MikeMavis Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Now, now, now No need for this. Someone was just trying to give some feedback on what service was like. We have all been grateful for feedback and advice from othet people. There is no need for petty criticism. Let's be positive and continue to help each other. Thats what it is like in Australia. Charlie Tell me how can knowing that I have to wait 15mins for a drink be helpful and where have you seen Australian moaning about service in business class ?? this was one flight taken by one person on one day . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linday Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 How exciting to hear 'the end of the waiting stories' from people. I am waiting for my acknowledgement letter, they have taken the money for the first payment but I am already worrying about how I am going to tie it all up at the end. Could I leave the estate agent to sell the flat? I was thinking that things would have to be shipped weeks before I leave (incase the shippers dont turn up and I have to rebook) and could I live on an air bed and with just a kettle!!!!! You see how its going. And I think I saw on the tracker that someone got their CO in 8months or have I read that wrong.? Thats panicking me although I dont have to go straight away but I know I will want to.Anyway congratulations to all who are on your way. Leaving is very sad but as someone said being able to see your grandchildren when you want must be wonderful Moira We used John Mason and found them to be pretty flexible with regard to dates, Also we had them in 3 days before we were due to leave and just 'camped out' with an airbed, throwaway plates etc and takeaways for 3 days before we left. We were also quite lucky in that we managed to sell our house and complete on the same day that we left. We were going to rent out if we couldn't sell. Maybe if you use an agent who does both they would keep an eye on it for you till it sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durhamlad Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hi We have our passports with the visa label in them and as our house is not sold yet it looks like we will have to have a holiday over in Oz to validate the visa's, before the middle of next February, so we are thinking of having Christmas over there with our family. The only thing is that our passports expire in May next year and we don't know which is the best thing to do, renew them now or when we arrive back in the UK after Christmas. Could we still use our existing passports or do they have to be valid for 6 months after you leave the Oz. If we renew them now that would mean we would have to travel on the new passports then our visa's will not match up with these new passports for entering Oz. Also places like Medicare, Centre Link, Oz bank etc may have our old passport numbers on file. Has anyone been in a similar position and can advise on what the best action is. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMavis Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 HiWe have our passports with the visa label in them and as our house is not sold yet it looks like we will have to have a holiday over in Oz to validate the visa's, before the middle of next February, so we are thinking of having Christmas over there with our family. The only thing is that our passports expire in May next year and we don't know which is the best thing to do, renew them now or when we arrive back in the UK after Christmas. Could we still use our existing passports or do they have to be valid for 6 months after you leave the Oz. If we renew them now that would mean we would have to travel on the new passports then our visa's will not match up with these new passports for entering Oz. Also places like Medicare, Centre Link, Oz bank etc may have our old passport numbers on file. Has anyone been in a similar position and can advise on what the best action is. David just renewed our passports (got them this morning) intend to travel with both old and new passports visa in old one.and it will be transposed in OZ by customs on arrival,just a thought has anyone thought of renting their homes to a prospective buyer as the aussies do a lot, its called rent to buy a price and time in the future is agreed and everyone works toward this,you also know that if it is being rented by a purchaser its not going to get trashed. just a thought, cheers Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathandtone Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 There are folks on here whos hearts are breaking because they cant afford the second vac payment,there are folks who would travel in the hold to be able to see their relatives,folks who are desperate to sell there houses in a depressed market,to have to buy in a rising one just to get to OZ and you complain about having to wait 15 mins from your flat bed for a drink,ever wondered where the phrase wingeing POM comes from, you will really fit in well in Australia good luck.Mike. Oh come on, there's no need for this is there. Of course we are aware as anyone of the difficulties others are having and have enormous sympathy for anyone struggling. Anyone who has or is making this journey has experienced hard times. We made it here only to find that we can't fund buying a house of our own which comes hard at our time of life so it's not all roses. That wasn't what we were talking about, we were discussing the merits of the various airlines flying the UK/Australia route and lets face it, if you have just coughed up several thousand pounds to fly business class you do have the right to expect good service. And no, that is absolutely not being a whinging POM. Please do not let us go down the route of that other forum where straying off the subject is severely punished. Cath 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chudleighval Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Can you manage with an airbed and kettle....we have for the past four months lived on a boat...today we are trying to pack it up to sell...we have about four times more stuff than will fit in our susuki wagon.,,ha...tonight we are sleeping on the floor ...one single airbed...in our now empty house...we dont have the funds for hotels etc..,well we do ...but ...we really do need every penny...i am aiming on one day having a house in oz...so every penny counts...i have gone from having four wardrobes...to two small plastic boxes of clothes...one going out and one on boat clothes...we had more dinner services than you can shake a stick at...to four of everything...its all part of the adventure...yes some daya are a bit of a struggle...but its not forever...i aim never to going back to having ' things for best' we dont need all these things...instant coffee sachets are a god send....no fridge needed for milk..,,ready to bake baguettes ...make you feel like your having something scrummy...but only an oven needed ...and huge stack of paper plates... Enjoy your camping out...the end is near.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie5 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Oh come on, there's no need for this is there. Of course we are aware as anyone of the difficulties others are having and have enormous sympathy for anyone struggling. Anyone who has or is making this journey has experienced hard times. We made it here only to find that we can't fund buying a house of our own which comes hard at our time of life so it's not all roses. That wasn't what we were talking about, we were discussing the merits of the various airlines flying the UK/Australia route and lets face it, if you have just coughed up several thousand pounds to fly business class you do have the right to expect good service. And no, that is absolutely not being a whinging POM. Please do not let us go down the route of that other forum where straying off the subject is severely punished.Cath Spot on Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMavis Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Oh come on, there's no need for this is there. Of course we are aware as anyone of the difficulties others are having and have enormous sympathy for anyone struggling. Anyone who has or is making this journey has experienced hard times. We made it here only to find that we can't fund buying a house of our own which comes hard at our time of life so it's not all roses. That wasn't what we were talking about, we were discussing the merits of the various airlines flying the UK/Australia route and lets face it, if you have just coughed up several thousand pounds to fly business class you do have the right to expect good service. And no, that is absolutely not being a whinging POM. Please do not let us go down the route of that other forum where straying off the subject is severely punished.Cath No its more like spending hundreds of thousands on a car and telling people it still needs petrol,you pays your money and takes your chance if a drink every 15 mins on a twenty plus hour flight is not enough well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durhamlad Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 just renewed our passports (got them this morning) intend to travel with both old and new passports visa in old one.and it will be transposed in OZ by customs on arrival,just a thought has anyone thought of renting their homes to a prospective buyer as the aussies do a lot, its called rent to buy a price and time in the future is agreed and everyone works toward this,you also know that if it is being rented by a purchaser its not going to get trashed.just a thought, cheers Mike. Mike Does this not mean you have to travel on your new passport and this is the passport you have to provide to book your flight tickets with. So when you check in to fly you will have no visa allocated to your passport or tickets as it is in your old discontinued passport. If this is the case is it not a possibility they will not let you fly or have you been able to check it out with someone. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiz Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 HiWe have our passports with the visa label in them and as our house is not sold yet it looks like we will have to have a holiday over in Oz to validate the visa's, before the middle of next February, so we are thinking of having Christmas over there with our family. The only thing is that our passports expire in May next year and we don't know which is the best thing to do, renew them now or when we arrive back in the UK after Christmas. Could we still use our existing passports or do they have to be valid for 6 months after you leave the Oz. If we renew them now that would mean we would have to travel on the new passports then our visa's will not match up with these new passports for entering Oz. Also places like Medicare, Centre Link, Oz bank etc may have our old passport numbers on file. Has anyone been in a similar position and can advise on what the best action is. David I think you'll need new passports to be allowed to travel butcould you then send both old and new to London and ask them to put labels in the new ones and update their electronic records at the same time?:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoebeW Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Mike Does this not mean you have to travel on your new passport and this is the passport you have to provide to book your flight tickets with. So when you check in to fly you will have no visa allocated to your passport or tickets as it is in your old discontinued passport. If this is the case is it not a possibility they will not let you fly or have you been able to check it out with someone. David I'm not sure if this is any help or not :twitcy: My daughter cae back to the Uk with the 2 littleo one's last November for her brothers wedding and renewed my 6 year old's passport while she was here (even though they had lived in Oz for over 3 years at that point and been PR's for 1 of those years. She said it was much cheaper to renew here (for the little one's anyway) Hope that dosent confuse the situation more for you :swoon: Phoebe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariomart Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks Fiz This is a great forum and I do enjoy the vast array of experiences. I am reassured that an airbed and a kettle can be fun Moira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoebeW Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 :policeman: Just a word of warning...... I have just paid a speeding fine my hubby managed to get while we were on holiday in Oz earlier in the year, he was on his way to the airport to collect a family member at 6.10am and a mobile camera unit was parked....with his back facing the road and a camera sign at the front which you could'nt see until you had passed............ Of course it was a bank holiday so the fine (in the State of Queensland) is doubled to $333.00 and 4 demerits instead of 2 (points to us) he was doing 110 kilometers in a 100 zone and he was caught (rightly so in my opinion) :yes: so if your watching the pennies (or dollars) watch your speed............ I don't know what other states do but if your heading for Queensland please remember :policeman: take no prisoners where speeding is concerned. Phoebe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMavis Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 never had to provide a passport to book a flight,the actual visa does not come into play untill you arrive in australia at customs and immigration,if you are still worried check it out they will probably tell you to send both passports to the embassy and have them transposed,if you have time our passports took 10 days to renew. cheers. Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durhamlad Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 never had to provide a passport to book a flight,the actual visa does not come into play untill you arrive in australia at customs and immigration,if you are still worried check it out they will probably tell you to send both passports to the embassy and have them transposed,if you have time our passports took 10 days to renew.cheers. Mike. Thanks for the replies and I think it best if I email the Oz Immigration people to see what they say. Mind, all the years we have been travelling to OZ, about 8yrs, we have always had to provide our passport or passport number to the people we have bought our flight tickets from whether it be in a travel agents shop, online or over the phone. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMavis Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 good luck mate you are probably doing the right thing,whats good for one does not mean it is good for another good luck whichever way it works out,when will you be able to go full time,and where?? cheers mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durhamlad Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks for the replies and I think it best if I email the Oz Immigration people to see what they say.Mind, all the years we have been travelling to OZ, about 8yrs, we have always had to provide our passport or passport number to the people we have bought our flight tickets from whether it be in a travel agents shop, online or over the phone. When checking in at the airport they will not let you fly if you have no visa which shows up when they scan your passport. This happened to us at Heathrow Airport last November when upon scanning our passports we were told we could not fly as we did not have our tourist visa. We had to telephone our travel agent who had forgot to do it and they were able to do it electronically there and then. We were then able to check in. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durhamlad Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 good luck mate you are probably doing the right thing,whats good for one does not mean it is good for another good luck whichever way it works out,when will you be able to go full time,and where?? cheers mike. We would ideally like to go full time before Christmas but it depends on selling the house, we have a few interested people but they all have their own places to sell first so that's why we are thinking it will probably mean a holiday first to validate. We have two sons living in Cairns, both with their wives and two children each, but one is preparing to move to the Brisbane area before Christmas so we have had to decide is it Cairns or Brisbane. We have opted for Brisbane as the two Grandchildren moving their are both under 5 plus the climate is supposed to be a bit better, not so hot. The Grandchildren who will be in Cairns are both in their late teens and we were always around to support them when they were growing up so it will be nice to be able to do the same for the other two as they grow. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chudleighval Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We have got our visa this week...on the email it said ...there is no need to send pasports off for an offical stamp...its all down on the computer...and the airline will know this..and so will immigration.... We have still contacted singapore airlines and had them confirm by email that we are allowed double baggage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnandEirian Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Now, now, now No need for this. Someone was just trying to give some feedback on what service was like. We have all been grateful for feedback and advice from othet people. There is no need for petty criticism. Let's be positive and continue to help each other. Thats what it is like in Australia. Charlie Thanks, Charlie. Some people clearly find talk about food and drink indigestible. Pity their sense of humour deserts them, especially when my comments were followed by a wink? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnandEirian Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Oh come on, there's no need for this is there. Of course we are aware as anyone of the difficulties others are having and have enormous sympathy for anyone struggling. Anyone who has or is making this journey has experienced hard times. We made it here only to find that we can't fund buying a house of our own which comes hard at our time of life so it's not all roses. That wasn't what we were talking about, we were discussing the merits of the various airlines flying the UK/Australia route and lets face it, if you have just coughed up several thousand pounds to fly business class you do have the right to expect good service. And no, that is absolutely not being a whinging POM. Please do not let us go down the route of that other forum where straying off the subject is severely punished.Cath Thanks, Cath. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellathedog Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks, Charlie.Some people clearly find talk about food and drink indigestible. Pity their sense of humour deserts them, especially when my comments were followed by a wink? John Oh dear John! I too took offence at your post, but I did not see the wink!! I guess some of us (me!) aren't up with using smileys and therefore don't actually see them. So, I apologise for the comments I made on your post (not that you or anyone saw or heard them) whilst enjoying my daily trail through this thread!!!!! All the best Pam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikenSueNW3 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Has anyone noticed that the $A/£ rate has topped 1.53 today? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chudleighval Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We just got 1.50 with money corp ....but told they are expcting it to go back down..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 QUOTE=MikeMavis;1148798]Tell me how can knowing that I have to wait 15mins for a drink be helpful and where have you seen Australian moaning about service in business class ?? this was one flight taken by one person on one day . I would happily wait 15 minutes for a drink if I could afford to fly business class. Does anyone know how many blanket/duvets you need to keep warm if you fly cargo.:twitcy: pete PS sorry bit late with the quip:biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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