When to book return flights??

[markdc]

Do you guys recommend an open ended ticket or a 1 year return ticket? I'm looking into booking a 1 year return ticket so that I come back for xmas (and because it is cheaper than an open ended ticket). When is the last exam typically held in December at UQ??

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[Winged Scapula]

I found open ended tickets ridiculously expensive. Although Oz isn't known for its organization, IMHO it wouldn't be TOO difficult to find out when you might be likely to have off for the holidays (ie, they might be a few days off but you could stay in Oz for a couple of days if it saves you hundreds of $$ right?)

Check with U Qld admin or other students for dates.

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by markdc
Do you guys recommend an open ended ticket or a 1 year return ticket? I'm looking into booking a 1 year return ticket so that I come back for xmas (and because it is cheaper than an open ended ticket). When is the last exam typically held in December at UQ??

Actually the open year tickets are seriously cheap for Canada. If you book with a travel agent which is much cheaper than doing so online you can get an open year ticket with Cathay for about $2100. If you want air Canada you can pay about $2200-$2700 depending on the flight.

I would suggest the open year ticket because (with Cathay anyway) you can make as many changes to the flight upto 24 hours before the flight without any penalty. And notwithstanding exams you might just change your mind or get sick or who knows what else...

 

[Winged Scapula]

Maybe its more expensive from Canada (are you talking about the east coast). The most I ever spent on a RT from LA was $1500 and that was a spur of the moment, I'm homesick and have to go NOW ticket. It was usually more like $1200 or less (sometimes $700 in the winter).

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by Kimberli Cox
Maybe its more expensive from Canada (are you talking about the east coast). The most I ever spent on a RT from LA was $1500 and that was a spur of the moment, I'm homesick and have to go NOW ticket. It was usually more like $1200 or less (sometimes $700 in the winter).

Yeah but that's US dollars so that's a bit more (Canadian). Also as far as I know the return tickets are only good for 3 months.

Also I'm talking about flying out of Toronto..it's much cheaper to fly out of Vancouver if you live on the west coast.

 

[markdc]

It usually is cheaper to fly from the west coast and also cheaper to fly from the US instead of Canada (often even with the exchange rate). I'm going to look at possible flights out of Detroit or Buffalo. Most of the websites will not post 1 year tickets. Has anyone bought from somewhere like Priceline and found one year tickets posted? I've been calling Flight Centre in Toronto and haven't been given a quote less than 2300 Can yet. I'm feeling a little stupid because availability is low right now and I should have booked earlier.

If I book the return for Dec 14th would that give enough time for exams?

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by markdc
It usually is cheaper to fly from the west coast and also cheaper to fly from the US instead of Canada (often even with the exchange rate). I'm going to look at possible flights out of Detroit or Buffalo. Most of the websites will not post 1 year tickets. Has anyone bought from somewhere like Priceline and found one year tickets posted? I've been calling Flight Centre in Toronto and haven't been given a quote less than 2300 Can yet. I'm feeling a little stupid because availability is low right now and I should have booked earlier.

If I book the return for Dec 14th would that give enough time for exams?

yeah but thats the beauty of the open year ticket...just book for any time and then extend it or quicken it as you see fit. The problem i have here is that I know when the end of the exam period is going to be but I dont' know until maybe two weeks before when my final exams are....so this way i can always change my flight date if i find out i get off sooner. Anyway I've found that out of Toronto the open year with a travel agent seems to be the cheapest way...even cheaper than online.

 

[markdc]

Not for me... The prices are much higher when it is open ended. Over $3000!. I don't know if this is because availability is low now though. PM me with a recommended travel agent if you have one. Maybe the ones I've been in contact with are part of the dark side of the travel industry.

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by markdc
Not for me... The prices are much higher when it is open ended. Over $3000!. I don't know if this is because availability is low now though. PM me with a recommended travel agent if you have one. Maybe the ones I've been in contact with are part of the dark side of the travel industry.

the info has been sent welcome to the light side..lol

seriously though $3000 is definitely over priced. I have flown with both Air Canada and Cathay and for Air Canada i paid around $2300 and this year I paid $2100 for Cathay. The only "problem" with Cathay is that the return flight from melbourne is an overnighter unless you are flying from Melbourne. There are flights to Sydney though I have no idea about them.

Try MAS, Singapore and the Asian airlines. Believe me the service is 100% better than any north American airlines. And the flights are usually a bit cheaper. (Though they are also a bit longer...)

*Edit...I usually book around January for my flights back...and yeah the availability is extremely low...but a good travel agent should be able to book a flight for you and hold it for two weeks...and if the price changes should rebook another one.

Anyway best of luck.

 

[UofA man]

I booked with Singapore airlines, which is open ended for 1 year, and was only ~$1600 cdn. I am from Edmonton and will be making a stopover in San Franscico (stop overs do not cost extra). There is a long wait in Singapore, but my travel agent was able to get me a hotel room through the airline at no extra cost.

Hope this helps.

 

[miler]

Does anyone just get one way ticket to Australia, and then a while before they need to come back get another one way?
Pros and cons of this?

 

[Jatpot]

You can't get a one way ticket in w/out an Australian passport. At least that is how it is for US citizens, don't know for the Canadians. I am relatively new to this, having just decided to go to Syd for school, so I am also wondering which type of ticket to get. I don't plan on going home until Christmas, so will need to know the end of the year dates if I want a return ticket, not open ended.

So much to figure out!

 

[DocRuth]

Getting a one-way ticket to Australia isn't any problem for Canadians so I'm wondering why it would be for Americans. Any insights Jatpot?

 

[Jatpot]

No insights. Maybe it isn't true; I have a friend who was accepted to Flinders a long time ago and has all of his things in order. As I was just accepted he is helping me, and this is what he told me. Maybe it's a commonwealth thing?? I don't know. If any Americans know otherwise, I'd love to be clued in!

 

[gbatman]

Since you are coming to study on a student visa you can get into the country with a one way ticket (chinese airlines US$855), since you are going to stay to study and all.

I think what you are thinking about is the "generic travel" visa. But even then one way is fine. I flew to spain one-way, the let me in, and then after travelling a while, flew from the middle east to london one-way to stay for a while. And ultimately back to the US. The biggest thing was having a place to stay (every travel visa wanted to know where i was staying...)

Hope it helps,
Gary

p.s. Oh, I bought a one-way and figured at the end of the semester it would be easier on myself to get a round trip out of & back to Oz... Plus it would give me more time to find a credit card that gave me miles..

 

[texasblue]

You can buy a one way ticket to Australia. It only matters if you are on a conditional work visa and I THINK on tourist visas. But if you are a student it's irrelevant because it's a multiple entry visa.

The price isn't going to be any different whether you buy a one way now or a round trip. It all works out about the same at the end of the day. Just go through STA if nothing else so the date is at least changeable for the return -- who can think a year in advance?????

 

[mic]

Originally posted by gbatman
Since you are coming to study on a student visa you can get into the country with a one way ticket (chinese airlines US$855

Not sure if you're referring to China Airlines or Air China, but I doubt that would be a direct flight anyway. STA has one-way fares to Australia on direct flights with United for less than that.

 

[gbatman]

I saw that... damn nice. The only problem is that I didn't know if I could have gotten an ISIC card yet to have qualified (over 26, no student ID or anything, yet..) Something to look forward to getting...

Thanks for the info mic

Gary

 

[gbatman]

Did I say damn nice... I meant DAMN NICE ... I think I'll rebook my ticket tomorrow after I call about getting an ID. Seriously mic, nice call...

Gary

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by Jatpot
You can't get a one way ticket in w/out an Australian passport. At least that is how it is for US citizens, don't know for the Canadians. I am relatively new to this, having just decided to go to Syd for school, so I am also wondering which type of ticket to get. I don't plan on going home until Christmas, so will need to know the end of the year dates if I want a return ticket, not open ended.

So much to figure out!

Hmmm...this is news to me because I did this quite often. Since we have a Student visa which allows multiple entries there should be no problem with buying a 1-way ticket (unless this has changed).

 

[pitman]

STA confirmed that if you have a student visa, you can do one-ways.

Also, if you don't have an ISIC (International Student Identification Card, needed to get STA discount fares), you can apply for one online, emailing "proof" of your (future) student status by sending in (email or fax) a copy of your receipt of payment for the program, or one of a number of other acceptable documents.

As soon as they get your application and proof-of-status, you can call them and they can book your flight immediately.

A bit of trivia: Lonely Planet is incorrect calling STA a "consolidator" -- STA actually has contracts with the airlines to get discounted tickets.

ISIC app:
http://www.statravel.com/Statravel/cards/cards_ISIC.aspx?menuid=6001

STA phone:
800-781-4040


-pitman

 

[pitman]

BTW don't get their phone card -- way more expensive than what you can find in Australia (I got one a couple months ago...US6.5cents per minutes to the US!)

-pitman

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by pitman
BTW don't get their phone card -- way more expensive than what you can find in Australia (I got one a couple months ago...US6.5cents per minutes to the US!)

-pitman

that's still pretty expensive. There are cards like GoTalk etc. that are 1-3 Cents Aussie per minute to the US

 

[pitman]

Truly amazing.

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by pitman
Truly amazing.

I've even seen cards that allow you to call mobiles for the same rate as landlines...(like 1.5 cents aussie per min.)

 

[The Pill Counter]

I pay around $2000 CAN each year, first time with Malaysia Airlines going east through London, then this past year with Qantas through Los Angeles. I don't know if there is a difference b/w open-ended or one-year tickets b/c open-ended have a max. one year expiry. No airline has a return ticket with the return portion beyond one year from the departure date.

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by The Pill Counter
I pay around $2000 CAN each year, first time with Malaysia Airlines going east through London, then this past year with Qantas through Los Angeles. I don't know if there is a difference b/w open-ended or one-year tickets b/c open-ended have a max. one year expiry. No airline has a return ticket with the return portion beyond one year from the departure date.

How expensive was the ticket through LAX?

 

[The Pill Counter]

Hey RSE, with Air Canada Toronto-Los Angeles and Qantas LAX-Brisbane return, I paid $2100 CAN with taxes last year with TravelCuts. I paid the same going Air Canada Toronto-London Heathrow, then Malaysia Airlines London-Brisbane the year before.

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by The Pill Counter
Hey RSE, with Air Canada Toronto-Los Angeles and Qantas LAX-Brisbane return, I paid $2100 CAN with taxes last year with TravelCuts. I paid the same going Air Canada Toronto-London Heathrow, then Malaysia Airlines London-Brisbane the year before.

Hey Pillcounter,

For some reason AC is really expensive this year. I was looking at some other airlines but I heard from my friends that Malaysian allows less baggage than AC is this true?

What was ur experiences with the various ones? Which do u prefer?

 

[The Pill Counter]

Both times I took two carry-ons and two checked, each up to 33kg. Malaysia Airlines is amazing. They take great care of you, and you have a few hours at Kuala Lumpur Airport, which is rated the second-best airport in the world after Dubai. It's something to be seen. You can pay $20 and have access to an executive lounge, have a hot shower, beer, watch some T.V before your flight. The planes have entertainment centres for all economy seats. Air Canada is, well, Air Canada. If booking with TravelCuts you do have to fly AC to LA or London to catch MA to KL then whichever Australian city. Longer route, but this time I may stay in KL for a weekend.

 

[markdc]

Looks like I'll be using Thai airways and having a few weeks in Thailand. (Hopefully they are better than Air Canada and a few others). Anyone else taking a little vacation somewhere in S.E.A.? I would have liked to go to Bali but I was having serious problems getting myself a ticket.

 

[DocRuth]

Hey Pill Counter,

What are you planning to do in Kuala Lumpur? I'm booked on AC to London, where I'm staying for a week, and then to KL on Malaysia, where I'm spending an extra day or 2 on my way to Adelaide. Have you visited KL before? (I mean outside of the airport) Good to know about the airport! Oh, and to clarify, what is the weight your carry ons can be on Malaysia Airlines, or is it just a size restriction?

Thanxomuch!

 

[redshifteffect]

Originally posted by markdc
Looks like I'll be using Thai airways and having a few weeks in Thailand. (Hopefully they are better than Air Canada and a few others). Anyone else taking a little vacation somewhere in S.E.A.? I would have liked to go to Bali but I was having serious problems getting myself a ticket.

this is just from personal experience...but i have noticed that the flights from Australian to S.E.A countries tend to be cheaper if u book them there...maybe it's the exchange rate but i'm not sure.

For example I've seen Melb to NZ $400 return before.

 

[The Pill Counter]

DocRuth, I haven't been outside the KL airport, but will try this time. I'll just wander around town. About carry-on luggage, be mindful that if it is too big or too heavy, it will attract attention, but I've always managed to get the occasional oversize bag onto the plane. I think the weight restriction is 7 or 10 kilos, can't remember. Malaysia Airlines is very expensive if you go over two checked bags, they do it by weight, although I can't remember offhand, exactly how much.