BOG-PER, while avoiding AKL

[thewinchester]

Ok, this is a curly one and I'd really appreciate the collective expertise to help with this.

In short, my housemate is looking to fly out his Columbian girlfriend to PER for either Christmas or New Year, has no status with any carrier, and the flight quotes I'm getting after speaking with QF and looking on ITA Matrix are horrendous (Averaging 4k+ in O, QF quoted AUD 5176).

I also would like to avoid routing thru AKL, as the pax is not from a visa waiver country thus requiring a transit visa for there. Having already suffered the 'pleasures' of efficient application for an AU visa via our Chilean High Commission, I wouldn't recommend them suffering the same fate with NZ Immigration.

So, the routing I'm looking at is a return BOG-SCL or LIM-EZE-SYD-PER. Current date suggestions are depart around 20 Dec 2009 and returning 2 Jan 2010, or 15 Jan 2010 returning around 29 Jan 2010.

Also, just to complicate matters the booking can't be made until the first week of December.

Do any of you have any ideas of how its possible to screw this fare price down, particularly since one of the options is across the Christmas/new year period?

 

[ANstar]

Perhaps look at an around the world fare. Are there any visa issues transitting through South Africa on the return?

 

[chrisb]

I also would like to avoid routing thru AKL, as the pax is not from a visa waiver country thus requiring a transit visa for there.

I know nothing about this due to holding AU and NZ passports, but Air NZ says this...

Non-New Zealand citizens will be required to hold a transit visa unless:

their destination is Australia and they hold a current visa to enter Australia; or they are a citizen of one or more of the countries specified in the transit visa country waiver list below.

New Zealand Entry & Transit Requirements - Cheap Flights, Airfares & Holidays - Air New Zealand Official Site - Australia

This would imply no visa is required, if they have appropriate Australian visas?

 

[StevePER]

That's a tricky one. ITA has BOG-SYD for $2155 and BOG-KUL for $2102 using the January dates, both are via the US. Does that help at all?

 

[ChrisBNE]

This would imply no visa is required, if they have appropriate Australian visas?

Yes, but a visa would require for the return transit.

 

[chrisb]

Yes, but a visa would require for the return transit.

Yeah, I guess so! That's a bloody stupid rule.

I thought only silly countries had annoying transit rules.

 

[thewinchester]

Yeah, I guess so! That's a bloody stupid rule.

I thought only silly countries had annoying transit rules.

How can I make a crack about that without offending Kiwi's :mrgreen:

Thanks all for your help, an RTW might be worth the look.