Anyone changed their travel plans because of global slowdown?

[SQtraveller]

post deleted

[Derek]

Sadly I have also..

The plan was to go to Tokyo and Hong Kong in Dec/Jan.

Cancelled them both. Thanks to the AUD!

[KeithMEL]

I've had to cancel the South American portion of my end of year trip, so I'm only going away for 13 days in Dec instead of 3 weeks. Amongst many reasons, the AUD's gone south and that'd mean if I'd gone ahead with the trip as originally planned, it'd lead to a huge budget blowout. I'd also switched to booking one of the more expensive hotels as an award rather than earning more Starpoints so that mitigated the cost a little.

Plus this way I'd get a holiday from a holiday before going to Europe with my folks early next year.

I did make a small profit from some of the bmi cash and miles award tickets I cancelled, which happens to be denominated in GBP. I booked the tickets when the GBP/AUD was 1/2.1, and when I cancelled I got refunded at 1/2.5.

Thank goodness my plans do not involve Japan anytime soon...

[Derek]

I actually had a nice stash of yen from last year (when it was 1:100) that I was prepared to use on my trip.

I sold half of it this morning for almost as much as I paid for the lot last year. Not all bad I guess

Not looking forward to SFO in Jan though (work trip), by then all that I can probably really afford to do is eat Dennys and watch TV in the hotel.. When in Rome I guess..

[Kiwi]

Not yet, but next year is looking fugly.

[Lobster]

Well I can't honestly say that I have changed my travel plans yet as I don't have any. However it is clear that my work trips will be much reduced next year. Although for my holidays I still hope to travel as much I think unless I can use miles/points it will all be cheapest possible airfare and hotels. I would rather do several trips on the cheap than one fancy one.

[MAN Flyer]

I haven't yet, but there will definitely be some changes.

This is driven by exchange rate changes more than anything at the moment. A number of my tickets (expecially RTW tickets) are purchased in USD, and as the Pound has plumetted against it recently, it's made these much more expensive.

It looks like Korea and South Africa may see me a little more, although as I need to go to both places for work anyway that's not too much of a problem.

[SQOZflyer]

AUD causing me trouble too... made a larger investment in AUD in spring (was originally in CHF)... Result: 60k US$ gone for now... Guess I'll have to cancel quite a few trips next year as a result... this year I'll still go ahead with private travel (W'end in SIN, New Year HKG/MFM) as planned...

[leo]

Next year looks pretty gloomy in terms of the air miles and hotel nights, but it's a welcome respite (business-wise).

Leisure wise, it's still the one long haul and one short haul per year, perhaps downgrading to the Sheratons / Four Points' from the St. Regis' / Westins / Le Meridiens..

[soak01]

Thanks to the US financial crisis and the resulting fall in the AUD my trip to the US/Canada in Dec'09 will probably have to change. Three of us were planning on flying SQ (ADL/SIN/LAX//YVR/SIN/ADL) with a s/o in SIN on the way back but I'm now faced with:

• Increased SQ surcharges (being in USD)
  Bad AUD/USD exchange rate (i.e. hotels and tips start to get very expensive)
  Bad AUD/CDN exchange rate
  Even worse AUD/SGD exchange rate (SIN hotels were expensive in the first place)

If I fly QF (and hopefully get there and back) at least the taxes are in AUD but then miss out on the s/o and have to negotiate MEL or SYD.

Maybe VA might be possible if they actually get off the ground, but no s/o options.

Other option maybe NZ (ADL/AKL/LAX//YVR/AKL/ADL), and forget the s/o and maybe spend more time in Canada.

If I use QF and look at a s/o in HNL I end up with JQ between HNL/SYD or an overnight in SYD on QF. Of course with both QF or NZ as soon as you add in a s/o in HNL the fare increases markedly.

Funny how it was the US markets which caused this and its non-US currencies getting hit .

Has anyone got any other suggestions for a s/o between Aust and Canada on a reputable airline in Y.

[Kyo]

Would you consider a Circle Pacific fare?

[singaporu_kooku]

IMHO, Circle Pacific Fares ex Australia is ridiculously overpriced. From Best Flights, the price is around AUD3639 for 22000 miles and AUD4359 for 26000 miles. Price not including taxes and surcharges. Unless you are really desperate to make a visit to Asia, the circle pacific fares is a bit too steep.

During low season, you can get to US with SQ for about AUD2800 incl taxes. That is a cheaper option and you get more miles too. I believe NZ is around 2000 or less during low season.

[KeithMEL]

soak01 you might want to consider a RTW fare. Go one way across the pacific, go onto Asia via Europe and finally back to ADL. A lot of things can happen between now and Dec'09, but this could provide a good rough guide:
http://www.bestflights.com.au/cgi-bi...ights?mainlist

NB: I'd use bestflights' website for research but wouldn't actually book with them as I've heard lots of horror stories about them that would make Fright Centre seem benign.

[yvrcnx]

I have just started to change my travel patterns.
I still need to fly the same amount of times from YVR to S.E. Asia, about 4 times a year but will for the time being not be flying SQ Business Class.
Instead I booked Elite Class on EVA Air for my upcoming flight to Manila, however got a confirmed upgrade to Business Class for the Longhaul flight using miles I have been acumulating with them.

I even would have considered SQ Economy Class to Manila but their fare was higher in Economy then EVA Air's Elite Class, which is much more comfortable.

Since I pay for all my business travel out of my own pocket it looks like that I will mostly fly this way next year unless things ease up a little.
By doing so I will save 1000's of dollars which even if there wasn't a downturn in the worldwide economy would make sense.

[soak01]

Just did a bit of surfing for low season fares (yes these are low season 'Y' fares ) to compare SQ and NZ vs RTW and this is what I found in AUD:

SQ: ADL/SIN/LAX//LAX/SIN//SIN/ADL (with s/o in SIN) $3068 inc tax
SQ: ADL/SIN/LAX//YVR/SIN//SIN/ADL (with s/o in SIN) $3073 inc tax
SQ: ADL/SIN/LAX//LAX/SIN/ADL (no s/o in SIN) $3037 inc tax

vs

NZ: ADL/AKL/LAX//YVR/AKL/ADL (no s/o in AKL) $2871 inc tax
NZ: ADL/AKL/LAX//YVR/AKL//AKL/ADL (with s/o in AKL) $2910 inc tax
NZ: ADL/AKL/LAX//LAX/AKL/ADL (no s/o in AKL) $2700 inc tax

Other options available include:

NZ: ADL/AKL/LAX//YVR/HNL//HNL/AKL/ADL (s/o in HNL) $3162 inc tax
NZ: ADL/AKL/LAX//LAX/RAR//RAR/AKL/ADL (s/o in RAR) $3569 inc tax

vs

*A RTW Less than 26,000 mile $2729 + tax (if booked through SQ anyones guess!)

ADL/AKL/LAX on NZ (s/o LAX)
LAX/YYC on AC (s/o YYC)
YYC/FRA on AC or LH (transit FRA)
FRA/SIN on SQ25 (s/o SIN)
SIN/ADL ON SQ

Anyone know how I can get an estimate on taxes for RTW?

Mind boggling really and I want to go on holiday?????? The Queensland Sunshine coast is starting to look good.