Allow me to introduce you folks to our new travel community: TravelTalk NZ.

We hope to see you there!

I always used to go via Asia. The last way you want to do it is through America.

Tried via Doha last time and they Qatar airways was excellent.

Heading north. 

Only way I'll ever fly by choice is East via North America. Heading West is horrible for flight times and time zone changes.

Head via the US or Canada and you get great flight times and time zone changes that are perfect for rest or sleep.

I love going via Singapore when I head home to the UK, quick stop over with shower and good walk through the airport and then zip on to the next flight!

sbiddle:

 

Only way I'll ever fly by choice is East via North America. Heading West is horrible for flight times and time zone changes.

 

Head via the US or Canada and you get great flight times and time zone changes that are perfect for rest or sleep.

 

 

 

Maybe things have changed but America used to have to worst service, most uncomfortable facilities and most unpleasant officials I have ever had the misfortune of encountering. Compared to that, any Asian airline or airport outside of China was an oasis of enlightened charm and helpfulness.

Rikkitic:

 

sbiddle:

 

Only way I'll ever fly by choice is East via North America. Heading West is horrible for flight times and time zone changes.

 

Head via the US or Canada and you get great flight times and time zone changes that are perfect for rest or sleep.

 

 

 

 

Maybe things have changed but America used to have to worst service, most uncomfortable facilities and most unpleasant officials I have ever had the misfortune of encountering. Compared to that, any Asian airline or airport outside of China was an oasis of enlightened charm and helpfulness.

 

 

 

LAX has facilities including lounges that are as good as anything you'd find in Asia. Service and officials are terrible. Both SFO and YVR are incresingly becoming popular places for transit because they're less busy.

None of this changes the fact that timezone and flight times are far better for this reason - I'll quite happily endure 75 mins of carnage transiting LAX transit because it's a far more enjoyable experience travelling west. There is plenty of evidence to back this up - the only times in my life I've ever been jet lagged have been on the multiple occasons I've flown to Europe via Asia, and for that reason I'd not something I'd do again by choice.

sbiddle: it's a far more enjoyable experience travelling west. There is plenty of evidence to back this up - the only times in my life I've ever been jet lagged have been on the multiple occasons I've flown to Europe via Asia, and for that reason I'd not something I'd do again by choice.

Either Hong Kong or Singapore. Book a day room at the in-airport hotel and have a shower and decompress with a stroll around the in-airport shops. Better than the lounges I reckon.

sbiddle: 

 

LAX has facilities including lounges that are as good as anything you'd find in Asia. Service and officials are terrible. Both SFO and YVR are incresingly becoming popular places for transit because they're less busy.

 

 

 

The last time I went through LAX (a long time ago, fortunately) all transit passengers were herded by snarling officials into an airless, windowless, unserviced, overcrowded room where they were forced to wait and breathe each other's stink for six hours. After that I swore I would never pass through the USA again, and I haven't. I'll take jet lag any time over that, though jet lag has never been an issue for me.

I always prefer to go east both ways.  Arrival times are usually more civilised and with the prevailing high altitude winds you save about 1 hour per trip.

LAX kinda sucks, have missed loads of connections there even when flying an airline-provided itinerary.  You either need to be on NZ1/NZ2 connecting straight through, or allow at least 5 hours connection time.  SFO and YVR airports are generally much nicer to connect through, in my experience.  Home via Singapore is probably my favourite; did Shanghai recently and the queuing was almost as bad as LAX, and facilities in the terminal quite limited.

Travelling with family I usually try to do a 48-hour stopover to recuperate and experience new places - I've done NZ-Europe return over 20 times and it started to bug me that I had never seen the places in between.  Vancouver is great for a family stop, we also enjoyed San Fran including the bike ride over the bridge.