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

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.