[quote:4dcb35b298="joanne"]Have you checked out Air New Zealand - their prices are reasonable and if you fly via LA its a HUGE baggage allowance[/quote:4dcb35b298]

Well, I wouldn't fly via LA with kids again even if the flight was free... this has to be the World's Worst Flight - nothing wrong with AirNZ at all (quite the opposite) but at LA the authorities cram you in to a holding pen, force you to go through immigration checks whilst you wait and keep you there for the three hours or so whilst awaiting the next hop. No opportunity to walk around the airport, entertain the kids etc.

In contrast... go the other way around via Singapore. Last time I went the Singapore Airlines flight left Heathrow @ 10:30pm on a Saturday night - I woke up just as we were landing at Singapore and once on the ground went for a swim... had a beer next to the outdoor pool..did some shopping... all in the airport. Jumped on the next hop to Auckland a couple of hours later feeling terrific. No contest, really. Only cost ?550 too.

Alan.