Which direction to New Zealand?

[BackOffMargery]

Hello!

I am very new to the mumsnet messageboards, and have come for advice please!

My family and I are moving to New Zealand in six weeks. Family is OH, DS 2.5 years, DD 9 months.

We haven't booked the plane tickets yet. Do you have any recommendations for the nicest direction to go to NZ?

We can't decide between stopping in LA or stopping in Singapore or somewhere in the Westward direction? I would love to hear any experiences of either route.

Thanks

Just marking my place. We are going through the emigration process and plan to be in NZ July 2011.

Best time to post/bump this in the evening or put it in the Living overseas topic as there are various posters on MN in NZ/Aus with links to the UK.

Our plan is to take a round the world ticket flying from the UK to Hong Kong on the first leg so going East.

I'm from NZ and now I always fly via Singapore on Singapore Airlines. The main reason is the transit lounge which is completely fab.

You walk off the plane, down the arm of the building and directly into the lounge, no queues, no waiting. There's a butterfly garden, movie theatre, wimming pool, food courts and even a hotel if you need to stay overnight or just grab some sleep. It would definitely be my choice with a young family. You then board your out-bound flight without going through any further check-ins.

Here's the link to the airport: www.changiairport.com/changi/en/airport_guide/transit/index.html

Another great thing for me is that it flys directly to Christchurch so I can do London to home with just one stop-over. I used to go through the US but now that they've gone crazy with all the security and re-check-ins I avoidit like the plague.

Just my two pence but hope it helps...

Thanks for the tips BeenBeta, I will post on Living Overseas as well.

Ponyness, we are moving to Christchurch so a more direct route would be fab. Thanks for your info. The less take off and landings we can make the better as DS is hard of hearing, has glue ear and OH is really worried he will perforate his eardrum.

We went via LA as it was cheapest - LAX is a shit airport.

Air New Zealand are rather nice though.

Good tip on Singapore Airlines. Me and DW always liked them (before DCs). Stopping off in Singapore would be a good alternative for us before Sydney and then on to Auckland. The hotel sounds good.

Singapore - definitely.

Take it from a Kiwi.

If you go via LA, you may find it more difficult to adjust. This has something to do with the earth spin. (not sure why but every time it does my head in).

If you go via Singapore, pack swimsuits in your carry on luggage. The pool in Singapore Airport is a godsend. It's not particularly shallow, but towells, shampoo etc isincluded in the entrance price. There is nothing better for getting rid of some of the pent up energy of small people than a bit of a splash and a play. However, do no do what I did and take Teddy to the pool with you. It was fun until DD decided that Teddy needed a bath.

Singapore Airlines are fabulous with young children, as are Emirates and Air NZ.

I'd personally go via Singapore to NZ having used LAX as it is a truly ghastly airport. Facilities (hah!) at LAX are grim and US security for transit pax is also grim.

Just adding my voice to the fact that LAX sucks, and Singapore airport is lovely

Yes yes yes. LA security a PITA. Singapore lovely. Other Asian stopovers prob fine too.

LAX does suck but if you want to go Air NZ (who are v. good) they also fly Hong Kong and HK airport is lovely.

Not as nice as Singapore though, and since they fly to ChCh it sounds like the cost of Singapore would be worth it.

I've only been via Singapore which is great, but my kiwi friends have described the horrors of LAX to me, and if it's like the other American airports I've been to I would want to avoid it.

Have you investigated tickets at all yet? It's often very expensive to book NZ tickets at short notice. There is also likely to be a backlog of people wanting to travel who are currently stuck her under the volcano cloud. There's even a possiblity that the volcano will still be disrupting travel in 6 weeks time. (I'm a glass-half-empty person, can you tell? )

If you fly ANZ you can stop off in hawaii and or Figi (or at least you used to be able to I came back that way once) but LAX is a grotty airport from what I remember and don't think it can be avoided.
I only spent an hour or so in transit there.

Hong kong a good option in that you can fly cathay pacific. However singapore airlines are supposed to be good too and singapore airport sounds nice.

whoops should have said fiji!!

Bran, good point about the backlog. I have looked on t'internet re flights and they are about the same even a bit cheaper than when we looked in Feb (which is when we were meant to go).

Think I will ring and book them tonight when OH comes home.

I have heard that flights may be starting again at the end of the week, fingers crossed.

My residence application for NZ is stuck in big brown envelope in a warehouse at Heathrow waiting for a plane to take it to NZ at the moment so I hope they get going soon.

Have you thought about your luggage allowance? You get far more travelling via the US( think 2 pieces at 32kg) than you do via Asia(20-23kg) or do you get more due to the fact you are moving out there. It's worthwhile asking the airline and telling them you are emigrating. You could just transit via LA and have a nice stop over in Raratonga or Fiji for a few days. Raratonga (Cook Isl) is quiet, beachy and would calm your mind before you start your new life. Or you may just want to get there of course. STA Travel and Trailfinders are usually very competitive from past experiences....And lucky you. Christchurch is lovely. Not too built up and lots of fantastic Ski-ing areas close by. You lucky ducks! Hope it's everything that you need it to be.

Another kiwi here adding my vote for 'via-asia'. The jet-lag going via the States is (imo) so much harder to get over (without even going into the nastiness that is LAX airport). Generally flights via the states leave the UK in the afternoon, and after 24-26 hours flying you normally arrive in NZ at stupid-o'clock, between 5 - 7 am or some such nonsense. I always end up hallucinating due to extreme tiredness going via LAX

I also second checking the luggage allowance, it's 2 x 32kg bags via the States, but 1 bag at no more than 20kg via Asia.

The days of using a 32kg bag for travel to the US has long gone I am sorry to say (you can thank the baggage handlers for this ruling).

Standard baggage allowance across the board is 23kg if you are travelling in Economy. Different allowances apply if you are travelling in business (you are allowed more cases and the bags can in some cases but not always be slightly heavier than 23kg)

This is from Air NZ's website re baggage allowances:-

Flights between New Zealand and Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia, Japan or London via Hong Kong

Economy 20kg (44 lbs) total
Business and Premium Economy* 30kg (66 lbs) total
Star Alliance Gold Customers (including Airpoints Gold and Gold Elite) an additional 20kg (44 lbs)

Infants are entitled to the same baggage allowance as the accompanying passenger, including car seats and strollers, but they are not entitled to any additional allowances linked to the accompanying passengers frequent flyer tier status.

• This Premium Economy baggage allowance only applies on Air New Zealand flights. If part of your journey includes codeshare flights or flights on other airlines the baggage allowance for Economy will apply.

Flights to/from the USA, Canada or Tahiti
Flights between New Zealand and London via Los Angeles
Economy 2 pieces, max combined weight 46kg (100 lbs)
Business and Premium Economy* 2 pieces, max combined weight 64kg (140 lbs)
Star Alliance Gold Customers (including Airpoints Gold and Gold Elite) 1 additional piece per person