Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with others

[Canada]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

You certainly can earn QF points and SCs on CX (Cathay). You just have to make sure your QF # is in the booking. Ask the TA to help you if you are not sure how - or ask us!

I have used AirBnB in NYC. Read the reviews carefully - the more reviews the better. You will generally pay more the closer to Manhattan you are.

Thanks. How important to be close? Mother daughter travelling, what areas would u recommend? budget is priority.

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Be aware that the least expensive CX fares will not credit to QF. N class shows for my random selection of a ten day non-weekend period in August (at about AU$2200 round trip). Classes that do earn are about $50 more. And it looks like there is little or no savings ex-SEAsia in August. Seems the fall of the AU$ has removed a few bargains.

I am equally interested in the group fare rates (and booking class) that might be offered.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[GladstoneTim]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

My understanding of airline group fares is this...
1. They aren't necessarily cheaper than retail fares
2. They allow one free or discounted ticket per a certain number of paid fares e.g. Tour leader
3. Group fares allow flexibility...
A. In change conditions
B. In not needing names linked to tickets until much later than retail tickets
C. Luggage allowances
D. When final payments are due.

 

[cove]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Yes Gladstone Tim when you go in a sporting group it is like herding cats so it is best to get them all on the group booking and hope everyone turns up in time for the take off. Getting everyone paid and on board can be the tricky bit and we never begrudged the manager of the team getting a deal. Your summary is accurate and we did Perth to Tasmania, Perth to Serbia,
Perth to Singapore, Perth to Melbourne (some several times).
It is a bit tricky but can be quite a bit of fun travelling in a group. Tim your summary is exactly the way I remember it.

 

[clazman]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Thanks. How important to be close? Mother daughter travelling, what areas would u recommend? budget is priority.

When i stay in NY, I book a hotel called "hotel giraffe"... reasonable price, close to subway and equal distance to most things, I would walk from there to Central Park, Time Square, Maceys and Empire state.

 

[Canada]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

OK, after taking everyone's advice and looking around I'm now thinking something like this:

Pay for forward journey perth-hk-toronto 8 august 2015.

Since my daughter is really scared of flying I don't think the RTW option will work. One aim is to split the flight time up, the other aim is to not totally blow the budget.

It looks like 2 of us can go Toronto/New York/ Hong Kong / Perth for 182000 points

Or Toronto / Vancouver / Hong Kong / Perth for 182000 (although I can't get the dates I want)

Or Toronto / Hong Kong / Perth for 182000.

I haven't checked out points for Toronto / any disneyland / perth yet

I hope I'm searching correctly.

My question is, if you were trying to break up the flight for a nervous flyer - how would you get back to Perth from Toronto from 24th August? Must be back in Perth on/before 31 August.

We could go straight home or we could stay in one place if not too expensive.

So I'm trying to almost cut the total flight time in the middle but looks like the closest I can get to that is 16 hours at the front end, then whatever it takes back to Perth from Hong Kong.

Does that sound right?

Hope that makes sense,
Thanks.

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

I would be very tempted to purchase a Toronto-Los Angeles ticket(s) if taking a stop there. This is a result of aggravation with award tickets in the US these days, but YMMV as I would plan with AA miles. There seems to be adequate Y availability LAX-HKG-PER this far in advance. That's two awards 56K+35K. And yes if going through Los Angeles, stop for two nights and include Disneyland.

Hong Kong is an interesting city and being in the same time zone as Perth definitely makes a stopover there attractive. Cheap(er) hotels can be found but not the bargains available in Singapore or Bangkok. If you do stop remember the Peak Tram (with both day and night views at the top), the Big Buddha (with cable car) and a ferry ride to one of the lesser islands. Enjoy the food. If you would rather go direct Toronto-Hong Kong remember there is a Disney theme park on Lantau Island near the HKG airport. Take the train to get to Disney if you want to save money rather than paying for the "branded" hotels around Disney.

Enjoy your trip and beware that daughter may develop a taste for wandering

Fred

 

[clazman]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Clazgirl has booked our return leg Toronto - LA - HK -Perth in April..... as she hates the NY - HK leg ..... if iwas was trying to break the trip Toronto - Hawaii - Brisbane - Perth could be a option

 

[aaflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

If you're interested in a good travel agent in Perth Canada let me know. I know an excellent one in West Perth who could possibly assist if you're wanting to pay for your flights.

Also, Qantas offer a 'Oneworld Award' that would let you go 'around the world' for 140k points plus taxes, which may be cheaper. It does require you to fly on Qantas and two other Oneworld carriers, and that's in Economy so if there's no availability you will obviously have issues.

Depending on your financial situation, I'd be inclined to purchase the fare (as others have said, try and get in on the group rate) and save your hard earned points for your 50th. Also, don't forget to keep using your Woolworths Everyday Rewards card and Credit Cards to keep topping the points up

 

[Mumfreqflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

The only thing I found with Cathy Pacfic flights in economy is that they like to keep the lights on in economy!!!

A recent trip hkg to lax we were fortunate to be in J but having a 3yo we went for a bit of a walk and it was so bright and was around 7 hours into a 15hour flight :/ and it was around 4am la time.....

I found Qantas last time we did the night flight from la were pretty quick to turn the lights off and let people sleep.

Just make sure you take some eye masks. Also I found the economy section in the 777-300 on cx isn't that big either. I think more than half the plane is first and business.

Also I'm fairly sure when monitoring prices last year, can get economy seats perth - hkg - us for around $1500/$1600.

 

[Mumfreqflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Call up Qantas as well as sometimes Cathy flights won't show in the award search.

Also the cathy flights definitely don't show in the mobile search on qantas either.

Another way you could do it.....use your qantas points for a one way J flight on cathy and then purchase AA miles and Alaska miles for the return.....it might be too soon for you to read up on all of this and how to do it but if you can understand it quickly you might have more luck getting some J seats.

 

[Canada]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Thanks everyone.
The return flight is 2195 & 50 more if stop over in hk on way home.
I can't seem to make the rtw flight pattern work for me. Id have to go home via London or dubai etc and I'm pretty sure it just adds a lot of flight time and the locations are probably too expensive to stopover for a week.
I've finally figured out that if I want it totally on point s and the least number of points I have to find qantas flights . I was probably told that before.
Previously I was doing individual searches by date and is so frustrating.
I think I should b researching which ate qantas flights and only hone in on thoselocations . Clazman I think those options u mentioned are all available on qantas? Why doesn't Claz girl like that leg?
Aaflyer I'll just use the ta the group is using, you'd think he'd give a good deal considering there's a few of us.
my search also shows 1560 for one way but ta hasn't confirmed.

So I think options are 2x2195 and stop over in hong kong on way home (or not) or 2x1560ish and use points to get home stopping over wherever qantas flights go. I only have the Mon-fri for extra days. I think it would b about 180000 points.

The reason cost is such an issue is because its an unplanned trip & I have accommodation to pay for both of us for 15 days in niagara region also. No other wa parents are coming back, all making a holiday of it. I think I'm feeling a bit of pressure to do same. Not from other people, just me trying to make (broke) mother of the year!

I could send her alone but (a) she's petrified of the flight and (b) no wa chaperones on return journey. ..

 

[aaflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Just look at the taxes. You'll likely find that an economy award flight will be terrible value of points because you may well be up to $500-600 in taxes.

 

[Canada]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

mumfreqflyer I can't get any Qantas FF seats on the forward journey, I rang and asked. I'll look into the AA Alaska suggestion, know nothing whatsoever about those.....
Are taxes different depending on whether one uses points or doesn't use points?

 

[Mumfreqflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Does your daughter have to be booked with the team booking it can you do her own bookings?

There are no reward flights from Hong Kong to Vancouver but there is to San Francisco then you can connect to Toronto from there.....

7th August
Per - hkg 07:10 - 16:10 o/n hkg
Per - hkg 23:55 land 07:45 day in hkg
(4 economy and possibly premium economy seats may be available)
No business available.....

8th Aug
Hkg - sfo - 18:45 land 16:30
(2 business seats)

31 Aug
SFO - hkg - 01:30 land 06:40
(2 business seats)

31 Aug
Hkg - Per - 14:50 land 22:35
(1 business seat)
Nothing in economy......

 

[Mumfreqflyer]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

A qantas business class ticket per - hkg return is 280,000 points return per person and about $800 in taxes.....

If you buy alaska miles when there is a 40% bonus you need 120,000 points return and around $210 in taxes (when dollar was 94c though :/)

To buy 120,000 miles on the bonus you are looking at around $2800 but again that was when I bought this time last year and dollar was stronger.

I don't know if you can do mixed bookings on cathy using your qantas points.....but you can with alaska miles.

Also using alaska miles, when you hit sfo you can get a free connection to Toronto on Alaska Air if there is award availability.

 

[cove]

Re: Please help-Need advice Perth to Toronto and return, trying to coordinate with ot

Try airbnb for accommodation as that could help your pocket.