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​Anybody able to offer any suggestions of airlines or agencies that offer migrant fares from the UK to Sydney?

Hi Has anyone had the experience of doing a name change with Singapore Airlines? I booked through an agent so they are looking into this for me but won't be able to contact Singapore Airlines until Monday. I have booked my son in my surname but he has got his father's surname on his passport....ooops! :eek: I just wondered if anybody knew what kind of costs I'm likely to incur? Many thanks :biggrin:

Singapore Airlines has launched its first budget long-haul airline ‘Scoot’ and will begin flights to Sydney from next June.** The airline will be in direct competition with Qantas and Jetstar and promises to offer flights “40% cheaper” than premium airlines. Flights to Sydney will commence next year, with the possibility of flying to Melbourne very much in their sights. Scoot chief executive Campbell Wilson said: “No longer does Sydney need to be something you plan six months in advance, travel once a year, or once every two years. With the type of airfares we offer, with the type of simplicity we offer, the name Scoot means basically get up and go, you can travel as you want and when you want.” He said the airline will be “unabashedly no-frills” and will fuel competitive pricing between other Australian airlines. Scoot’s presence in Sydney is also likely to boost tourism between the two cities. New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell welcomed the airline: “This service will link those two cities and provide greater competition and provide greater price points for tourists. This is expected to add some A$150 million to the state’s economy.”

Will suit 2 cats or small dog selling for $50 please PM if interested Thanks Sam

Airline Food Costs can cost you more than your flight ticket in some instances. A simple sandwich, beer and chips combo will set you back around $20 on Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger Airways, which probably doesn’t sound so bad until you hear the flight itself only cost you $15 Free airline food has long since gone the way of the dodo on low cost carriers and most budget travellers are happy to forfeit it for the sake of a great deal. To avoid astronomical airline food costs here are a few simple steps to help you ease your hunger pangs without breaking the bank: 1. Pack an empty water bottle in your luggage and fill it after you pass through security checks; 2. Steer clear of the sauv blanc - alcohol is always pricey up in the air and because it dehydrates you it’s not great while you’re flying anyway; 3. Buy some fruits before you leave, they’re a good way to combat dehydration. Just make sure you chuck them before passing through customs if you’re on an international flight; 4. Pre-prepare some sandwiches that won’t perish. Peanut butter seems to be the consensus - it doesn’t stink, fills you up and won’t wilt or go soggy; 5. It seems obvious but eat before you fly. It’s always a mad rush to the airport, but if you plan your time well and sit down for a solid meal before you leave you’ll be less inclined to cave in to expensive cravings mid-flight

What Qantas flight attendants hate about you Anthony Dennis From: news.com.au May 30, 2011 2:38PM Qantas flight attendants tell all What They Hate About Their Passengers Pet passengers peeves revealed Dirty loos, switching seats frowned on IT seems like one of the best jobs in the world. You get to travel the globe visiting some of the great cities, and, what's more, you get paid to do it. But the more I travel the more I realise that the occupation in question - flight attendant - is a difficult job. I wouldn’t swap being a passenger to become a flight attendant for thousands of frequent flyer points. Revealed: What flight attendants hate about you IF you've left the door open while peeing, if you listen to music while they try to talk to you or if you've tried to grab a seat in the crew rest area – then flight attendants hate you. Flight attendants from around the world have broken their silence to reveal the things that passengers do that really gets under their skin. While Kevin Rudd's alleged angry outburst at a flight attendant and Naomi Campbell's infamous cabin catfight have hit the headlines, it's these everyday annoyances that really get their goat. “One of the most annoying things passengers do is not closing the lavatory door,” celebrity flight attendant David Holmes from Southwest Airlines said. You double order your drinks. “Asking one flight attendant for a drink and before they get back with it, asking another flight attendant for the same drink, is bad news,” Bethany Burke, a flight attendant from Florida, US, said. So, the next time you’re studiously ignoring that pre-flight safety demo spare a thought for the cabin crew. They have a tough job, being part-waiter, part-safety-warden, part-diplomat. We’ve all suffered bad cabin crews on flights but on the whole they do a sterling job under difficult circumstances. Many are working longer hours for less remuneration as airlines seek to reduce the cabin crew/passenger ratio to lower costs. Here, then, based on interviews with Qantas flight attendants (who, for obvious reasons have asked not to be identified) rate as their pet passenger peeves that make their high-flying jobs just that little bit more challenging. You tap flight attendants on the shoulder to get their attention. “Passengers tap me to get my attention but then don’t give me eye contact when talking to me,” Mr Holmes said. “Passengers wouldn’t take off their headsets when I asked them if they wanted food or drink,” ex-hostie Susan, who worked for Qantas for over 20 years, said. “When I ask passengers if they’d like something to drink, three times out of five the response will be ‘Wha?’ And that's a ‘wha’ without the ‘T’,” Heather Poole, flight attendant for a major US carrier, said. “‘Something to drink?’ I'll ask again, and while I ask this question I find myself wondering why you haven't taken off the iPod or those giant Bose noise cancellation headsets covering your ears when you see me standing at your row.” You stuff your bag to breaking point and then ask for help to stow it away. “The worst is when people bring a heavy bag onboard, then tell me that they can't lift it overhead because of a bad back,” Mrs Burke said. “Lifting your bag into the overhead bin is not, nor has it ever been, part of my job description. Honestly, I don't know what bothers me more, the fact that a passenger will come on-board and expect me to lift their bag, or the fact that they actually get upset when I won't lift the bag,” Mrs Poole said. You complain about the overhead bin being full and make a fuss about having to put your bag in the rows behind. “Passengers who get annoyed about the overhead bins near their seats being full, and then say the word “ridiculous”, are so annoying,” Mrs Poole said. You order a special meal and then change your mind at the last minute. “I hate it when passengers order a vegetarian, kosher or fruit special meal and then want a regular meal instead," Mrs Burke said. You’re messy and inconsiderate. “There’d be so many people who’d just throw things on the floor right in the middle of the cabin, such as newspapers they’ve finished with or rubbish,” Susan said. “Surprisingly, it’s no different in first class, they’re just as messy as the other passengers.” You read up about getting free upgrades and pull all the tricks to try and get your way. “Another annoying thing is the tricks people used to play to get upgraded," Susan said. "You could see the pattern for a lot of people, but if they win it’s just rewarding them for bad behaviour.” You expect to be told the moment you change time zones. “Passengers often want to know exactly when they should change their watch when crossing time zones,” Mrs Burke said. You try and take over the crew rest area. “Trying to sit in our crew rest seats, which are sacred to us, is a very bad idea,” Mrs Burke warns. You enter the galley without permission and loiter. “Unless you've actually been invited into the galley (it does happen), you do not step onto the floor for any length of time," Mrs Poole said. You spill water on the toilet floor and leave without cleaning it up. “People would leave water on the floor after using the toilet, forgetting about all the other passengers who may slip and fall,” Susan said. You have unrealistic expectations of your air travel experience. “I saw a first-class passenger chuck a hissy fit as we didn’t have the right flavour of yogurt onboard. A bit unrealistic,” Susan said. So, the next time you’re studiously ignoring that pre-flight safety demo spare a thought for the cabin crew. They have a tough job, being part-waiter, part-safety-warden, part-diplomat. We’ve all suffered bad cabin crews on flights but on the whole they do a sterling job under difficult circumstances. Many are working longer hours for less remuneration as airlines seek to reduce the cabin crew/passenger ratio to lower costs. Here, then, based on interviews with Qantas flight attendants (who, for obvious reasons have asked not to be identified) rate as their pet passenger peeves that make their high-flying jobs just that little bit more challenging. Overshooting the runway Dirty aircraft toilets are a big turn-off for passengers but imagine what it’s like for the flight attendants who have to clean them. But, as one flight attendant says, there’s a limit to how much cleaning a crew can do since ultimately they are food-handlers, something at odds with keeping loos ship-shape. So, clean up after yourself, including the sink, and do point straight, otherwise the cabin crew may have to “lock and seal off” the toilet while awaiting the real cleaners at the destination. Switching seats Tsk, tsk, tsk... It’s something that most passengers (including me) tend not to know or just forget, but each aircraft, no matter the size, is carefully balanced in terms of weight. As one flight attendant says when passengers switch seats – from their allocated one - before take-off it can disturb this system, which the cabin crew are meant to police. Once you’ve switched seats, and not returned to your original position once airborne, it can also be difficult for the crew to locate you if you’ve ordered a special meal. The same goes for loos. Australia may well be a classless society but all that changes in the air. One passenger trait that makes the flight attendants job difficult is different classes of passengers using the toilets of their upper-class counterparts. The worst offenders, evidently, are premium economy passengers who assume they can use the business class loos. Wrong. They have to use the economy ones. As for first-class passengers, one flight attendant said they don’t complain much at all since they do, after all, have pretty much everything they need! Grogging on Unsurprisingly, one of the most difficult tasks that flight attendants face is dealing with drunken passengers. “Alcohol is a big problem,” says one flight attendant. “Some passengers think it will never run out. But it’s a big call to tell a passenger than they’re drunk.” Crew are trained not to accuse a passenger of being inebriated or on their way to be drunk, and tend to use more subtle entreaties. “We’re trained not to say ‘no’ to passengers,” says another crew member. Passengers can also develop “a victim mentality” when the crew run out of a meal choice. But it’s impossible to predict whether the beef or chicken dish will be more popular on one day than the next. Safety first As hard as I try I do find it difficult, like most passengers, to pay attention to the pre-flight safety demo. But, out of respect to the cabin crew, I don’t ignore it completely either. This does offend some flight attendants, so expect the evil eye if you’re caught thumbing the airline mag during the demo. No thanks One flight attendant told me a simple, sincere thank you from a passenger can go a very long way. I was on a hastily rescheduled Qantas flight from London to Singapore on the day of the unfortunate A380 engine explosion. The carrier’s A380s were withdrawn from service with British Airways coming to the rescue with a chartered flight and crew, at what was clearly late notice. As I was leaving the flight I said to one of the crew members: “Thanks for saving the day.” Based on her own gratitude and reaction I got the distinct feeling that no one had bothered to thank the crew. As one flight attendant told me, like any job “pats on the back can really lift your spirits.” Prepare for landing Well, I’ve listed the main pet passenger peeves of flight attendants but others include passengers: leaving heavy take-on bags (“full of dozens of jars of Vegemite for the aunty in England”), in the middle of the aisle and sitting down for the flight attendant to stow. Standing up when the plane lands before the seat-belt sign is extinguished (“you’re not going to get off any sooner”) is also another pet hate, as well as ordering duty-free items when the service has been closed for landing. “I just try and be as understanding as I can,” says one flight attendant. If only more passengers could say the same. A prime example is the mile-high seat reclining battle, which most frequent fliers are familiar with. Dachis says you can avoid this aggravating dilemma with a pre-emptive attack that involves placing a drink bottle on your lowered tray so that it pushes up against the spot below the tray table latch, meaning that the seat in front cannot be reclined. If that doesn’t work he suggests bribing the passenger with drinks or food. When it comes to dealing with rude or aggressive passengers it’s best to turn the other cheek, he says. Ask a flight attendant to help, and if that doesn’t work then look for an even more annoying passenger nearby and ask to switch seats with them. This is exactly what Mr Dachis did after an argument with the passenger in front of him. Instead of getting outraged he asked a group of irritating children nearby to swap, and they continue to yell and kicking the man’s seat the rest of the journey. “The boy behind the bad passenger kicked the seat throughout the flight," Mr Dachis said. "It was wonderful.” Other tips are even more outrageous and may land you in trouble, including photoshopping the seat number on your boarding pass in order to get on the plane quicker and score a spot in the overhead compartment for your carry-on. “Make sure you know which group boards first, change your boarding pass so it has that number or letter on it, and you're good to go,” Mr Dachis said. “On the other hand, altering your boarding pass is something the law may frown upon.” If you’re not willing to potentially break the law – surprise surprise – another option is to wait until the group before you is called and get in line with them. There is also another questionable tip on how to break into the plane’s toilet, but even Mr Dachis doubts whether anyone with morals would need to know this particular trick. “The moral of the story is this (if you can call this a story with a moral): if someone is mean to you for no good reason, don't be mean back. Instead, figure out how to make someone else enact your revenge.”

I often read on here people asking about who is the best airline to use to fly to OZ, I know we are all different, costs, leg room, child friendly all come into it, but hopefully by putting this poll up it 'may' give a better idea to some who are looking at the many different airlines that fly to OZ. It 'may' give a better overview of which is the 'Best All Round Airline'. If I have missed any out I apologies, as I only have the option of ten in the poll. Cheers Tony.:wink:

Oh and I chewing the fat last night over a bottle of red and we were discussing the new airliners that are being talked about. Carrying up to a thousand people. We were discussing what happens when there is a problem up in the air with all those people and only the crew, lets face it cannot say hey let me off. Low and behold the DM reports today that there was a disturbance, fisty cuffs on a blight to Bermuda with a about thirty people involved. How awful for the other passengers who were sitting nearby, its not like you can go to the next room. So what is going to happen with these huge planes with so many people and so many different personalities and then you throw the grog in and what happens? Air travel is going to get a whole lot more interesting it seems.

Hi Ladies & Gents, Our 457 visa has been approved and we're planning on flying to Perth the 1st week in July with our 2.5year old and our 10month old. We flew Cathay Pacific for our recce in April and they were brilliant service & entertainment wise, but the seats were soooooo uncomfortable! So thought we might aswell try another airline for this journey. Our wishlist is: comfier seats, individual t.v's with a good selection of entertainment, free food & drink, and a bassinet for our littley. Any recommendations please?

Hi, Just booked my flights with singapore airlines (A380-800) and wanted to try and book the upper deck economy seating (as the window seats only have one person next to them!!) When i went on their website there was only the option for lower deck seating.... Does this mean the upper deck economy is full or do i have to do something different (or pay) to get seats in the upper deck economy section..... any help appreciated Roflie

Hi Has anyone gotten extra luggage allowance flying with Malaysian ? thanks grainne

Hello all due to fly out to Melbourne on may 26th with malaysia airline which as far as i had seen on skytrax have a 5 star rating so felt reasonably happy with, however after having a little search around i keep reading bad reviews which is now worrying me a little as we have a 3 year old daughter flying for the first time with us. so really looking for anyones honest review on flying with them Many thanks

Just got off the phone to one of Australia's biggest pet shipping companies and was interested by his comment: 'We avoid using Qantas at all costs because they don't have a good animal welfare system in place. We always use British Airways as they are so good.' Our dog came out with BA and was fine but was left on the tarmac in Sydney on a Qantas internal for 2 hours ... in the height of summer. Only found out after his flight was late arriving. In truth, the shoddy welfare thing is pervasive ... where else would you see dogs tied to the back of utes doing 110k on the freeway? Or unshorn sheep in parched fields with no shelter when it is 40 degrees ... or live calf/sheep/goat exports ... I could go on.

Dear all, Moving my little family ( 2 adults 1 child) to Sydney in February 2011, and now need to get final departure flights booked up. My question is - What is generally considered to be the best airline, operating London to Sydney (by 'best', I mean value for money, good price but with reasonable comfort)? As its the last flight to our new life (with lots of emotion going on), I want to make sure the travel experience is as stress free as possible.

I can't be the only one. Does anyone else remember the days when you could book a 'Smoking' seat on an aircraft. Ahh, those were the days, when we (smokers) would be pushed and manipulated down to the back of the aircraft and once the no smoking signs had gone off, we could all spark up. It was like a school play ground. All the smokers would be looking at the smoking sign, as soon as the plane had levelled out and that 'Ping, Ping' sound rang out we all desperately got our ciggies out and the back cabin resembled a rock concert where everyone lit their lighters.:biglaugh: Never mind that we were killing ourselves, but the fog and haze from our habit, :wubclub: gently wafted up to the non smoking cattle and EVERYONE had the joy of inhaling those lovely fumes.:eek::policeman:. Ashtrays in the arm of the seat were soon full and bulging, many a top had burn holes in it, and more often than not, the airline staff would look rather peeved at our actions. Only because they weren't allowed to have a cig on duty , UNLUCKY.:realmad::yes::biglaugh: Gone are the glory days of smoking and air travel, all we can do know is wear a 'patch' smoke an 'imaginary' ciggy or what more often happens we bitch and whinge at our nearest and dearest until we get to the next stop. And off we get, relentless in our pursuit of the 'Smoking Areas'. Young children and the elderly are pushed to one side as we make haste toward 'Nirvana'. And then as we enter, the thick, arid stench of nicotine hits our lungs and hey presto we become ever so slightly giddy at the prospect, ahh, those were the days.:notworthy: I was once hauled in front of the Darwin authorities for lighting up in the loos' at the airport. Me and a few others couldn't wait anymore and we were not allowed outside, so we piled into the toilets to feed our habit, unfortunately we didn't see the security guard having a wee, and soon enough the :policeman: came in and we were severally told off. But, don't give up just yet. I travelled on the airline called Merpati from Port Hedland I think to Bali, about eight years ago. Only about a dozen of us on the flight AND they allowed smoking. We couldn't believe it, the whole aeroplane to ourselves and we could smoke. That short but pleasurable flight I reckon I sat in EVERY seat having a cigarette, as did everyone else, bloody hysterical it was. The plane resembled a pea soup when we landed but what the hell, make hay while the sun shines I reckon. Don't know if this airline still allows it, maybe not in this day and age. This thread is a little tongue in cheek folks, I realise that not only for safety reasons, but also passenger comfort the no smoking rules were introduced. But I often miss sparking up when I have a coffee or two onboard and letting the hours tick away. Cheers Tony.

Hi there! Myself and my OH moving to Perth on a 457 4year employer sponsored visa from the UK. Oh obviously has job all sorted, however for me it is proving VERY difficult! I am hoping to gain employment as a flight attendant (which is what i have done here in the UK for the past 6years 4 of which were for Qantas!!!) I can not work for Qantas or Jet Star as they will only accept application from PR. I am hoping to apply for airlines such as Sky West and Virgin Blue out of Perth who only state the you must be eligable to live and work in Australia, Sky West say Australian Resident. I am finding it all very confusing and REALLY want to continue flying in Australia, if anyone has any info or advice it would be VERY gratefully received xxxx :cute:

I am sure this has probably already been done a thousand times so sorry in advance. We are looking at booking our one way flights to Melbourne for april may time next year, and i was really looking for your recommendations for the best airline that you have flown with a toddler or young child. i;e Good food, entertainment and good service. Many Thanks

"An airline in New Zealand is introducing new 'cuddle class' seats on long-haul flights. Airline launches new 'cuddle class' seats - Yahoo! Travel UK "The Skycouch seats will initially be available on flights from Auckland to Los Angeles from April 2011 and experts estimate they will cost around £1,271 less than business class." Also, the other link.... stand up seats!!! Stand-up airline seats unveiled - Yahoo! Travel UK :smile:

Hey all, Gonna be booking my flights soon and wondering on the best airline to fly with (economy class). Went in January with Royal Brunei and wasn't impressed although they were the cheapest. Company I'll be working for is paying this time so I'm willing to go for quality rather than price! Does anyone have any recommendations? Qantas, Singapore, Etihad & Cathay Pacific are on my radar at the moment. Cheers! Rob

Has anyone in the Melbourne area an airline approved dog carrier carrier for sale? Needs to be around 75cm high. (Attached pdf shows whats allowed). Thanks Rob

May of been done before, but thought this may be of use to some: Airline Seating Charts - Best Airplane Seats - SeatGuru Yes I am an anorak, but the site allows you to see ALL seating plans for each aircraft run by All of the airlines, well nearly I reckon. Especially helpful for those who are tall, fat, travelling with children, certain medical conditions, or people who just want the best seat available on the often arduous and long flight to OZ. It also gives you all the amenities on the aircraft, TV's, etc and has many links to show you the best way to pre book or just research the airlines and what they offer. Hope some find it useful. Now where was that train spotting manual. Cheers Tony:biglaugh:

Hi Guys, We are leaving for a new life in Sydney on the 23rd September and just abot to book air tickets, has anyone got any airlines to recomend or ones to avoid, looking for the maximum baggage allowance of course and price does come into it as well. Not a huge fan of BA so tend to try and avoid them. Any suggestions are grealty appreciated, Chris

To fly back to the UK with? It's that time of year again, where I need to look at booking flights to the UK for May next year. I find if I do it well in advance I get a better deal, but, it also depends on the time of year we fly over too! Etihad were cheapest last year...Melbourne to London :smile:

I'm looking at booking flights to Ireland from Brisbane and as im travelling with a small child would like to avoid heathrow this time if i can. Can anyone help me, as to which airline i should try and book with? thanks!

Please can anyone advise me on which airline to use that would be best for my 8 year old son visiting me for July/August in his school hols. He will be flying from Manchester to Brisbane. He has never travelled on his own before although he says he is excited and looking forward to it.........as for me I am a bag of nerves already!! Any advice would be much appreciated.:biggrin: