New Zealand trip planning

All plans finalised. Packing started happening. Some of the reservations backed up in paper format. NZetas (the New Zealand visa free permission to visit) booked for both of us. Driving licences, International Driving Permit for Ann and licence translation for Argiris done (another Brexit triumph).

Last summer after a lot back and fro anxious wait, crazy flight itineraries planned and discarded we scored an Avios booking from the BA site on Qatar. Athens Doha Auckland and back. What? This is one of the most difficult routes to find Premium availability with points (miles) both ways in good times of the year. Cathays could also see availability for those days but some glitz on its booking engine was ending on horrendous taxes therefore good old BA sorted it although with many more points. For some reason Qatar was not showing availability on its own site and there you are. I think this has recently changed after points can be transferred between BA avis an Qatar avios. This was a testament to resilience and trying all kind of creative flight combinations. So the message is collect points and be patient. AMEX and HSBC were the source of the points for us but there are others.

AKL- Doha is one of the longest non stop flights in the world with just over 14500 miles although Qatar Airways touches down in Adelaide for an hour or so.