Forum USA Trip 2018

[tgsnoopy]

Air nz have a lolly scramble sale at 9. Should be worth looking at at 9am.

Doh, missed the advert for this and have seen it late.

[jamie]

There were no flights to North America that I saw. Thought Perth and Japan return for 600 were the best deals.

[03Stormchaser]

Struggling to find flights comparable prices to my last two trips, still a long way out though

[tgsnoopy]

Struggling to find flights comparable prices to my last two trips, still a long way out though

Air NZ's latest special on Auckland to Houston flights was NZ$1209 return, just finished on 2nd Oct. Many of us are still sitting on the fence waiting. I expect further good specials in Nov & Early January.

[tgsnoopy]

Apparently American Airlines have made their AKL-LAX flights seasonal, they will not be running in the time period we will be wanting to go. This means I may not see as good specials this year.

[NZstorm]

Qantas will put out their usual deal at some stage, Dallas via Sydney. I have done it twice and its OK despite the extra travel.

[tgsnoopy]

Qantas will put out their usual deal at some stage, Dallas via Sydney. I have done it twice and its OK despite the extra travel.

You are planning a DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) start/finish if I recall correctly?

Despite my prior claims where I returned with a bad head cold & suffered (badly), when I looked at it objectively, Flying AKL-SYD-DFW is not much more than flying AKL-LAX-DFW on a direct flight from AKL.

[jamie]

I will aim to fly Auckland to Houston with air nz. May drive to Dallas if I can’t get a flight cheap. But at the end of the day I’ll go the cheapest.

[tgsnoopy]

I was looking at flight departure and arrival times. It appears to me that QANTAS direct A380 flight from SYD (Sydney) to DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) is simply the best option. The other options will cost dearly in ability to have a go at a chase on the first or final day. The time travelling is similar to most other options (except Air NZ to Houston), but the 1pm arrive and 10pm depart with QANTAS really sets them apart. Be interested in others opinions on this.

[Rogue]

I found flying Wellington to DFW via Sydney was far better than the WEL -> AKL -> LAX -> DEN I have done previously. I will almost certainly do this again (thanks to Will for the tip). All up was $1138.

[NZstorm]

Yes, the Sydney Dallas flight is not a bad way to go. I like the aircraft qantas operates on that leg, the big Airbus.

I gave the AirNZ Houston option a go this year and found the arrival time of early afternoon good as it gives you time to relocate to Dallas on arrival day. And the return flight is a late evening departure as well.

[tgsnoopy]

I had kept all my spending figures for the last two trips, 2015 & 2016 untill a hard drive became corrupted. I was spending $149 a day plus flights, this based on 17 day trip

Was this NZ$ or US$?

[tgsnoopy]

I gave the AirNZ Houston option a go this year and found the arrival time of early afternoon good as it gives you time to relocate to Dallas on arrival day. And the return flight is a late evening departure as well.

Has SPWill also booked this? Arrive 15th May, Depart 26th May still?

Please, others whom have booked flights, let us know so we don't all turn up at different times/locations. If we are going to do this as a group we will need some kind of co-ordination.

[03Stormchaser]

I had kept all my spending figures for the last two trips, 2015 & 2016 untill a hard drive became corrupted. I was spending $149 a day plus flights, this based on 17 day trip

Was this NZ$ or US$?

NZD not including food etc, just pure chasing costs

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[NZstorm]

I gave the AirNZ Houston option a go this year and found the arrival time of early afternoon good as it gives you time to relocate to Dallas on arrival day. And the return flight is a late evening departure as well.

Has SPWill also booked this? Arrive 15th May, Depart 26th May still?

Please, others whom have booked flights, let us know so we don't all turn up at different times/locations. If we are going to do this as a group we will need some kind of co-ordination.

I did that Houston trip in May 2017. Not booked for 2018 yet.

[spwill]

I gave the AirNZ Houston option a go this year and found the arrival time of early afternoon good as it gives you time to relocate to Dallas on arrival day. And the return flight is a late evening departure as well.

Has SPWill also booked this? Arrive 15th May, Depart 26th May still?

Please, others whom have booked flights, let us know so we don't all turn up at different times/locations. If we are going to do this as a group we will need some kind of co-ordination.

Agree. I suggested those dates to keep everyone together, Arrive 15th May, Depart 26th May through Dallas. I think most years Dallas has proven to be the best location to start chasing from.
My situation has changed a little as I have to go back to Europe next year( already booked) so storm chasing USA will be tight for me. Still very much planning to go over but will make the full commitment in January and will purchase tickets early in the year. I think January is a good month for cheaper US flights.

[tgsnoopy]

QANTAS is now running a sale including AKL-DFW, but it's not as good as I'd hoped at NZ$1483 return.

[03Stormchaser]

$1327 return form chc, to early for me to book at this stage. But will see these prices advertised again I'm sure.

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[tgsnoopy]

Air NZ Grabaseat today.

Houston 6Nov17.jpg

Still not as good as I'd like for the period we are interested in, suggesting it will get better for us a bit later as we get closer. Also I would like others to chime in on the via Sydney and arriving at Dallas Fort Worth/Flight arrial and departure times, I see it as having real merit for us to travel that way.

[tgsnoopy]

QANTAS sent out an e-mail yesterday morning that I just pulled from my Spam, their deal ends midnight tonight, NZ$1333 return from AKL to DFW via SYD on trhe QANTAS site... Cheaper by a dollar on House of Travels Mix n Match site...

DFW7Nov17.jpg

Houston:

HOU7Nov17.jpg

[jamie]

It does seem that via Sydney gives better arrival time of 1pm vs via Houston your probably looking at something like 4 or 5pm arrival to Dallas.

[tgsnoopy]

It does seem that via Sydney gives better arrival time of 1pm vs via Houston your probably looking at something like 4 or 5pm arrival to Dallas.

Yes, Dallas Fort Worth is more central in the chasing area of interest as far as I'm concerned, so less likely travelling time to stuff that may be of interest. With an earlier arrival time & later departure time I think the potential for an arrival day & departure day chase is vastly improved over using Houston. Like I earlier said, it may have close to 17 hours on the A380 on the DFW/SYD legs, but overall travelling time it compares well to the other options.

[jamie]

I suspect ill end up going on the Auck - Syd - Dallas flight with Quantas. Id rather use AirNZ as I have a stack of air dollars I could use. But for the point of using them to then only need an extra night in a hotel doesn't make sense to me. The Quantas flight times (arrival and departure) are certainly better and as you said Neil it allows potential for a chase day on arrival or getting a decent amount of driving in before nightfall. On the way back it means you can be a long way away the day before and spend the departure day driving to Dallas.

[jamie]

Saw a picture of the snow pack today vs this day last year. This year it is already further south than mid winter last year.

Will this make a slow start to the season? Or too early to call?

What about La Niña? What can we expect from that

[NZstorm]

I think a moist snowy winter is not a bad thing for spring tornado prospects as it means there is no drought. You don't want to go to tornado alley when there is lingering drought as it promotes high based storms.

The ENSO update only indicates out to April so not sure whether La Nina will still be there May. But a La Nina in May would favour tornadoes. I think that is a widely accepted theory.