, so fee free to ask specific questions about that area (I'm not a skier, though).

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

The most cost offective way of travelling to/from the USA/Canada is to enter/exit via the same airport. Domestic US and Canada fares are sold as one way.

Except for Jetstar who sells inexpensive one way fares to HNL.

Entry points for Australians are LAX, SFO, DFW, JFK, YVR, HNL
Each of these are also big hubs. Big hubs mean lots of options if travelling in US/Canada. And in winter storms starting from a hub means much quicker recovery of delayed/cancelled flights.

Echoing what others have said:
Affordable usually means uncomfortable, so you will need to find a sweetspot.
Decide what are the important destinations are arrival and departure dates.
Get to each of these important destinations on the one ticket if possible or use airlines which have a deep partnership such as:
QF-AA
VA-DL

QF has a seasonal SYD-YVR direct with codeshares with WJ to other Canadian destination during the northern winter mid december to end of january.

 

[Jimbo B]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

To everyone who took the time to read and respond to my thread, thank you!

There was some great insight given and your words of wisdom have helped me clear the air. I now have a better idea of how to sort out the next 12 months. The one constant advice to not become trapped into being an agent for my family is well warranted and I will do my best to just gather information and pass it on to them.

Thank you all once again!

 

[Jimbo B]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Just wanted to personally thank you for your response.

A question for you though, when you ask for more specifics what kind of specifics are we talking about? Exact dates, number of people, length of time etc. I too wish that I could be more specific, but at this stage that is near impossible. I hope this isn't coming across as anything but sincere, I am just very green when AFF is concerned.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about me not becoming a travel agent for my family. To be honest they don't even know that I am doing all this, I just really want them to have the best experience possible and would hate to think they missed out on a great deal.

Cheers

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Just wanted to personally thank you for your response.

A question for you though, when you ask for more specifics what kind of specifics are we talking about? Exact dates, number of people, length of time etc. I too wish that I could be more specific, but at this stage that is near impossible. I hope this isn't coming across as anything but sincere, I am just very green when AFF is concerned.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about me not becoming a travel agent for my family. To be honest they don't even know that I am doing all this, I just really want them to have the best experience possible and would hate to think they missed out on a great deal.

Cheers

There is no such thing as a "great deal". Whats great about a deal will depend on multiple factors including personal expectations. Some people are price sensitive and a great deal means the lowest price. Others are not price sensitive and expect a great deal to include other aspects of travel. Just bear in mind : "YMMV" you version of "best experience" may/will be different to others in your family.



Maybe you should be concentrating on organising the wedding. You sound like slowly but inexorably falling into the travel arranger blackhole

 

[Deleted member]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Mrs PH went down the path of booking and planning for everyone once (we went to the HK Sevens) , one person dithered about, net result is we all ended up in a Sh*tty hotel in Wanchai. (most hotels were booked out by the time we were ready)
next time.....well there was no next time.

 

[Denali]

Re: Looking for affordable and comfortable flights for my family from Australia to Ca

Mrs PH went down the path of booking and planning for everyone once (we went to the HK Sevens) , one person dithered about, net result is we all ended up in a Sh*tty hotel in Wanchai. (most hotels were booked out by the time we were ready)
next time.....well there was no next time.

The other problem being pseudo leader of a group travel is people look to you to lead them around like lemmings and have an itinerary and to have meals together and if you try to go do your own thing, they want to know where you are going and when you will be back and that sounds like fun so can we come and if something goes pear shaped like transfers or accomodation - its your issue to sort out for everyone.

But I could be projecting