Dulles to Sydney for Cruise-Tour via LAX

[rocket screen]

We are booked on an Australia-New Zealand Cruise tour departing Sydney on January 22. As of now the air is booked through Princess, and the air allowance is approximately the same as booking with American Airlines and Qantas. We are considering changing from the the airline booking to doing it ourselves, which leaves us with the following choices.

 

1. Book it ourselves to leave on the 20th, which ensures the routing and airlines we prefer. This avoids both United Airlines and the possibility of being routed through San Francisco-Oakland.

 

2. Same as 1, but leave on the 19th, layover in LA staying with friends and continue the next day. Check the bags through on the 19th.

 

3. Do nothing, stay with the original booking.

 

Our frequent flyer miles are on airlines which don't go non-stop Dulles-LAX, and we live 15 minutes from Dulles, which rules out National or BWI.

[Atomica]

If all things are equal, I'd change the air from Princess and do it yourself.

 

It's very much a personal choice - as you say, you'd prefer to avoid United (can't blame you there!) and a routing through Oakland, and by doing the air yourself, you can guarantee this.

 

I've always booked air on my own to avoid getting stuck on airlines, aircraft, or routing I didn't want to be on. I don't want to be routed from Vancouver to LHR via Houston on Continental just because it's cheaper than Air Canada! lol.

[scottbee]

We are booked on an Australia-New Zealand Cruise tour departing Sydney on January 22. As of now the air is booked through Princess, and the air allowance is approximately the same as booking with American Airlines and Qantas. We are considering changing from the the airline booking to doing it ourselves, which leaves us with the following choices.

 

1. Book it ourselves to leave on the 20th, which ensures the routing and airlines we prefer. This avoids both United Airlines and the possibility of being routed through San Francisco-Oakland.

 

2. Same as 1, but leave on the 19th, layover in LA staying with friends and continue the next day. Check the bags through on the 19th.

 

3. Do nothing, stay with the original booking.

 

Our frequent flyer miles are on airlines which don't go non-stop Dulles-LAX, and we live 15 minutes from Dulles, which rules out National or BWI.

 

I'd book it myself. I assume you're trying to book on AA/QF because you have an AAdvantage account; in which case you also want to consider CX/Cathay via HKG and/or JAL via NRT.

 

I did laugh though, never have I seen someone want to avoid SFO and rather transit through LAX.

[Gardyloo]

I would definitely book my own airfare; however I don't believe choice no. 2 is an option, as they will want you to be with your bags the whole way. Fine to lay over in LA, but your bags will have to be with you.

 

You might also look at connecting at JFK to Qantas' direct flight to SYD. You get a 747 from JFK to LAX, then on to Oz.

[fbgd]

I did laugh though, never have I seen someone want to avoid SFO and rather transit through LAX.

 

Flying from the International Terminal at SFO is great but the rest of the airport is a bit of a dump IMO. Factor in the weather and the lack or comprehensive airside transfers and LAX can look preferable.

 

Plus LAX has the In'N Out on Sepulveda ;)

[rocket screen]

I'd book it myself. I assume you're trying to book on AA/QF because you have an AAdvantage account; in which case you also want to consider CX/Cathay via HKG and/or JAL via NRT.

 

I did laugh though, never have I seen someone want to avoid SFO and rather transit through LAX.

There's no non-stops on American between Dulles and San Francisco and I try to keep connections at a minimum.

[Annecj]

I agree with Gardyloo that if possible you look into a flight to JFK and then onto Qantas for the flight to Sydney. We did this for our cruise flying AA from Tampa to JFK and connecting to the Qantas flight. We booked our air with Celebrity. The Qantas flight stops in LAX for a two hour layover and you do get off the plane and then reboard. Flying across the country on Qantas was great. You will get dinner on the first leg and again on the leg to Sydney. Great service.

[vivian02]

Rocket Screen,

Interesting decision you have to make. I see where you will be on Princess which has a two day inport at Sydney. Inorder to board the ship on the 22 of January you will have to leave on the 20 of January a Wednesday. If you want to spend one night in a hotel before boarding the ship then you would have to leave on the 19th. I say this because we are on RCCI with boarding on the 21st. I decided to spend one night in a hotel in Sydney and make a buffer just incase something happens...Mechanical, Weather, Human error. I do think that Gardyloo does have a great idea. If the price is right a staight shoot down to Sydney on a 747 sounds pretty good. I got a bargin of a price four weeks ago and I just now noticed that AAA has really dropped their prices. Like I said think about that one Hotel night in Sydney you might need it. That flight is going to be along one.

Unfortunately I have to go through LAX but thats what comes with the bargin tickets.

Do what works best for you. We will be arriving on January 20 and our ship also has the two day in port before sailing. Best of luck. Tim

[frugaltravel]

Rocket Screen,

Interesting decision you have to make. I see where you will be on Princess which has a two day inport at Sydney. Inorder to board the ship on the 22 of January you will have to leave on the 20 of January a Wednesday. If you want to spend one night in a hotel before boarding the ship then you would have to leave on the 19th. I say this because we are on RCCI with boarding on the 21st. I decided to spend one night in a hotel in Sydney and make a buffer just incase something happens...Mechanical, Weather, Human error. I do think that Gardyloo does have a great idea. If the price is right a staight shoot down to Sydney on a 747 sounds pretty good. I got a bargin of a price four weeks ago and I just now noticed that AAA has really dropped their prices. Like I said think about that one Hotel night in Sydney you might need it. That flight is going to be along one.

Unfortunately I have to go through LAX but thats what comes with the bargin tickets.

Do what works best for you. We will be arriving on January 20 and our ship also has the two day in port before sailing. Best of luck. Tim

 

True - I would never arrive into a sailaway city so far away the same day that the cruise departs. Way too much could go wrong. Depart Jan 19, skip the night in LAX, spend the night of Jan 21 in Sydney. You won't regret it.

[Fabian52]

We are leaving on Nov. 10th for our cruise on the Nov. 14th. for our cruise on Sun Princess r/t out of Sydney to New Zealand. We booked our own air as follows:

PBI to Dallas on American airlines - 3 hr. layover

Dallas to LAX - arrive around 2:00 PM

Qantas to Sydney leaving at 10:30 PM

I booked the AA and Qantas flights separately but everyone is telling me includeing AA that I can check my bags in Fla. to Sydney when I check into the airport at PBI. That way we have 2 days prior to the cruise to see Sydney and then board the ship on the 14th.

[vivian02]

Rocket Screen,

Like I said before you are asking some very interesting questions here. I take it your cruise sails from Sydney and departs from Auckland which means an open jaw ticket. I had checked these out before and just did a quick check from Dulles. Are you aware there are some $1187 flights out there? There is a flight out of Dulles to IAH (Bush Internationa) with a two hour layover. From Houston you fly Continental to Tokoyo with a 4 hour layover. Then you fly Quantas in to Sydney. Cheap and long but it works. On the way back you fly out of Auckland to LAX on New Zealand Air. From LAX its on Continenal to Newark (Ugh) with a 3 hour layover and then back to Dulles. I did notice running this flight the second time it disappeared so its really getting strange checking flights out. However there are some bargins out there. Tim

[FlyerTalker]

Our frequent flyer miles are on airlines which don't go non-stop Dulles-LAX, and we live 15 minutes from Dulles, which rules out National or BWI.

No, it doesn't rule it out. What rules it out is your CHOICE to fly from IAD rather than DCA or BWI. Like your "no SFO" statement....another restriction you put on by choice.

 

Plus LAX has the In'N Out on Sepulveda ;)

:D:D

[vivian02]

Rocket Screen,

I need to clarify those cheap flights I spotted. Both of those flights go through the Asia backdoor. The flight leaving New Zealand does not go through LAX it flies into Hong Kong with a 5 hour layover. It then goes Continental into Newark. That leg of the flight is 15 hours. You can view those flights on "Kayak" using a Departure date of Jan 19 and returning on Feb 9. Those are long flights bur they are cheap. They do not go through SFO. If anything I'm sure you will find these Open Jaw's interesting. Tim

[rocket screen]

No, it doesn't rule it out. What rules it out is your CHOICE to fly from IAD rather than DCA or BWI. Like your "no SFO" statement....another restriction you put on by choice.

 

:D:D

I understand what you're saying. BWI and National were ruled out because they are both 40 miles from home, and would involve BOTH leaving the car at the airport for 3 weeks and a $200 plus parking bill (or a $75 cab ride to National), and a connecting flight here in the States, which I am determined to avoid. I did all those things when I had to for work. Now that I can please myself, why go 40 miles when you can go 10, and then go non-stop?

 

A connection through SFO is less desirable, since we would forego the chance to visit old friends in the LA area.

 

I was trying to present only the alternatives that we had considered, not all possibilities. I've already looked at the National/BWI/SFO and going through Asia scenarios with my wife, and we jointly dismissed them. (i.e., she won't do it)

 

Hopefully, this explains how we got there from here.

 

And, LAX has In-n-Outs on the way to our friends' place and back to LAX.