NZ meetup

[Thesp]

ah!

I just plugged in a date in October for a flight, and it says the flight will be $2k and the departure takes 2 days. But the return trip takes 5 hours .

I gotta start saving up.


EDIT: A flight this August is only just over $1k.

EDIT EDIT: I need to look over how much this is gonna cost me before I know what I'm most likely going to be able to do.

Where are you finding tickets at?

[al_kohaulec]

I just defaulted to priceline to see what airlines could be used.

Air New Zealand, Air Pacific Ltd., Qantas Airways are just a few of the airlines that will fly you there.

The flights from California are about 18 hours long.

[Porochaz]

I forgot how much planes cost... take 20% off all my things...

[nonny]

Ussually priceline, orbitz, and all those are good for finding the airlines. But the acutual airlines themselves will have cheaper rates. And less taxes. And alky tickets internationally I believe are based on time of year and 4 mos out is cheaper than 1 (obv) unless there are deals. But since we would go around jan tickets leaving US might be cheap but into nz would be expensive cause that whole summer winter conversion.

[Andycyca]

OK, good thing is, There are more or less direct flights to NZ (Mexico City - Los Angeles - Auckland). Bad thing is, I can't have airline fares for anytime past 11 mos.

...but if the Travel agency is correct, a NZ flight in early 2009 is around 2k USD for me but I must get a visa first.

Prices get me to 67%

[oEJo]

K-K-K-K-K-IWIESTA!

[Tamuz]

You could try a boatride (for andy & al, not for you southerners, east coasters or europeans).

Sure it'll probably take 4 times as long but it will be 1/4 as expensive and 8x the fun.

[al_kohaulec]

You could try a boatride (for andy & al, not for you southerners, east coasters or europeans).

Sure it'll probably take 4 times as long but it will be 1/4 as expensive and 8x the fun.

ooh, boat ride. That would be fun I might seriously consider it if it makes good time. Where would I look for a boat ride?

OK, good thing is, There are more or less direct flights to NZ (Mexico City - Los Angeles - Auckland). Bad thing is, I can't have airline fares for anytime past 11 mos.

...but if the Travel agency is correct, a NZ flight in early 2009 is around 2k USD for me but I must get a visa first.

Prices get me to 67%

Looking at the laws n such, I don't think you need a visa unless you're staying for more than 3 months. You do need a passport though. That's just my understanding.

[Tamuz]

Andy is from Mexico. Their bureaucracy is a wee bit different al. He might very well need a visa even for a weekly excursion.

Where to look for a boatride, I have no clue. The navy?

[nonny]

Like a ferry or cruise boatride? Depending on how long it is I'm game. I'm in arizona so getting to like LA isn't hard. Maybe that is something we can a get a group together to do perhaps be cheaper and more fun that way?

[Rogueben]

Freighter boats from US to NZ seem to take around 30 days and are worth about $65-130 per day. Cruises are more expensive than that again.

Also I'm keen to go. Would love to visit NZ again and this sounds like a heap of fun. Money will be the big issue so I'll put myself at 25%.

[al_kohaulec]

ah, didn't realize he was from Mexico.

And at 30 days, a ship is out If this is in Jan. 2010, I think I can save up enough by then.

Like a ferry or cruise boatride? Depending on how long it is I'm game. I'm in arizona so getting to like LA isn't hard. Maybe that is something we can a get a group together to do perhaps be cheaper and more fun that way?

w00t! Maybe we can schedule flights together and share a flight.

[nonny]

Yeah 30days is way to long for me.

Yeah alky, would be awesome to share a flight, have someone to talk to for 19 plus hours lol. Plus flying that far alone would be boring. So sure we can coordinate ^.^

[Thesp]

If we flew out, our flights would connect in California, so we'd be looking at something similar. It might be that most US-NZ flights would be the same way.

[Rogueben]

I think that almost all the flights from US to Australia and NZ come out of LA. That was what I was told when I was flying to the states anyway.

[al_kohaulec]

huzzuh! Let's all the scummers dominate that plane! We'll play mafia all throughout the flight

The only hard part is that you're assigned seating, so it's unlikely we'll be guaranteed seats next to each other.

[al_kohaulec]

I do expect prices to change, but as I was looking at the prices for December this year, it would be something like $1700 to fly from LAX to Wellington, but around $2500 or so to fly to PMR. Auckland is cheapest at about $1500, but being some 9 hours from Wellington, The extra cost is worth preventing the hassle for Tally and yourselves.

I think it would be good for a lot of scummers to coordinate their flights together, not only to have some sort of company on the flight (even if you don't get to sit together), but also so Tally will have fewer trips to make to pick us up (though there seems to be one reasonable cost flight/day).

By the way, due to time difference, it takes two days to get to NZ, and about an hour to return. So if we leave on the 30th, we arrive on the first, but if we leave on the 28th, we arrive on the 30th. Something else us scummers would have to coordinate, and I'm hoping we decide on Jan '10. If we do, I'll be watching prices as best as I can throughout the year to be able to suggest the best time to buy tickets.

[Mastermind of Sin]

I think it would make sense to try and get mass group tickets from Cali-NZ for everyone to save money on group rates (+ we'd all get to fly together-ish depending on individual schedules, which is cool), then the ppl not in cali just need to buy individual flights out to cali.

[Oman]

Its a fuckload cheaper if I show up on a Tuesday and fly home on a weekday.

FWIW: Qantas is a bit more expensive, but higher quality. Jetstar/Virgin are terrible.

[nonny]

If it's before january I can't come...so I can't leave till the 2nd of the year....so if we are doing newyears bash I would end up being like 4 days late


Group ticketing really cheaper? And that seems like a hassel to get that much money all together. The really only plus size is that we wouldn't be alone, would all arrive at the same time and are more likely to sit together. Who would be willing to do all that? And would everyone be willing to fork over a grand plus to someone? And everyone would need thier money together and saved at the same time for it to work.

Alky, when I flew to italy my mom and I were seperate but I asked this lady to switch and she didn't mind. So assigned seating isn't that big of deal most poeple are nice and accomendating.

[ShadowLurker]

Will there be ZORBs?!?

[Talitha]

Correct that Los Angeles is the most common gateway to NZ (Although Air NZ does also have direct flights from San Francisco now too).

I can get a big people-mover and pick people from Auckland if they are all arriving within the same day or two. Otherwise you'd need to fly to Palmerston North or Wellington. (Can get some pretty cheap flights between Auckland and Palmerston North when they are on special, so you can book this leg of the journey separately if you are flying with an airline that doesn't fly to Palmerston North or Wellington.) My feeling is that if you can find a good price ticket to get you to Auckland, take it and book the final leg later once you know whether/when I'm doing pickups from Auckland.) If it's not much more cost to get to Wellington, you should take that, and I'll certainly pick you up. If your long haul flight happens to be with Air New Zealand, you should investigate flying to Palmerston North as part of the fare).

Give me a day or so and I'll put some thought into this, and hopefully set some firm dates.

[Talitha]

ZORBing! Only if we end up in Rotorua... It's possible I guess!

[Ameliaslay]

Well, I'd really like to attend as well, and it looks like anywhere in 2010 will be good for me. I'm at about 50% I guess, depending on how much I get saved up by then.
3.) I'm also remembering Kiwiblat from last summer, but I like how Kiwiesta and Kiwipalooza sound

[Mastermind of Sin]

If it's before january I can't come...so I can't leave till the 2nd of the year....so if we are doing newyears bash I would end up being like 4 days late

That sucks...I really think New Year's in NZ would be about the best thing ever...I definitely think that's when this should start :/

Group ticketing really cheaper? And that seems like a hassel to get that much money all together. The really only plus size is that we wouldn't be alone, would all arrive at the same time and are more likely to sit together. Who would be willing to do all that? And would everyone be willing to fork over a grand plus to someone? And everyone would need thier money together and saved at the same time for it to work.

If there was no way to pay separately (which I think is possible), I would still be ok with it. Most likely if we all had to pay together we would use paypal, and there are ways to get your money back if the transaction never goes through. We'd just make sure everything was well-documented. Personally, I'd be willing to do it, and I think it would make the trip even more fun.