"4000 psi" nospamever wrote:

we anticipate 3 ticketed passengers with 2 bags per passenger ... each bag
at 30 kg, which makes our SYD-OOL flight ungodly expansive due to too much
luggage ... it seems almost funny that our fair is priced at $66 AUD per
person (plus tax) and the excess luggage will be approx $200 AUD per person
... hard to believe!

Another poster has mentioned that, as you are migrating,
which you confirm in another later email, there are bound to
be baggage concessions, we'd hope.

As your departure seems imminent I hope you have the
immigration bit all sorted, I wouldn't advise arriving at
Customs with all that luggage/personal effects on a tourist
visa :-)

I'd expect if you are coming with an associated airline, ie
United + Virgin, you'll get a better hearing, but I can't
confirm this. I used to travel every year from OOL to BDL -
Hartford CT, using United and Ansett, now defunct. I haven't
done so since 9/11 though. I live in the Gold Coast region.

You seem to be booking piecemeal tickets, a reputable Agent
might save you a lot of angst and money, even if their
services cost a few bucks. Think fares, cars, accommodation
and insurance all as a job lot.

We know you are travelling with one child from previous
posts, of which you'll agree there have been many. After you
finally get settled I think you owe a good number of
advisors here in this forum a few beers at the local pub! In
fact it might help giving you a new cultural perspective :-)

I think you have been told the school holiday periods, which
can be times when holiday (read furnished/temporary)
accommodation is scarcer and more expensive.

I hope you'll fly right through with no break as you have
been advised to do, and get to your accommodation by one of
the many good door to door bus transfer services that go
from OOL to Byron Bay and points between.

Or rent a car from near the airport at OOL as long as you
can deal with being exhausted flying into weird timezones
then driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

Maybe there is a limo service that will get you to where you
want to go a lot cheaper than you think too. Get a cheap
calling card there in the USA, use www.yellowpages.com.au
look for limo services in the Gold Coast region, suss out
time differences and make a few calls. The internet won't do
it all, as you have found with holiday accommodation. Many
real estate agencies, and other businesses in this area, are
still in the stone age when it comes to using technology.

Again think that given the huge amount of accommodation
available in the Gold Coast region, say in the Coolangatta
even Kirra (adjacent to the airport) area, why not settle
there for a week or two to regroup, suss out rentals cars
and accommodation further south then make the move?

As they say at Nike, just do it :-)

Cheerz Mark.