Do I need a visa to visit Australia? Anyone who is a non-Australian or New Zealand Passport holder requires a visa to enter Australia. We will issue the visa for you at the time of issuing your airline ticket.
Do I need a visa to visit New Zealand? As of the 01st October 2019 if you are travelling on a Canadian or USA Passport you will need to apply for an NZeTA before your arrival. We will assist our clients with this at the time of issuing their airline ticket.
How long does my passport need to be valid for? We recommend that your passport always be valid for at least 6 months after your return to your home country.
When do airlines bring out seat sales? There are no set times of the year for the South Pacific-most of the time they look at their number of passengers on the aircraft plus if there are conferences or events on and generally what else is happening in the country they are flying to at that time. So even if there was a seat sale at that time last year it does not mean it will be the same the year after.
Is booking last minute the best? No! The South Pacific is not like Mexico and Cuba there are no last minute deals. You are best booking as early as possible or you may find yourself paying an even higher airfare.
But what if a seat sale comes out? Seat Sales are not what people seem to believe they are… the airline only allocates so many aircraft at that special fare on each flight. So you may sit and wait for the seat sale and then compete with 10 others to get that airfare. Meanwhile since you waited the cheaper normal fares have gone and it costs you even more.
What are the choices for airlines to fly to the South Pacific? There are several airlines from Air New Zealand, Air Canada and Qantas. Plus if you wish to go via Asia there are a swack more as well. We work with you to see which airline may work best for where and when you wish to go. Just because one may be cheaper you may find yourselves with 2 extra flights and going the opposite direction that you should be.
Is Business Class worth the extra money? Ask that question to anyone who has flown in Business Class and then had to go back to Economy Class… the answer is an absolute yes! That being said if you are tight on budget then go normal economy class and save your money or the middle ground is Premium Economy.
I have heard there is a middle class between Business and Economy Class? That is right… on some airlines, there is a class called Premium Economy. This is a good option for those who need a tad extra legroom. Not all airlines have this and not all of your flights to the South Pacific with the airline may offer Premium Economy.. but if you book it for the longest flight then that is a bonus.
How do I get a free upgrade? These really are reserved for the top frequent flyers these days on airlines. You can ask upon check-in but honestly there is a very high chance you will get a no. Airlines every day hear every story in the book about how it is someone’s honeymoon, or their pet died or why their left limb will fall off if they do not get an aisle seat. Your best option is to dress very well like you look like you belong in Business Class and then politely ask.
When is the best time to visit Australia? This one is a tough one as it depends on where and what you would like to do. When we have our first conversation on designing your itinerary we will work through all of this.
When is the best time to visit New Zealand? We like Oct/Nov and Feb-April. But once again it depends on what you wish to do and of course, if you plan to do a combination with Australia then we need to be mindful of picking the month that works the best for both of them together.
I have allergy issues and other health issues which may impact what I can do on my holiday can you assist me? We sure can- we work with many different suppliers and we pick and choose which ones will work the best for our client's health and budget. Make sure you let us know ahead of time.
There are a lot of creepy crawly creatures in Australia right? Yep that is true… but having been born and raised in Australia I am still alive to write this article so I can assure you it is not as bad as people make out.
I hate big groups of people. Can you help us? We sure can- we actually prefer to work with smaller group touring where you have a real experience.
What if something goes wrong on our trip? We are here to assist you. For any designed itinerary we create you will also have 24 hours 7-day week support by our emergency offices in both Australia and New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands. Do not worry we are watching out for you.
I am a single traveler and want to feel safe but also not pay double the price... For single travelers we suggest that we book you on a big group tour that is fully guided. We can request that you share a room with another single traveler of the same gender and you just pay the normal price. If there is not another single person of the same gender on your tour then you will get the whole room to yourself on tour for the same price as a twin. Of course you can always just opt to pay the single supplement from the start as well.
We would like to self-drive can you organize this for us? New Zealand is the prime location to self-drive and it is actually better this way as you get into areas where there is not much of a choice for any other transport. We design you a full self-drive and you collect your car and off you go. Your accommodation is booked and any day touring is booked as well- this is best since New Zealand is small and you could arrive and have nowhere to stay! We also let you know the distances between places and we are mindful of not having you drive a thousand km’s/miles in a day. You have plenty of free time to go off the beaten track as well.
How about self-driving in Australia? This is OK in some areas- but in the big cities no way! Parking is a nightmare and so is the traffic. Australia has reasonably priced domestic flights so sometimes just flying between cities is your best option by far. We will direct you on the best options when designing your vacation.
How about good old Covid? All of the suppliers we work with are doing their best to keep our clients and their guests safe it is a virus, so we request that you be mindful of protecting yourself and others and keeping your hygiene standards up.