Annual NZ Dinner: AKL 8 March 2025

[serfty]

Just booked MEL-AKL-MEL 7th and 9th March.

$443 with TAKEOFF100 sale (Enter code at bottom of payment page) - Amex is giving another $100 off as a promotion on our QBR card for spending $500 - I see wine in my future for the remaining $57 ....

Now for accommodation ...

 

[CaptJCool]

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/promotions/flights/take-off-auckland.html

Offer limited to the first 620 eligible bookings. Discount is valid on return flights only
flying from anywhere in Australia, then direct from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane

so I best hunt around for something in the next 24 hours....

decisions decisions
points spend would be 36.000 plus $339
revenue spend is $616 (assuming the $100 orf applies)
thats a pretty average use of tat many points

mind you, can barely fly to Brisvegas and back for that price!?!

 

[JessicaTam]

Welcome aboard @sap1l and @serfty.

Care to share what your flights are?

And Mrs L will now be coming along too. She joined us in Paris and has been to a NZ dinner before. So that is ten confirmed!

 

[serfty]

Care to share what your flights are?

EK Lounge friendly evening flights, QF157 to AKL Friday and QF158 to MEL Sunday. (Also $60 cheaper than the afternoon QF155/QF154 combos.)

 

[serfty]

Now for accommodation ...

Eeek! What's going on in Auckland that weekend? Voco booked out 7th and 8th.

For now have a booking at Hilton (50K points rather than $700+). May have to consider shared / backpacker accommodation for ~$120!

 

[TomVexille]

Eeek! What's going on in Auckland that weekend? Voco booked out 7th and 8th.

For now have a booking at Hilton (50K points rather than $700+). May have to consider shared accommodation for ~$120!

They heard you lot were coming

 

[RooFlyer]

Eeek! What's going on in Auckland that weekend? Voco booked out 7th and 8th.

For now have a booking at Hilton (50K points rather than $700+). May have to consider shared accommodation for ~$120!

Tell me about it. I have three nights, as am catching the HBA-AKL direct. I'm going to get out of town for 2 of those days. New Plymouth looks nice.

 

[sap1l]

Care to share what your flights are?

I’m on QF149 from SYD on Friday, and going back on QF148 on Monday!

 

[drron]

Can 2 more come? Mrsdrron and the felon himself will be in AKL that weekend. Arriving 7th from BNE.

 

[JessicaTam]

Can 2 more come? Mrsdrron and the felon himself will be in AKL that weekend. Arriving 7th from BNE.

Sure. Welcome aboard.

 

[Katie]

Hmm, colour me and Mr Katie interested.

Hmm, make us silver. Looking at flights tonight.

 

[CaptJCool]

Hmm, make us silver. Looking at flights tonight.

Also I’m looking at flights tonight.
Current specials end at 11.59

 

[JessicaTam]

Hmm, my initial booking was for 8, based on previous AKL dinners. Might have to go to 15!

 

[CaptJCool]

Hmm, my initial booking was for 8, based on previous AKL dinners. Might have to go to 15!

Oooo
It’ll be quite the party then !

 

[Katie]

Hmm, make us silver. Looking at flights tonight.

Rightio, we're in (Mr Katie + me, no Teen this time, so far).
Flights booked, need to sort accom, but I guess it might be Hilton points. Or some other points.

 

[CaptJCool]

Friday 7/3
QF678 ADL - Mel arrive 11.20am
QF155 (so ‘hopefully’ can be guested into F lounge please)

Tuesday 11/3
A convoluted meander home
QF5595 JQ229 Auckland to Christchurch (QF codeshare on JQ)
6 hour layover so aiming to taxi into the CBD)
Then QF134 Brisbane
Then QF 1939 Adelaide

 

[drron]

We are staying at the Crowne Plaza.

 

[JessicaTam]

Sounds like quite the party indeed.

I have started a table with travel and hotel arrangements on the first page. Don’t worry if your details aren’t in it yet, I am working my way through the posts.

Of course you don’t need to share your travel/accommodation arrangements if you don’t want to.

 

[sap1l]

Name	Arr flight/city	time/date	Hotel	Dep flight	date/time
sap1l	QF149 SYD	0025 7/3	Mercure Queen Street	QF148	1900 10/3

Edit: here are the rest of my details

 

[JessicaTam]

Friday 7/3
QF678 ADL - Mel arrive 11.20am
QF155 (so ‘hopefully’ can be guested into F lounge please)

Tuesday 11/3
A convoluted meander home
QF5595 JQ229 Auckland to Christchurch (QF codeshare on JQ)
6 hour layover so aiming to taxi into the CBD)
Then QF134 Brisbane
Then QF 1939 Adelaide

@Doug_Westcott would you be so kind to guest @CaptJCool in MEL? In theory, that is, as I expect we will all be arriving at different times. So who knows who will be guesting who!

That does take up all the guest spots for now in MEL.