Not so far away

True, Australia and New Zealand are on the other side of the world from the United States. But getting there is really no more challenging than traveling to Europe. In fact, it takes as much time to reach Europe from Los Angeles as it does to reach Brisbane, and less to Queenstown. Plus, most carriers time their flights to leave late at night, which means once you’ve boarded, had your dinner, and perhaps enjoyed an airborne nightcap, you can sleep through the night and awake first thing in the morning…just about the time your plane touches down. And once you’re on the ground, the trip gets started right away. Well rested + being on the go = less jet lag!

Pick Your Flight

Not too long ago, air travel to this corner of the globe was a much different proposition than it is today. Few carriers offered direct flights from the USA, and those that did ran just a few flights per week. Arranging an adventure in either Australia or New Zealand meant hammering your itinerary around the flights that you could get. But these days travelers have much greater control over their holiday timing, with many more flights available from a much larger pool of airlines. Most carriers offer regular, daily flights to and from both destinations. And of course the greater diversity of carriers means airfares are far more reasonable than in the past, when a very few airlines had the power to keep prices high. And of course the advent of online travel booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity makes access to special promotional pricing easier than ever before.

Plan a Stop Along the Way

An added bonus of today’s world of air travel is the ability to plan a scheduled layover in some of the fabulous places between here and there. Airlines know that this is a real enticement for travelers, and now many of them plan routes such that their customers can easily make an extra stop to enhance their trip. Some examples are Air Pacific, who make en route stops in the exotic island paradise of Fiji, and both Qantas and Air New Zealand have flights to Australia that include the option to layover in New Zealand. Not a bad idea! If you’re going to fly half-way around the world, it makes good sense to get as much out of your trip as you can.

In fact, we’ve scheduled the departures of our New Zealand trips to dovetail with one another, making it possible to do two or even three trips back-to-back. Or add our Fiji adventure onto one of the New Zealand itineraries for a truly out-of-this-world South Pacific holiday!

For more information on coordinating multiple trips email us or call 1-888-831-7526.