Just a heads-up about a new Jetstar ‘sale’, although it’s a bit of damp squib compared to recent deals (perhaps we’ve been a bit spoilt…). I couldn’t see too startling so I didn’t bother copying the whole schebang. Let me know if you think otherwise.
Routes:
Sale runs until Wednesday 21 May 2008 for travel 24 May – 24 Jun 08.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged airfares, bangkok, brisbane, cairns, christchurch, Deals, gold coast, holiday, japan, jestar, melbourne, new zealand, sale, singapore, sydney, thailand, travel, vacation, vietnam
A great guide to washing clothes quickly with only a sink.
For everyone determined to make the most of their holiday time Bootsnall has five destinations where the summer sun just don’t set (literally).
Bravenewtraveler has some suggestions for avoiding getting lost in a new city.
Wired’s How To Wiki has an excellent guide to buying a digital camera.
Matador has some tips for visiting indigenous peoples.
Intelligent Travel has some tips for finding the authentic Flushing in Queens, New York. The Guardian has some tips for free things to do in New York.
SFGate has a guide to LCC’s in Mexico.
Eurocheapo has some cheap places to see Michelangelo’s work in Florence, including the sadly overlooked Bargello. In Krakow they suggest five free things to do and for good measure they have five great places for a picnic in Paris.
Coach travel in Europe can be a more economical alternatives to the fabled Eurorail pass. itravelnet rounds up the low coast bus services in Europe and surveys European bus passes.
The Guardian has a guide to the Isle of Man. Ask a Local on High Culture on a Low Budget features Mike from London.
Nick Trend in The Telegraph claims to list Venice’s top ten budget (well less than £130 a night) hotels.
With the Champions League final around the corner The Guardian has some suggestions for Moscow.
Rick Steves has a very entertaining audio discussions about Rome and Istanbul.
9000 Hours in Saigon has a guide to Vietnamese titles
Frommers has an audio guide to South Korea with Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, author of Frommer’s South Korea.
MSNBC has some tips for first time visitors to India.
Thailand is pretty cheap to begin with, but Budgettravelguide has some tips for making it even cheaper.
Travel Blogging – is that thing still around? has some tips for dealing with Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Stuff.co.nz has some tips for seeing Singapore with children.
Frommers.com Podcast discusses Namibia.
[Sunset in Iceland by Deivis, Coach image by orisfrancesco.com, NAIA image via alexyra]
Posted in how-to
Tagged africa, airlines, america, asia, budget, budget airlines, bus, cameras, coahc, digital camera, england, europe, families, florence, flushing, formmers, france, holiday, india, indigenous peoples, inidgenous, isle of man, istanbul, italy, krakow, london, lost, manila, Mexico, michelanglo, midnight sun, moscow, namibia, new york, paris, phillipines, photography, Poland, queens, rick steve, rome, russia, singapore, south korea, thailand, travel, turkey, uk, united kingdom, united states, vacation, venice, vietamese, vietnam
Jetstar’s Birthday sale has been extended with a new batch of fares released (reproduced below) for May 20 – June 24.
On sale until midnight (23:59 AEST) Sunday 11 May 2008, unless sold out prior. Sale may be extended. For travel on selected days and flights only. Limited availability on school holidays and public holiday weekends.
| Routes | Travel period 20 May – 24 Jun 08 |
JetSaver Light Fares from $AUD |
JetSaver Fares from $AUD |
Brisbane  Osaka |
 |
 |
$344 |
| Cairns Nagoya |
|
|
$244 |
| Cairns Osaka |
|
|
$244 |
| Melbourne Bangkok |
|
$344 | $364 |
| Melbourne Christchurch |
|
$144 | $164 |
| Sydney Christchurch |
|
$144 | $164 |
| Sydney Ho Chi Minh City |
|
$344 | $364 |
| Sydney Kuala Lumpur |
|
$344 | $364 |
| Sydney Osaka |
|
|
$344 |
| Sydney Phuket |
|
$344 | $364 |
Posted in Deals
Tagged australia, brisbane, cairns, christchurch, ho chi minh city, japan, jetstar, kl, kuala lumpur, melbourne, nagoya, new south wales, osaka, phuket, queensland, sydney, thailand, travel, vacation, victoria, vietnam
Jetstar have launched a take a friend sale!
In our exciting 4th Birthday Sale you can book 2 JetSaver Light^ fares, with carry on baggage only, and total price will be one JetSaver Light fare plus just $4!
On flights to Japan and Honolulu, the total price for 2 is just one JetSaver fare, which includes checked baggage, plus just $4.
Or if you and your friend want to travel to another destination with checked baggage allowance, book a JetSaver fare for just $10 more per person for domestic or $20 more per person for international flights. It’s your choice!
The fares shown below are the price per passenger. These fares will be booked as 2 equal fares, and must be booked in pairs. When you search, sale fares will be identified by our special birthday sale fare banner!
On sale now until midnight (23.59 AEST) Monday 5 May 2008, unless sold out prior. For travel on selected days and flights only. Limited availability on Fridays and Sundays.
| International Routes | Travel period | JetSaver fares in $AUD |
JetSaver Light fares in $AUD |
|
| 23 Jul – 17 Sep 08 | 15 Oct – 10 Dec 08 | |||
| Brisbane Christchurch |
|
|
$126.50 | $106.50 |
| Brisbane Osaka |
|
|
$246.50 | |
| Cairns Nagoya |
|
|
$216.50 | |
| Cairns Osaka |
|
|
$216.50 | |
| Gold Coast Christchurch |
|
|
$126.50 | $106.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Bangkok |
|
|
$246.50 | $226.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Christchurch |
|
|
$126.50 | $106.50 |
| Sydney Christchurch |
|
|
$126.50 | $106.50 |
| Sydney Ho Chi Minh City |
|
|
$246.50 | $226.50 |
| Sydney Honolulu |
|
|
$281.50 | |
| Sydney Kuala Lumpur |
|
|
$221.50 | $201.50 |
| Sydney Osaka |
|
|
$246.50 | |
| Australian Domestic Routes | Travel period | JetSaver fares in $AUD |
JetSaver Light fares in $AUD |
|
| 23 Jul – 17 Sep 08 | 15 Oct – 10 Dec 08 | |||
Adelaide  Cairns |
|
|
$96.50 | $86.50 |
| Adelaide Darwin |
|
|
$91.50 | $81.50 |
| Adelaide Gold Coast |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
| Adelaide Sunshine Coast |
|
|
$66.50 | $56.50 |
| Brisbane Adelaide |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
| Brisbane Cairns |
|
|
$71.50 | $61.50 |
| Brisbane Darwin |
|
|
$91.50 | $81.50 |
| Brisbane Hamilton Island |
|
|
$56.50 | $46.50 |
| Brisbane Launceston |
|
|
$76.50 | $66.50 |
| Brisbane Mackay |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Brisbane Newcastle |
|
|
$36.50 | $26.50 |
| Brisbane Rockhampton |
|
|
$41.50 | $31.50 |
| Brisbane Townsville |
|
|
$64.00 | $54.00 |
| Brisbane Whitsunday Coast |
|
|
$51.50 | $41.50 |
| Cairns Darwin |
|
|
$91.50 | $81.50 |
| Gold Coast Newcastle |
|
|
$41.50 | $31.50 |
| Melbourne (Avalon) Adelaide |
|
|
$36.50 | $26.50 |
| Melbourne (Avalon) Brisbane |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
| Melbourne (Avalon) Perth |
|
|
$101.50 | $91.50 |
| Melbourne (Avalon) Sydney |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Ballina Byron Bay |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Cairns |
|
|
$91.50 | $81.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Darwin (only available on flights JQ677/JQ678 ) |
|
|
$71.50 | $61.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Gold Coast |
|
|
$56.50 | $46.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Hamilton Island |
|
|
$91.50 | $81.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Hobart |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Launceston |
|
|
$36.50 | $26.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Newcastle |
|
|
$36.50 | $26.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Sunshine Coast |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
| Melbourne (Tullamarine) Townsville |
|
|
$106.50 | $96.50 |
| Sydney Adelaide |
|
|
$66.50 | $56.50 |
| Sydney Ballina Byron Bay |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Sydney Brisbane (not available on flight JQ18 ) |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Sydney Cairns |
|
|
$76.50 | $66.50 |
| Sydney Fraser Coast |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Sydney Gold Coast |
|
|
$46.50 | $36.50 |
| Sydney Hamilton Island |
|
|
$86.50 | $76.50 |
| Sydney Launceston |
|
|
$51.50 | $41.50 |
| Sydney Hobart |
|
|
$56.50 | $46.50 |
| Sydney Sunshine Coast |
|
|
$51.50 | $41.50 |
| Sydney Townsville |
|
|
$71.50 | $61.50 |
| Sydney Whitsunday Coast |
|
|
$61.50 | $51.50 |
Why-o-why am I always out when airlines launch their best sales? If your actually manage to get onto the site AND complete the booking process let us know.
Posted in Deals
Tagged adelaide, airfares, australia, brisbane, cairns, darwin, gold coast, hawaii, japan, jetstar, malaysia, melbourne, new south wales, new zealand, perth, queensland, south australia, sunshine coast, sydney, tasmania, thailand, townsville, travel, vacation, victoria, vietnam, western australia
Tony Robinson – Baldrick in Blackadder, host of Time Team, History’s Worst Jobs amongst many other great TV gigs – is a man in whom I live in awe. A train-nut, he shared his 10 favorite rail journeys in Britain with the Telegraph. A welcome reminder that Britain, despite it’s frequently disparaged rail services, has some of the most evocative (and most overlooked) rail journeys in the world. Is there anything this man cannot do?
‘Don’t hesitate, vaccinate’! Stress less about malaria and worry more about dehydration. Give those anti-malarials a run before you leave to roadtest side-effects. All this and more in MSNBC’s10 health pitfalls to avoid while travelling.
Forbes Traveller counts down its list of the world’s sexiest rooftop bars. Because alcohol and great heights really do mix.
Luxury trains – who needs em? The Man in Seat 61 explains how the journeys on five luxury trains can be replicated on regular services for a fraction of the price.
MSNBC’s 5 common ticket screw-ups travellers make’ could be summed up in one: ‘don’t be stupid’. Read these tips and be stupid in your own original ways.
Get all zen with Bravenewtraveler which reckons travelling solo can teach you ten things about yourself. One thing it can occaisionally teach is how much you miss home, but Vaggabonding has five tips for dealing with homesickness. When you do head home, whether out of choice or necessity, bravenewtraveler has some tips for reconnecting with friends when you get home.
Luxury biking tours? I remain unconvinced by MSNBC claims to have tracked down ten of the best.
Betta getta Vespa – Rome by Vespa is one of the Guardian’s five best quirky city tours.
Free stuff always catches my eye and The Broke Vacationer has no less than 100 ways to get free stuff while travelling.
I spy with my little eye five games to pass the time while travelling at Vagabondish.
Reading Body in Motion’s 10 Things You Should Know Before Coming to Africa will guarantee you suffer no culture shock when arriving at Lagos airport. Okay, it may help. A little bit.
Discover your inner Mickey – Fodor’s has 15 Tips for enjoying Disney at any age and Smartertravel will help you get around Disney World. The Telegraph has some budget (well sub £140 a night) hotel advice, while you’re there here are some New York recommendations from National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel.
Canada means Hockey and World Hum has some interesting and useful cultural background for neophytes (like me) interested in checking out a game.
The Crancky Flier gives the run-down on Heathrow’s new T5: would you be surprised if phrases such as ‘poor customer service’, ‘Someone tried to get way too clever’. ‘stupid’ and ‘Indifferent’ featured prominently? If not the conclusion ‘adequate but nothing more’ might even come as a pleasent surprise.
‘For a low-cost airline, AirBerlin’s service was very pleasant and efficient’ – Europestring.com enjoys a trip on German cheapie Air Berlin.
Even more free stuff to do in London from National Geographic and Europcheapo, while two contributors to The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget suggest Prague and Naples for Euro cheap eats and Belgrade for the best value nightlife in an interview with Budget Travel
Ian Walsh from the New York Times, recommends walking Rome by night. The article is accompanied with a map of a suggested route from Piazza Venezia to Lago Argentia with embedded audio commentry. HighCultureLowBudget’s regular ‘Ask A Local’ feature is off to Firenze this week with Florentine Katie who can make 10 euro go a long way.
The Guardian has posted an audio guide tracing the May 1968 Paris student protests, while the Flyaway Weblog suggests twenty ways to explore Paris like a local.
The Times has an extensive guide to Vilinus and The Chicago Tribune has some tips for Athens.
Let’s Go Phillipines lists some budget hotel options in Boracay.
Budget Travel will get you started if you’re planning a trip to China, and The Telegraph has a feature on Beijing; ‘it’s grim to look at and as grey as a Mao suit, its climate is generally awful, it’s built on the most inhuman scale imaginable…’. Arthur Frommer writes that Ctrip is the only place to purchase tickets to or in China.
Flaway has some brief recommendations for eating cheaply and well in Phuket and Khao Lak. Shopping in Bangkok? I didn’t know such a thing existed. Travelling Blogger set me right. Mike Smith meets mummified monk of Khao Samui.
VietnaminFocus tackles when to visit Vietnam. August to March comes a close second to anytime, while Vietnam Travel Focus suggests beating the heat in Hanoi at The Army Hotel where you can hang out at around a rather nice looking pool for USD$4 for the day.
Posted in Misc
Tagged accommodation, africa, airberlin, asia, athens, bangkok, bars, beijing, belgrade, biking, boracay, britain, canada, china, city tours, disney, disney world, europe, firenze, florence, free stuff, greece, hanoi, heathrow, hockey, homesickness, hotels, italy, khao lak, khao samui, lithuania, london, naples, new york, paris, phillipines, phuket, prague, rome, serbia, thailand, tony robinson, tours, train, travel, travel tips, travelling solo, vietnam, vilinus
Royal Brunei has some decent deals ex Sydney to many Asian destinations until 31st of May, its last day of service to Australa.
|
From |
To |
One-Way Fare Starting From |
Return Fare Starting From |
|
Sydney |
Brunei |
AUD 254 |
AUD 395 |
|
Kota Kinabalu |
AUD 276 |
AUD 452 |
|
|
Kuching |
AUD 276 |
AUD 462 |
|
|
Singapore |
AUD 350 |
AUD 550 |
|
|
Kuala Lumpur |
AUD 350 |
AUD 551 |
|
|
Bangkok |
AUD 362 |
AUD 569 |
|
|
Manila |
AUD 362 |
AUD 544 |
|
|
Jakarta |
AUD 362 |
AUD 544 |
|
|
Surabaya |
AUD 362 |
AUD 544 |
|
|
Denpasar |
AUD 362 |
AUD 544 |
|
|
Saigon |
AUD 395 |
AUD 637 |
Via OzBargain
Pacific Airlines, Vietnam’s second-largest carrier will be renamed Jetstar Pacific as part of a joint venture with the QANTAS subsidiary that will also lead to a fleet of 30 leased Airbus A320 aircraft being based in the country by 2014.
A woman has died in Brisbane this morning after falling from a stationary plane at Brisbane International Airport.
‘It feels as if someone has taken a huge sack of invaluable works of art and dumped them into the building, letting them fall as they may’. Can anybody match the Italians for their cheerful indifference to gorgeous ancient works of art? If in Rome check out ‘a treasure trove of breathtaking paintings, frescos, mosaics and sculptures from the heyday of Roman Empire — most borrowed from museums in Naples and Pompeii” currently being exhibited within spitting distance of Termini.
Jet Airways has delayed the planned launch of a Bombay – Shanghai – San Francisco service until June ‘to finalize the regulatory process’. Meanwhile AirAsia XXX is wearing a look of studied indifference to the collapse of Oasis – declaring it remains confident it will start flights to London – just not this year.
The chatter leaking out from under the Australian Government’s cone of silence insist that the “security incident” which delayed a plane in Melbourne for half an hour on Saturday night was a ‘misunderstanding‘ which is NOT bureaucrat speak for ‘stuff up’. But we’ve already said too much.
Does anything say ‘peaceful’, ‘tranquil’ and no longer the source of extreme tension between two quarrelling nuclear armed nations like golf courses? Kashmir can’t think of anything so it’s going with parks for ‘flog and chase’.
Know some basic phrases (‘hospital’, ‘pain’, ’emergency’) in the local language; know your insurance situation (Australian travellers should check whether a reciprocal agreement exists with the countries in which you will be travelling which may entitle you to subsidised medical treatment) and, finally, be patient.
Vagablogging and The Guardian provide reminders of the joys of spontaneous travel. Travelnotebook’s ‘How to Photograph Children During Your Travels‘ is much more interesting (and less creepy) than its title suggests.
Bravenewtraveler has some pretty good tips in 5 ways to protect your essential travel documents; a good follow-up to ‘5 Tips Every Traveler Should Know About Internet Security‘.
The LA Times chips in with 14 ways to save money on your travels, although unfortunately none are earth-shattering.
Worldhum rounds up some resources about travelling with children, while Frommers has some suggestions for keeping your family safe while travelling.
Two questions every traveller has asked – how the hell do I cross this road and is it possible not to look like a tourist?
10 Nastiest Travel Diseases because malaria isn’t the ONLY disease you need to be wary of when travelling (via Vagabondish).
How to cope with flying if you hate flying or overcome a fear of it.
Making the most of your stopover – how to get the most out of less than twenty-four hours in a major city.
Recovering airport lost property – MSNBC’s guide.
‘There are some things in life you should never see, and seeing your bags being unloaded by baggage handlers is one of them’ – James Clark’s reviews his flight from Singapore to Melbourne on Tiger and his experiences in Melbourne’s Tiger Airways terminal.
The Independent rounds up the 50 best free activities in London, some great (and less-familiar) suggestions to make the most of your time in an expensive city.
Viator presents a through review of transport options from all of the airports servicing London, including (of course) Heathrow.
Budget-conscious tourists heading to Germany should check out Culture on the Cheap’s latest ‘Ask a local’ which has tips provided by ‘Mike from Munich‘, including free thrills and ‘What do you do with €5.00 for dinner? ‘.
The Telegraph tracks down finds 10 places to stay for less than £120 a night in Rome, while its competitor The Times provides selection of treks in Europe.
The Age gives some common sense advice on plane vs train travel in Europe.
Concierge.com has a feature on budget Europe.
has a guide to Barcelona or consider one of Madrid’s less well-known galleries –Museo Sorolla.
RentaTent – camp your way through in Europe.
Budgetglobetrotting asks are Thailand’s islands are still the best in the region? The New York Times provides some tips on activities in Chiang Mai.
Hints for cheap lunches in Vietnam – even if the photos don’t look the most attractive.
A great list of ‘Do’s and Don’ts in Cambodia‘ by a Fillipina living in Cambodia – ‘DON’T expect nice clean public toilets to be readily available anywhere’.
The LA Times has some local knowledge on transport options to and from LAX and Long Beach airports.
Intelligent Travel suggests some ‘distinctive’ American destinations or just do Vegas on the cheap with Viator.
Posted in how-to
Tagged america, asia, barcelona, budget, cambodia, camping, chiang mai, children, europe, flying, free, gatwick, heathrow, internet security, lax, london, los angeles, los vegas, luton, madrid, medical, melbourne, money, munich, museo sorolla, photography, rome, safety, singapore, stanstead, thailand, tiger airways, train, travel, treks, united states, vegas, vietnam, walking
Baggage handlers claim QANTAS’ 32kg baggage limit is breaking their backs and that the maximum limit should be 16-20kgs. QANTAS, for its part, feels the baggage handlers are breaking its balls.
‘Since privatisation, Australian airports have increased operational revenue by 42 per cent while reducing operating costs, and made capital investments amounting to $2.3 billion’. Sydney Airport in particular is doing quite nicely off budget travellers, thank you very much.
The Federal Government has launched a review about, well, everything, to do with aviation in Australia.
Oasis Airlines, the ambitious long-haul budget carrier connecting Hong Kong with London and Vancouver, suddenly ceased operations this week when its owners decided that losing $128,000 USD per flight had lost its allure. The immediate liquidation left many passengers stranded and, because the airline was not an IATA member, it could effectively tell passengers to find their own way home.
Indonesia has withdrawn flight permits for grounded budget airline Adam Air, but the airline may re-apply for the routes at the end of the three-month ban imposed in March if it was found to have improved safety standards.
The Age has a rather optimistic article claiming that VAustralia entering the trans-Pacific market will lead to a ‘shake-up’ of fares on routes to LAX which reads not-at-all like a Virgin press release.
Frontier Airlines in the US has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The International Herald Tribune surveys the industries woes in the U.S.. One reaction from airlines – off-shore maintenance.
The perfect time for the lazy traveller to see Machu Picchu – the four day Inca Trail is trek booked out until the end of August.
Australian regional Mac Airlines has been purchased and the new owner plans to rebadge the airline ‘Ansett’, presumably having discounted PanAm, TWA and Compass.
The EU, in what is obviously some sort of mistake, has done something that may benefit consumers – oredering that passengers should actually be able to find out which items are prohibited in carry-on luggage.
Boeing’s Dreamliner will remain just that for the foreseeable future. The gnashing of teeth has begun and the lawyers are circling.
NYT examines inflation in South East Asia.
6 people were injured when currency exchange workers were robbed of $1m at gunpoint at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Virgin Blue signed an interline agreement with Vietnam Airlines.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad expects to establish its third route to Australia within two years.
Laos highway number 3 will be paved, a move which could when completed ‘cut driving time between northern Thailand and southern China to less than a day’.
Wired asks if planes of the future will fly on pond scum.
The Age examines the dramatically shrinking numbers of European flag carriers flying to Australia in the last few years.
UPDATE
A rail connection to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will reportedly be operational from December.
Posted in news
Tagged adam air, airports, ansett, australia, baggage, boeing, brisbane, dreamliner, etihad, frontier airlines, iata, inca trail, indonesia, klia, kuala lumpur, laos, lax, london, los angeles, mac airlines, machu picchu, news, oasis, qantas, sydney, travel, vaustralia, vietnam, vietnam airlines, virgin
Oz Traveller 