cherries002 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 After saying he would never fly to Australia my (78y) dad is ready to book flights for next March to come and stay with us on a 12 month holiday visa :cute: Couple of questions hopefully some of you can help me with. How does booking flights work? do airlines charge a lot should dates have to be amended etc. Can anyone offer any other advice that I need to consider before he gets here. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 (edited) I'd suggest getting him to book via a travel agent so he can specify what sort of ticket he wants etc. Some bookings cannot be changed, only cancelled and you'll lose a chunk of change, others you can pay a fee to change once and so on. So work out what he wants/needs, get it written down clearly so the travel agent can see what is wanted and there can be no confusion (I read recently one parent had booked a trip to Aus but had booked the return leg for after their tourist visa would have expired). It will come down to route, flight changes and so on really as to what is best for him and what he feels comfortable with. Does he want to have a stop over in an airport (within the airport at the terminal) hotel to get some rest before the second leg? If so, look to the Asia routes like Hong Kong or Singapore perhaps. If he wants to go straight through, Dubai may be an option although I find it an overly massive and very busy airport and prefer to not fly through there if I can help it. I much prefer the Singapore route. My mother flew over a couple of years ago the other side of 70 and came via Singapore. She had a few hours between her connecting flight to Aus there and didn't want the hotel for a nap. She preferred getting some fresh air by the pool and in the gardens. On the way back she did the same but did struggle on her return to the UK with jet lag. She found Changi airport in Singapore to be lovely, easy to navigate round and not overly busy. She flew out of Heathrow. She also said she'd maybe opt for business class next time she flies over. Just to have more room and leg room although some of the more expensive economy seats can offer a bit more leg room and slightly bigger seats now. Again, a travel agent could help your Dad out with it all. ETA - I think you can also take out a cancellation policy insurance but no idea of costs or how it works or if its even worth considering. You should also consider your dad's health and if he can get travel insurance and repatriation cover etc for such a long visa. Check this first before booking flights. I'd not rely only on the reciprocal only for his stay. If something does happen and he needs to be transported back to the UK he'll need insurance to cover that and other eventualities. Edited November 14, 2016 by Guest eta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH1 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Generally speaking, flights booked with fixed departure date and time are cheaper than flexible options. In view of your father's age and depending on his overall health he should consider whether he should break the flight to permit sleep and some recovery. I suggest that he also talk to his GP about DVT prophylaxis. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BacktoDemocracy Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 After saying he would never fly to Australia my (78y) dad is ready to book flights for next March to come and stay with us on a 12 month holiday visa :cute: Couple of questions hopefully some of you can help me with. How does booking flights work? do airlines charge a lot should dates have to be amended etc. Can anyone offer any other advice that I need to consider before he gets here. TIA As people have already mentioned, get him to see his doctor for pre meds to guard against DVT and let them know how many stopovers he has, and I found travelling with Emirates very easy when I had very restricted movement shortly before a flight and doing the flight with them meant I could stop over at Dubai and Singapore and stay at the hotels in the airport so no need to leave the airport and be able to sleep overnight very easily. The last time I did the flight in 2013 I broke the flight as suggested because of a dvt 5 years before and it just makes the journey easier, just make sure the airport hotel at Singapore know when your father is due and they will try to accommodate him, language is not a problem in either place, although dubai porters etc do try for a bit of baksheesh. Be careful though about not booking his luggage straight thro to Australia but to each intermediate destination unless he takes a cabin case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaty Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Good for you! B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazken Amac Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Log onto Skyscanner and just check the fares for the dates you need. . Then check the cancellation or date change policy for that particular airline. . Best regards Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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