NZ Fares to the US 60% Difference than Oz

[Catching 'On FF]

I know this has been done before but I couldn't believe the difference in price when making a QF booking from the NZ website.

Dec - Jan return
Fares AKL - LAX (VIA MEL) = 2200 NZD / 1800 AUD
Fares MEL - LAX (Direct) = $3200

Is there any way I can book the NZ option? Happy to fly to AKL to take my flight.

I have booked one way fares AKL - MEL from Australia before and had no trouble with the booking system.

 

[leemin]

I know this has been done before

Not with NZD to my knowledge. Stand to be corrected though.

Dec - Jan return
Fares AKL - LAX (VIA MEL) = 2200 NZD / 1800 AUD
Fares MEL - LAX (Direct) = $3200

The usual reason/excuse is wages are different/higher willingness to pay etc. However, I don't believe that we are that different from our Tasman cousins in this regard. So why the difference? Even ignoring exchange rates, it's a $1k difference between the respective local currencies. That's huge!

 

[Mal]

Is there any way I can book the NZ option? Happy to fly to AKL to take my flight.

Just book it on the Qantas site. You aren't the first who has done something similar, and won't be the last...

 

[Kangol]

Just looking at the QF NZ website now, don't forget that ex-AUS flights to LAX depart in the morning, so if you were based in Australia and planned to do an AUS-AKL flight right before your AKL-AUS-LAX you'd have to factor in overnight accommodation +/- transfers either in AKL the night before, or in MEL (if you were going on the JQ codeshare QF236 arriving in MEL at 2305 and then QF93 departing the following morning).

Then again if you went AKL-SYD-LAX and if there were no delays, you could potentially have 4+ hours in the SYD F Lounge...

 

[spentan]

Just looking at the QF NZ website now, don't forget that ex-AUS flights to LAX depart in the morning, so if you were based in Australia and planned to do an AUS-AKL flight right before your AKL-AUS-LAX you'd have to factor in overnight accommodation +/- transfers either in AKL the night before, or in MEL (if you were going on the JQ codeshare QF236 arriving in MEL at 2305 and then QF93 departing the following morning).

Then again if you went AKL-SYD-LAX and if there were no delays, you could potentially have 4+ hours in the SYD F Lounge...

Could you do AKL-SYD-LAX return, but "fail to board" your flight to AKL (from SYD)?

It'd prob still be cheaper lawl

 

[spentan]

OMG, my mind was just blown yet again.

So even if you fly CBR-SYD-AKL and AKL-SYD-CBR each way a day on either side, and you stay in a 5 Star hotel, it'd still workout cheaper to goto USA through Qantas NZ.


Also you'd get lots of time in the First and Business Lounges (cos your flight is in Business, even if no status, you still get Business lounges everywhere).


This is so crazy, I'm gonna do this if I goto USA again. (Just gotta get more leave for a day either side lawl).

Plus what a STATUS RUN!

 

[serfty]

Just looking at the QF NZ website now, don't forget that ex-AUS flights to LAX depart in the morning, so if you were based in Australia and planned to do an AUS-AKL flight right before your AKL-AUS-LAX you'd have to factor in overnight accommodation +/- transfers either in AKL the night before, or in MEL (if you were going on the JQ codeshare QF236 arriving in MEL at 2305 and then QF93 departing the following morning). ...

The AKL international terminal is very passenger friendly for sleeping.

The last QF flights from the east coast get in around midnight - there is a Late JQ flight from MEL that gets in around 5am, but I would not trust that one.

 

[markis10]

Could you do AKL-SYD-LAX return, but "fail to board" your flight to AKL (from SYD)?

It'd prob still be cheaper lawl

You would run the risk of not being able to board as your ticket was cancelled due to a first segment no show.

 

[obrienja]

I think spentan meant fly AKL-SYD-LAX-SYD and drop the last AKL. There's no reason I can think of why you couldn't do that unless you had checked baggage all the way through to AKL.

 

[spentan]

I think spentan meant fly AKL-SYD-LAX-SYD and drop the last AKL. There's no reason I can think of why you couldn't do that unless you had checked baggage all the way through to AKL.

hmm,

can you request them not to check it all the way through to Auckland at LAX?

I'm trying to figure out if this is feasible, my current flights are CBR-SYD-LAX and then LAX-MEL-CBR.

Alternative would be: CBR-SYD-AKL (1 night in a hotel), then AKL-SYD-LAX and then LAX-MEL-AKL (don't get on the flight), and go MEL-CBR.

My current flight is on a classic award (192k points + 900 taxes).

therefore I don't earn anything and I can't upg to First.

 

[eastwest101]

I think spentan meant fly AKL-SYD-LAX-SYD and drop the last AKL. There's no reason I can think of why you couldn't do that unless you had checked baggage all the way through to AKL.

Thats how I read spentan's post as well but could be mistaken. Agree about the checked luggage issue which others raised.

Slightly OT question: If spentan did this - What would happen to spentan's SC and FF points for a fail to board and dropping the last AKL sector? I assume the SC and points would credit for the AKL-SYD-LAX-SYD sectors but not the last AKL flight? Or alternatively could they withhold all the SC and points for the entire itinerary?

 

[Canny man]

What a beautiful find!
I have a lax trip in September. and can now save $2k (minus the cost of getting to Auk to start the trip).
Seems daft spending less while consuming more jet fuel and champagne. But hey got to love the opportunity.
Incidentally, the QF price going the long way is around the same as the Air NZ price from Oz to Lax

 

[Isochronous]

Great status run idea - especially if coupled with a LAN J fare SYD-AKL!

 

[MTAB]

I have booked and paid for two LONE4 RTW tickets (AKL-SYD-NRT-TPE-NGO-HKG-LHR-MAD-DUB-MAD-LHR-YYZ-DFW-TPA-ORD-LAX -AKL) through the QA NZ site in NZ$ using my AU CC.

There were no problems with this. Except that my original booking contained the LHR-BUD-DUB-BUD-LHR segment using with MA and BA flights rather than the LHR-MAD-DUB-MAD-LHR one with IB and BA flights. When MA went belly-up, QA AU phoned and the changes were made free of charge without problem or question. I have also separately booked CNS-AKL (at AU$ prices through AU QA) for the beginning of the LONE4s and AKL-SYD-CNS (at NZ$ prices through NZ QA) so that our trip will start and end at CNS (home). All this (in total) work out substantially cheaper than LONE4s to/from CNS.

Then, when QA cancelled direct LAX-AKL, they again called me and changed this segment (at no charge) to LAX-SYD-AKL. I explained about my separate AKL-SYD-CNS and they suggested that they I could cancel it; book SYD-CNS flight and we could get off with our luggage at SYD (ie they were confident we could check our luggage through to SYD only from LAX); be a no-show for AKL and proceed to CNS. They also re-ticketed this at no penalty fee for me (refunding the previously paid $NZ amount for AKL-SYD-CNS and charging the then current $AU amount for SYD-CNS).

I subsequently contacted them to see if I could actually also reschedule the last SYD-AKL leg on the DONE4 and they indicated the cost (change of ticket fee) and timeframe within which this could be done. I haven’t actioned this yet (and may not) as I’m considering whether I will be in a situation to utilise the SYD-AKL leg within the timeframe allowed.

I know that this is a long and convoluted story (sorry). However, the main messages are: QA very helpful staff; there was no concern about purchasing tickets in NZ$ with AU CC; it looks as though you can get your luggage offloaded at an intermediate step in a ‘linked journey’ (this is yet to be tested as we don’t go until September); and, QA seem to treat the NZ and AU bookings seamlessly.

I am most interested in reading what transpires with the OP’s arrangements.

 

[jveevers]

For an Aussie Company, Qantas sure doesnt look after the Aussies.
As shown by this post.

Further evidence.

An American booking FLL-PER on Q US Site, 1 way $1500- appr.
An Aussie booking PER-FLL on Q AU Site, 1 way, $1860- appr.

 

[Fruitcake]

For an Aussie Company, Qantas sure doesnt look after the Aussies.
As shown by this post.

Further evidence.

An American booking FLL-PER on Q US Site, 1 way $1500- appr.
An Aussie booking PER-FLL on Q AU Site, 1 way, $1860- appr.

That's because Aussies look after Qantas by being prepared to pay the higher prices! It's almost universal - if you look at the premium cabins (where the difference tends to be even bigger) for Europe-Australia return on any airline the prices are usually significantly cheaper than Australia-Europe return. Turn the clock back to 2001 with the AUD/USD at 0.48 and you'll probably find those offshore were paying a premium to get here.

 

[ferdeline]

[content removed by original poster]

Please do not use homophobic slurs on this website; gay is not a synonym for bad.

 

[yohy?!]

Be careful of 'throwing' away the last AKL segment of the ticket if you do this.

Some airlines (Cathay Pacific for example) have been known to recalculate the taxes and fares after this is done and send you an invoice for the difference! It's probably not too likely to happen in Aus but here in Asia and the US it's quite common and carriers don't take kindly to you 'bending' their market pricing...

 

[spentan]

Please do not use homophobic slurs on this website; gay is not a synonym for bad.

I'm very sorry, I really didn't mean it like that. My apologies to anyone offended, and please understand that I meant no offence by my post.

 

[spentan]

Be careful of 'throwing' away the last AKL segment of the ticket if you do this.

Some airlines (Cathay Pacific for example) have been known to recalculate the taxes and fares after this is done and send you an invoice for the difference! It's probably not too likely to happen in Aus but here in Asia and the US it's quite common and carriers don't take kindly to you 'bending' their market pricing...

Hmm, yeah, I don't think it would be worth the risk.

Another thing with this, is that it is probably worth the stop in Auckland. (stay in a hotel for a night and relax)