Getting there from Australia and New Zealand
Travelling from Australia and New Zealand, there are daily
direct flights to Vancouver, Canada's western point of entry, as
well as plenty of flights that involve stopovers along the way,
likely somewhere such as Honolulu, or perhaps on America's west
coast. The direct options on Qantas and Air New Zealand run
A$1863/NZ$1899 low season, with other onward destinations from New
Zealand being well served by Air Canada (Canadian Airlines shared
flights with Qantas until it merged with Air Canada.) You can
expect to pay around A/NZ$500 on top of your main ticket to the
eastern cities of Toronto and Montréal and around A$300/NZ$350 to
Edmonton and Calgary. However, if you intend to do a fair amount of
flying around, you'd be better off taking advantage of some of the
coupon deals that can be bought with your main ticket and cost
US$100-300 each depending on the distance involved. A number of
flights stop off in Honolulu, Hawaii, where you can usually stay
over for as long as you like for no extra charge. Alternatively, if
you don't mind going via Asia, JAL and Korean Airlines fares to
Vancouver include a night's accommodation in their home cities and
start from around A$1500/NZ$1850 low season. However, if you don't
want to spend the night, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines can
get you there from A$1799/NZ$2099 with a transfer in their home
cities.
Seat availability on most international flights out of Australia
and New Zealand is often limited, so it's best to book at least
three weeks ahead. Tickets purchased direct from the airlines tend
to be expensive and you'll get much better deals on fares from your
local travel agent, as well as the latest information on limited
specials, fly-drive, accommodation packages, stopovers en route and
round-the-world fares. The best discounts are through Flight
Centres and STA (for students and under-26s), who can
also advise on visa regulations. You might also want to have a look
on the Internet; www.travel.com.au offers discounted fares,
as does www.sydneytravel.com.
Airfares are seasonally adjusted: low season from mid-January to
end February, and October to November; high season from mid/end May
to August, December and January; and shoulder seasons the rest of
the year. Seasons vary slightly depending on the airline
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved.
The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd.