air flight question

[Ewenm]

hi all

my wife and i are visiting your country mid april and so i have a question

what is the process with air flight within the US do we need to book in advance or just roll up?,

here in australia we need to book a few days in advance, but it is possible to get a walk on flight, but you may have to wait for a while
and it will cost a lot more
we are flying to LA, then Las Vegas, then Memphis, then New York, then Miami,
then New Orleans, and then home to australia

can any one help me out?? we would probably book in advance, but then it would also be nice to have some flexibility, in case we want to change our schedule once we drive

thanks

macca

 

[souske]

Its much cheaper if you book in advance, but it is typically.possible to move the date within a given window. Definitely double.check with the airline.

 

[WB9YZU]

I expect catching a flight anywhere is about the same.
There is a trend I have seen of Airlines encouraging you to purchase tickets via the internet and to print out your boarding pass. Though you can certainly purchase them at the ticket counter and risk the chance of not getting the flight you want because it's booked.

Please be aware of the TSA Regs.
Have your pass port/ID available.
Dress for the eventuality of taking off belts, shoes, and emptying pockets. Lace up boots and such are a PITA to put on and off while going though security.
If you carry a laptop, separate the battery from the unit and place the unit in a case which can be easily inspected. The Computer, Battery, AC converter, and peripherals will go though separate from your personal items.
Make damn sure there are no firearms on your person or carry on luggage, and that goes for knives too. The result of finding such is a bother you don't want to deal with, so just avoid it.

Yes, you have to put up with that BS even if you are in-country, we do :kissyou:

Enjoy your trip!

 

[FlexdXJ]

You'll definitely want to book in advance to save some money. Most airlines now like to charge a fee for checked bags. Usually $25 or so for one bag each way. That little tid bit annoys the living hell out of me but it is what it is. Be prepared for the TSA to be rude and up in your business but for the most part I've dealt with some decent TSA agents. Most of all stay safe and enjoy your trip to the USA! :cheers:

 

[Johnnie Walker]

For int'l flights, most do not charge for luggage. Depending on your airline within the country it could go either way.

 

[Cottontail]

All the cities you mention in your itinerary are serviced by Southwest Airlines. They have very reasonable one way pricing provided a 7 day advance, and they do not charge baggage fees. Their April flights are on the website currently. They are the only carrier I use domestically. I've done a fair bit of research on the topic as I am a sales manager for a tour company.

 

[techno1154]

In addition to the above replies and depending on your schedule, you could rent a car and drive from one state to the other. However, dropping off a car to another location costs a bit more for the convenience.

 

[Ewenm]

thanks for the feed back, much appreciated, we are very excited about this trip, it was fired up by me being invited to a conference in Florida ( software)

so as we have never been to the US before we thought we would try and catch some of the highlights ( probably others would have other ideas)

i would love to drive but time does not permit,

we have travelled in Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar , and asia, so dead keen to see your country, if only a little bit.

Macca

 

[patrickdlewis]

I expect catching a flight anywhere is about the same.
There is a trend I have seen of Airlines encouraging you to purchase tickets via the internet and to print out your boarding pass. Though you can certainly purchase them at the ticket counter and risk the chance of not getting the flight you want because it's booked.

Please be aware of the TSA Regs.
Have your pass port/ID available.
Dress for the eventuality of taking off belts, shoes, and emptying pockets. Lace up boots and such are a PITA to put on and off while going though security.
If you carry a laptop, separate the battery from the unit and place the unit in a case which can be easily inspected. The Computer, Battery, AC converter, and peripherals will go though separate from your personal items.
Make damn sure there are no firearms on your person or carry on luggage, and that goes for knives too. The result of finding such is a bother you don't want to deal with, so just avoid it.

Yes, you have to put up with that BS even if you are in-country, we do :kissyou:

Enjoy your trip!

I fly all of the time, you only need to remove your laptop or other large electronics from your bag, all of the other gear can stay in the bag. You also need to remove your liquids (less than 3 oz only) and place them in a separate bin.

 

[WB9YZU]

I fly all of the time, you only need to remove your laptop or other large electronics from your bag, all of the other gear can stay in the bag. You also need to remove your liquids (less than 3 oz only) and place them in a separate bin.

True enough, and TSA specs seem to change from day to day/ airport to airport. I went though Boston one day and they were making some folks take the HDD from their LT if it was removable, they even provided screw drivers. Ever watch a bunch of people who don't know anything about a computer try and take out the HDD? It's not pretty. I have been asked to remove the battery in the past, so I do it out of custom now.

The liquid values change too. Best not to bother with bringing anything unless you depend on it for life. Then once you are in, buy inside the security area.

Smokers really have it bad, and I feel for them. You either go completely without once in, or you leave the secure area, then have to go though all that BS again when you are done with your smoke.

 

[Ewenm]

mate we are back home now, we had an awesome time, everyone was friendly and helpful.

i hired a Black Mustang Convertible and drove from Ft Lauderdale to Key West and found the driving easy, everyone was courteous

we started out in LA then las Vegas, then Memphis , New York, Ft Lauderdale then to Key West and New Orleans, before heading for home

again an awesome time, so much to see so little time, oh well maybe next time

 

[souske]

Maybe consider making it to moab in Oct 2017

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Maybe consider making it to moab in Oct 2017

2018 is the 35th..

 

[5-90]

hi all

my wife and i are visiting your country mid april and so i have a question

what is the process with air flight within the US do we need to book in advance or just roll up?,

here in australia we need to book a few days in advance, but it is possible to get a walk on flight, but you may have to wait for a while
and it will cost a lot more
we are flying to LA, then Las Vegas, then Memphis, then New York, then Miami,
then New Orleans, and then home to australia

can any one help me out?? we would probably book in advance, but then it would also be nice to have some flexibility, in case we want to change our schedule once we drive

thanks

macca

You may find cheaper flights into LA through Quantas or Air New Zealand (both fly into LAX,) and then switch to a US domestic airline within CONUS (take your pick - your local travel agent should be able to book them for you, or you can go through the website - airline or broker's - of your choice.)

Los Angeles International is the major there - coded "LAX".
Las Vegas is McCarran Field, coded "LAS"
Memphis, TN is coded "MEM"
New York City offers three or four airports - I believe John F. Kennedy (JFK) is the big one, but you can select it according to where you're going to visit in the city. Play with Google Maps.
Miami, FL is Miami International Airport - "MIA" (unfortunate designation, I know...)
New Orleans will be Louis Armstrong International Airport ("MSY".)

Most of the common CONUS "hubs" or "layovers" will be Denver, CO (DEN,) Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (MSP,) Chicago, IL (Midway International Airport - MDW - or O'Hare International Airport - ORD - or Atlanta, GA - ATL.)

If you can plan your trip well ahead, it is advisable to do so. Yes, you can do "stand-by" booking (show up at the airport and hope,) but it's spendy and unreliable. And, it can make it a pain to clear security.

SPEAKING OF - Go to TSA's site (www.tsa.gov) and look up the requirements for Airport Insecurity here - I'm sure you'll find them markedly different (read: "more stupid") than what you're dealing with down in Oz. 9/11 really screwed things up here, and the TSA was cut from whole cloth in response to that (and cut rather badly, I add.)

Providing your passport information when you book your tickets in and out will help with clearing Customs and security. And, as I recall, Australian citizens do NOT require visas for short-term stays (<90d) under the Visa Waiver Programme - but confirm with the US State Department (www.state.gov.)

I've travelled a bit, and I've had mates down in Oz for years. Why do you ask?

EDIT - Oh, and as I recall, both Quantas and AirNZ will also fly out of San Francisco (SFO,) so you're not limited to connections through LAX when departing.