On 2/17/2015 7:03 PM, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On 17 Feb 2015 20:30:33 GMT, Keyser Söze wrote:

wrote:
On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 14:21:14 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

$1198 -- D.C. to 20+ New Zealand Cities (Roundtrip)


WASHINGTON, D.C.--FEBRUARY 17, 2015-- Air New Zealand just launched a
sale dropping fares to more than 20 New Zealand cities to $1198
roundtrip, including tax – a savings of up to $550 on regular fares.

Among the cities available for the same price from Washington, D.C.:

Auckland -- the "City of Sails" and the largest city in New Zealand
Christchurch -- the "Garden City" and gateway to the majestic South
Island
Wellington -- the country's capital and renowned for its museums
and festivals
Queenstown -- known for adventure activities like heli-skiing and
as the birthplace of bungee jumping

It ends up being the same price I got yesterday (I just ran it again)
so that must have started early or it was just a time zone thing.

By the time you upgrade the seats and pay the taxes, fees etc, it
ended up being ~$5400.

Wonderful trip but I hate flying so much the only way I could tolerate the
flight would be under sleep anesthesia! Five hours or so is about my upper
limit without a layover. That works for Europe or Hawaii with a west coast
overnight stop. When are you going?

We are going to be there the first to the last week of May. The South
is going to be cold, I warned my wife but she says she is ready.

Both of the long flights are at night so I expect to sleep on the
plane. The ANZ "space seat" looks like it may be OK
(LAX x New Z)
http://tinyurl.com/lee2ys6

First class is first class (LAX x RSW).

The one little hop in NZ will be tolerable. I did kick in the $20 for
an exit row seat.

Personally I find the layover worse than the flight. We are stuck at
LAX for 9 hours or so. Some of it will be clearing customs but I
still would like to check my stuff and hop in a cab. I may call an LA
friend and meet them for dinner or something.

Last couple custom experiences were very quick. We filled out the
questioner and they checked it and sent us on our way. But maybe we have
traveled enough we are in the database. We seem to always get a TSA
Precheck boarding pass these days.


Heh. The CIA just put you on their "watch list" for that comment.

"Mr. Luddite" wrote:
On 2/17/2015 7:03 PM, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On 17 Feb 2015 20:30:33 GMT, Keyser Söze wrote:

wrote:
On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 14:21:14 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

$1198 -- D.C. to 20+ New Zealand Cities (Roundtrip)


WASHINGTON, D.C.--FEBRUARY 17, 2015-- Air New Zealand just launched a
sale dropping fares to more than 20 New Zealand cities to $1198
roundtrip, including tax – a savings of up to $550 on regular fares.

Among the cities available for the same price from Washington, D.C.:

Auckland -- the "City of Sails" and the largest city in New Zealand
Christchurch -- the "Garden City" and gateway to the majestic South
Island
Wellington -- the country's capital and renowned for its museums
and festivals
Queenstown -- known for adventure activities like heli-skiing and
as the birthplace of bungee jumping

It ends up being the same price I got yesterday (I just ran it again)
so that must have started early or it was just a time zone thing.

By the time you upgrade the seats and pay the taxes, fees etc, it
ended up being ~$5400.

Wonderful trip but I hate flying so much the only way I could tolerate the
flight would be under sleep anesthesia! Five hours or so is about my upper
limit without a layover. That works for Europe or Hawaii with a west coast
overnight stop. When are you going?

We are going to be there the first to the last week of May. The South
is going to be cold, I warned my wife but she says she is ready.

Both of the long flights are at night so I expect to sleep on the
plane. The ANZ "space seat" looks like it may be OK
(LAX x New Z)
http://tinyurl.com/lee2ys6

First class is first class (LAX x RSW).

The one little hop in NZ will be tolerable. I did kick in the $20 for
an exit row seat.

Personally I find the layover worse than the flight. We are stuck at
LAX for 9 hours or so. Some of it will be clearing customs but I
still would like to check my stuff and hop in a cab. I may call an LA
friend and meet them for dinner or something.

Last couple custom experiences were very quick. We filled out the
questioner and they checked it and sent us on our way. But maybe we have
traveled enough we are in the database. We seem to always get a TSA
Precheck boarding pass these days.


Heh. The CIA just put you on their "watch list" for that comment.

Sort of like when we go to Canada these days. 9 years ago when we went to
Alaska via Canada, they searched the camper to see if any firearms. Very
complete search. I guess I am on a list now as when we tow the boat up,
they ask if any firearms or ammo, and accept my answer and wish us a nice
day and send us on. And for $50 you can get a permit to travel with a long
gun.

wrote:
On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 18:03:24 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

wrote:

I am looking at opening a New Zealand bank account right now.

Make sure you have a chip credit card. And get a no foreign transaction
fee card. Chase Sapphire is free for the first year at least and has no
extra foreign fees added. Lots add 3.5%. Our chip cards are chip and
signature and not chip and pin like the rest of the world.

I found out my BoA card will work in the Westpac banks with no fees
but I was thinking it might just be as easy to open an account at ANZ
online, park several grand in it and have the EFTPOS cards for free.
I was looking at it and they have all sorts of deals for a decent
deposit, just like here and if the balance drops below the minimum for
the good account, we will be leaving anyway. It will be another form I
have to fill out at tax time tho.
I am not sure what the arbitrage might be on the exchange rate over
time. I might want to leave some there. If nothing else we can use it
to buy my wife's gum ;-)

All the credit cards are chip cards there. Not really sure if a swipe only
card will work. My amex card is a chip card. Just have your bank, etc.
send you the chip version. As to the IRS I am not sure it is worth the
hassle.

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 23:05:04 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 19:16:48 -0500, Abit Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 18:52:54 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 18:45:35 -0500, Abit Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2015 18:03:49 -0500, wrote:


Both of the long flights are at night so I expect to sleep on the
plane. The ANZ "space seat" looks like it may be OK
(LAX x New Z)
http://tinyurl.com/lee2ys6

First class is first class (LAX x RSW).

The one little hop in NZ will be tolerable. I did kick in the $20 for
an exit row seat.

Personally I find the layover worse than the flight. We are stuck at
LAX for 9 hours or so. Some of it will be clearing customs but I
still would like to check my stuff and hop in a cab. I may call an LA
friend and meet them for dinner or something.

Ask him to pick you up and take you to a burrito place in San Pedro.

We are on the same page. There are some great Mexican restaurants in
LA.

The one's I liked best were between big buildings. Just a little window on the
sidewalk with maybe a picnic table or two out front.

We are thinking about a nice place where you sit down and they bring
you food ;-)

Oh.
--

Guns don't cause problems. The behavior
of certain gun owners causes problems.