Is this the cheapest way to Christchurch?

[debnjohn]

Hello all,
I want to go on a job-search trip to NZ mid-April. Ideally I'd like to fly into Christchurch, get one way car hire and visit a few places on my way north, finally flying out of Auckland.
However, I can't seem to do this on the online flight search engines.

Cheapest I've found is either £580 return Lon-AKL (24 hour flight - no stopovers!) or £605 return Lon-CHC.
So, I thought perhaps I could get an internal flight from Auckland to Christchurch when I first arrive. Air New Zealand (UK site) quotes £63 (one way) yet Air New Zealand (NZ site) is only $79 ??? Does anyone know if it is OK for me to use the Air New Zealand NZ site whilst I'm in the UK?
Finally, is one-way car hire gonna be cheap? Anyone know what the Picton-Wellington ferry price is for a car?
Cheers,
John.

[veronica]

we used the online air nz service, we put down our daughters phone no and address for the info. do you have anyone here you could use the address of!!

[debnjohn]

we used the online air nz service, we put down our daughters phone no and address for the info. do you have anyone here you could use the address of!!

No, we don't.
I take it you have to have a NZ address then? I thought there might be a catch!
John

[markkellaway]

John,

You probably know this already but there is a quick stoppover for that flight at LAX (Los Angeles). It's the same plane and you just get off, go through immigration into a transit lounge, then get back on after an hour or 2.

We did London to Auckland, then a small flight to Christchurch last year, you'll get that as an option if you ok on the AirNZ site without having to buy the Auckland to Christchurch leg yourself.

Mark. :P

[debnjohn]

John,

You probably know this already but there is a quick stoppover for that flight at LAX (Los Angeles). It's the same plane and you just get off, go through immigration into a transit lounge, then get back on after an hour or 2.

We did London to Auckland, then a small flight to Christchurch last year, you'll get that as an option if you ok on the AirNZ site without having to buy the Auckland to Christchurch leg yourself.

Mark. :P

Mark,
no, I didn't know that, thanks.
Still don't understand though ops: If I buy London-Auckland, I can add Christchurch cheaply? Is this booking through the Air NewZealand UK site? (I don't think tey were so cheap when booked direct - but I'll check again.)
Regarding the stopover, I was told in Lunn Poly that it was a direct flight with no stopover. It doesn't list LA on the itinery?
John.

[Tanya]

Just a thought - most school holidays are from 15th April until end april - may be that the internal flights get quite busy then.

Tanya

[Tanya]

Regarding the stopover, I was told in Lunn Poly that it was a direct flight with no stopover. It doesn't list LA on the itinery?
John.

If you are looking at Air NZ then yes, you will have a fuelling stop for about an hour and a half. Like someone said, its the same plane you get onto, same seat, but you definitely have to stop.

Tanya

[debnjohn]

Regarding the stopover, I was told in Lunn Poly that it was a direct flight with no stopover. It doesn't list LA on the itinery?
John.

If you are looking at Air NZ then yes, you will have a fuelling stop for about an hour and a half. Like someone said, its the same plane you get onto, same seat, but you definitely have to stop.

Tanya

Yes, I was wondering if they were going to fuel in mid air!!! I think the assistant in Lunn Poly was confused between 'direct' and 'non-stop'.
As for the school holidays, thanks for the tip but I am being forced to take leave in the UK at this time, so it seems an ideal opportunity for a job-search.
John

[markkellaway]

John,

Do a search on AirNZ for LHR -> CHC, the top flight returned will probably be the one that goes LHR -> LAX -> CHC but after that you'll see the one's that go LHR -> LAX -> AKL -> CHC.

Note that it is usually cheaper to to the trip via Auckland, not sure why, probably a supply and demand thing.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss further and I'll send you my phone number.

Mark. :P

[adamsat]

On the car hire question, most of the car hire companies will allow you to hire a car from Auckland, drive to Wellington, leave the car, get the ferry as a foot passenger, and then pick up another car at Picton.

We did something quite similar to you a couple of years ago on holiday. We flew into Auckland on ANZ, spent a few days in Northland, went back to Auckland and flew down to Queenstown then drove back up the South Island to Picton, dropped the car off, took the ferry to Wellington, picked another car up at Wellinton and made our way up to Auckland again to catch the flight home. The car hire compny (Apex) counted all the hire as one, even the first few days in Northland so the price per day dropped quite significantly.

I booked the internal flight in NZ from the UK on the NZ website with no problems, also the ferry as well.