Mumbai06 Nov 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Brisbane
About Brisbane
If you are planning a vacation to Australia, Brisbane is a city that must be on your itinerary. It is a popular tourist attraction in Australia after Sydney and Melbourne. It is also the capital of Queensland, which is also called Sunshine State. The city is known for its music, art, food and a very happening nightlife. Brisbane is also popular for its wildlife. From hugging Koalas to swimming with the dolphins, you can spend an entire day with animals and never get tired of it. The city also houses some of the best rooftop bars with a stunning view overlooking the beaches. You can catch a rugby match at the Suncorp Stadium if you are a sports fanatic or you can also opt for activities like climbing the Story Bridge and much more. The city gives you a ton of options to choose from that makes your vacation worth every penny spent. It is an ideal holiday destination if you want to spend it outdoors and not indoors.
Best Time to Visit Brisbane
One thing is certain, no matter what time of the year it is when you visit Brisbane, you will find yourself walking into more than one event. March to May is one of the best times to visit Brisbane. It is not a high tourist season, but the city does get relief from the heavy monsoon showers and heads towards the high season. The temperature ranges from 13 to 27 degree Celsius. You will come across some excellent flight deals to Brisbane, along with accommodations during this time. While you are here, you can attend the Brisbane Comedy Festival, World Science Festival Brisbane, Redcliffe Festival of Sails and Bike Week. The weather is quite pleasant, and you will also get to indulge in all of the outdoor activities that you plan to try. Flight tickets to Brisbane are also comparatively cheaper. If you don't like a crowded place, this is the perfect time to visit Brisbane.
June to August is winter in Brisbane, and the temperature ranges from 10 to 23 degree Celsius. Even though it is winter in the city, the days remain quite warm. This is the best time to indulge in outdoor activities and attend events that are hosted here. This is high season in Brisbane, and you will even spot tourists from Sydney and Melbourne. Royal Queensland Show or Ekka is a very popular event that takes place in August. You can also attend the Queensland Music Festival and Out of the Box Festival in June-July. If you are in Brisbane in August, make sure you also attend the Redcliffe KiteFest. Make sure you book your hotel in Brisbane well in advance, along with your flight tickets to Brisbane because the rates spike up during this season.
Brisbane experiences springtime from September to November. The days are warm and the nights are quite breezy. The weather sets quite a romantic mood in the evenings. The temperature ranges from 13 to 28 degree Celsius. It is also a very busy time in Brisbane. You attend events like the Brisbane Writers Festival and Brisbane Festival in September, Valley Fiesta and Oktoberfest in October. The weather is perfect for trying any outdoor activity. You can even go for a swim in the lake or to the beaches. Make sure you book your accommodation well in advance since hotels fill up pretty quickly during this season.
December to February are the wettest months in Brisbane. The temperature ranges from 20 to 30 degree Celsius. The heavy showers even lead to floods sometimes. Not to mention, you will also witness a lot of thunderstorms. Hotel prices drop and so do flight fares, since there are very few tourists in the city. The heavy showers might even put a damper on your outdoor plans. But you can, however, enjoy a lot of events and festivals in the city during this time. You can attend the Brisbane Comedy Festival in February and March or the BrisAsia Festival in January and February. You can also head to the Woodford Folk Festival in December-January.
Places to Visit in Brisbane
Whether you like beaches or mountains or both, Brisbane has both of it. You can either hit the beach over the weekend or go on a hike to the mountains. You will never get bored in Brisbane, and that is certain. The city also has museums and gardens for you to explore. Australia is known for its wildlife, and you can experience it in Brisbane, too. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is one of the oldest and largest Koala sanctuaries in the world. But apart from Koalas, you will also find kangaroos, wombats, emus, Tasmanian devils, cockatoos, Australian parrots and so on. You can even hug a Koala here and take loads of pictures. Glass House Mountains on the coastal plains of Queensland and a group of thirteen volcanic hills. The native flora and fauna, along with a picturesque landscape, is what attracts tourists to this place. You can also go mountain climbing at Tibrogargan and Ngungun mountains. Story Bridge is an iconic structure in the city that connects Kangaroo Point, Brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley. You can either explore the area on foot or rent a bicycle.
Bussink Ferris wheel is one of the most magnificent places to go to in Brisbane. It is 60-meters tall and offers you a 360-degree view of the city. The Ferris wheel stops when you reach the top, and you get to hear audio that reveals all the major attractions in Brisbane that you can visit. Roma Street Parkland is yet another popular attraction that you can head to on a sunny day. There are quite a few gardens in there, and they also have an amphitheatre. Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, or GOMA, is where you head to if you are an art lover. The museum houses a lot of modern and contemporary arts. South Bank is one of the most relaxing tourist attractions in Brisbane. Some eateries offer delicious foods, a scenic view from the river and it is also closer to other tourist attractions like the Wheel of Brisbane, Streets Beach, Grand Arbour and Nepal Peace Pagoda. If you are planning to head to the South Bank, make sure you pack your sunscreen and beach clothes. Streets Beach is right near the South Bank, and you can spend a gorgeous evening here.
Things to do in Brisbane
You can either rent a taxi for the entire day to explore the city, hire a guide for the day or you can just explore the city on foot all by yourself. Brisbane is known for its botanical gardens, and you can just explore the lush green gardens for a day. You can visit the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha or the City Botanic Gardens. Story Bridge is yet another popular tourist attraction in the city and mainly because it connects three other attractions. It is the link between Kangaroo Point, Fortitude Valley and central Brisbane. It also makes for a great place to take pictures. Head over to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to hug a Koala and take pictures with it. Go on a hike at Mount Coot-tha, and you will get a spectacular view of the city from up there. You can also enjoy a ferry ride from the South Bank to explore the city better.
Food and Restaurants in Brisbane
Brisbane has a very eclectic dining scene and a vibrant nightlife. You will find everything from Turkish, Chinese and Spanish cuisine to Australian food. You must try the meat pies here with potato wedges and other types of meats that are coated with Piri Piri. These are some of the popular and traditional Australian dishes. You will also find a lot of seafood, oysters specifically since it is so close to the ocean. The downtown area in Brisbane boasts of some top-rated restaurants. Esquire and The EURO are some of the most popular eateries in the city. You must also try the Farmers markets in the city since it is a big part of the food culture in Brisbane. Head over to Betty's Burgers and Concrete Co or Rogue Bistro for authentic Australian food and lip-smacking burgers. You can also try La Cache a Vin for traditional French cuisine and a glass of wine.
How to reach Brisbane (Transportation)
Brisbane Airport is the nearest to the city and is also the primary international airport in the city. It is also a major hub for airlines like Virgin Australia and Qantas. The flight connectivity to Brisbane from India is excellent. However, the travel time ranges from 18 to 30 hours, and it can get a tad exhausting. Cathay Pacific Airways, Qantas Airways and Singapore Airlines have frequent flights to Brisbane from India with layovers at Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney or Singapore, depending on which flight you pick. The airport is well-equipped with WiFi, lounges, smoking areas, shopping areas, restaurants and cafes. You will also get a taxi from the airport to your hotel quite easily.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the official flag carrier of New Zealand. The airline is based out of Auckland, the capital city and primarily operates scheduled passenger flights to about 20 domestic routes and 32 international routes. The airline is perfectly connected with destinations in and around the Pacific Rim. Basically, it has direct flight connections with islands in the Pacific Ocean that are far from the other big continents. Air New Zealand has been part of the Star Alliance since 1999. It was formed in 1940 and has been part of New Zealand's aviation industry for nearly eighty years now. It came into existence as Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), an enterprise that operated flights predominantly between New Zealand and Australia. It catered to the trans-Tasman route and carried scheduled flights in the continent. By 1965, the Tasman Empire Airways Limited witnessed a change in ownership as the government of New Zealand took overall operations. Following the change in ownership, the government renamed the airlines like Air New Zealand. With this move, the airline further became the national flag carrier.
Under the government's management, Air New Zealand only catered to international routes. However, in 1978, the government merged the airline's operations with the domestic airline New Zealand National Airways Corporation, to form just the one airline to conduct both, international route transit and domestic route operations. In 1989 though, Air New Zealand was privatised, but after more than a decade, the ownership was returned to the government, as it was close to declaring bankruptcy. A failed deal with the Australian carrier Ansett Australia led to Air New Zealand's financial crisis. In 2000, the airline had announced that it was choosing to acquire Ansett Australia wholly to be owned and operated under their wing. They even proposed a whopping AD 680 million from News Corporation Ltd. The decision in itself was criticised by various business commentators as they stated how Ansett's fleet, along with its staffing levels and infrastructure easily outweighed Air New Zealand's.
Further, proposals to purchase Air New Zealand Group were also shared by foreign companies. By 2001, Air New Zealand's inability to afford the costs incurred led to the collapse of Air New Zealand/Ansett Group. Further, the failure to purchase Virgin Blue resulted in Air New Zealand losing money and time and eventually Ansett Australia's operations were terminated. Air New Zealand incurred a loss of NZD 1.425 billion.
To get the airlines out of the towering losses, it was re-nationalised and brought under the New Zealand's government plan to rescue Air New Zealand. Under the government's ownership, Air New Zealand reconfigured some of its domestic operations and introduced a low-cost airline business plan. By 2003, the airline returned to its profitable stance as it raked in higher profits and relaunched its long-haul flights by 2005. The airline also incorporated newer aircraft to its fleet with a view to accommodating both, short-haul and long-haul destinations. By 2010, Air New Zealand also received government approval to form an alliance with Australian airline Virgin Blue which has now been renamed as Virgin Australia. Subsequently, the airline purchased about 26 per cent of shares in Virgin Australia Holdings and further cemented their relationship. Much recently, in 2018, the airline ended its partnership with Virgin Australia by selling off its stakes in the airline to a few investors as well as the Nasham Group. The airline's main hub is at Auckland Airport which is situated in Mangere, the southern region of the Auckland urban sphere. The airline's headquarters is located in a building, about 20 km from Auckland Airport, called The Hub. It is in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter. Currently, the airline operates a fleet comprising of aircraft from the Airbus and Boeing family. They also have a regional fleet that has ATR 72 and Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft utilised for operations.
Fleet size of Air New Zealand
As of 2019, Air New Zealand holds a strong fleet comprising of 116 aircraft. The airline also has 64 jet aircraft that include 25 Airbus A320s and ten Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft. They are mainly used for their short-haul flights. Aircraft such as eight Boeing 777-200ERs, eight Boeing 777-300Ers and thirteen Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has been reserved for long-haul destinations. Along with these aircraft, Air New Zealand also has ten Airbus A320/321neo, one Boeing 787-9 and eight Boeing 787-10 aircraft that have been ordered and are speculated to be received in the next few years. In the past, Air New Zealand also accommodated Douglas DC-8-52, Douglas DC-8F-54, Fokker F27-100 Friendship, Fokker F-27-500 Friendship, Lockheed L-188 Electra, McDonnel Douglas DC-10-30 and British Aerospace aircraft as part of its fleet. However, they have converted their fleet now to host mainly Airbus and Boeing jet aircraft. The airline does have 27 ATR 72-600 and 23 Bombardier Q300 that are predominantly used for short-haul trips.
Baggage Allowance
Air New Zealand follows an eccentric baggage allowance policy wherein they charge a specific tariff for checked baggage. The airline's ticketing process involves the passenger to choose if they want just a seat only fare or if they need to add baggage as part of the travel too. Accordingly, the airline grants baggage allowance to the passengers. There is no concept of a free checked baggage allowance that the airline has to offer. However, over the selection of bag fare, the passengers will be allowed to carry checked baggage that can weigh no more than 23 kg. As for passengers travelling from business class or premium class tickets, the baggage allowance is extended to 32 kg max weight. Beyond this, the passenger will further have to purchase extra baggage from the airport's check-in kiosk or on their official website. The dimensions of the baggage are very important, and passengers cannot afford to carry bags that do not fall under the mentioned measurements. A total linear dimension for the baggage which includes the length, width and depth, should not exceed 158 cm. This applies to all the bags.
In-flight services
Air New Zealand has improved its in-flight services to accommodate better facilities for its passengers. The onboard facilities such as comfortable seats, exquisite in-flight meals, friendly staff and crew, have only enhanced its name and reputation among passengers. The airline offers a variety of other in-flight services too which include entertainment systems for long-haul flights and provisions of blankets, noise-cancelling earplugs and other such amenities.
Popular routes and top cities of Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's main route focus is on the Australasia and the South Pacific spheres. They have introduced several long-haul flight services to connect to Eastern Asia, the United Kingdom and the North and South America. Air New Zealand is known to be the last airline to have circumnavigated the world with flight routes that connected London's Heathrow Airport from both, Los Angeles route and Hong Kong route. They eventually scrapped the Hong Kong route in 2013 as the favour to Cathay Pacific, with which it has a codeshare agreement. With this move, the airline halted its Hong Kong - London route altogether and only continued its Los Angeles - London route. Currently, the airline serves about 30 destinations in its international route including Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Shanghai, Nadi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Taipei, Honolulu, Houston, San Francisco, and Chicago. They have planned to introduce a new international route to connect Auckland and Newark by 2021. Meanwhile, the airline also caters to about 20 domestic route destinations which are Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Invercargill, Nelson, New Plymouth and Queenstown, to name a few.
Why travel by Air New Zealand?
Air New Zealand has seen some ups and downs since its inception. The airline has witnessed tremendous highs of success as well as lows of bankruptcy. However, it has continued to emerge stronger from all these experiences. In fact, with these incidents, Air New Zealand has been able to work on its facilities and to bring the best in-flight services and better connectivity with destinations for passengers. It has expanded its international route as well as domestic route following some changes in the management. There have been some massive changes with respect to their in-flight services too, along with route connectivity.
To ensure that Air New Zealand is also on par with its competitors, the airline has worked to incorporate some of the recent upgradations that others have taken up. These include allowing web check-ins for passengers. This has reduced the inconvenience caused by standing in the check-in line at the airport. Not to mention how further details regarding the flight status and Air New Zealand's flight schedules can also be found on their website. An Air New Zealand flight ticket can also be booked on their official website. Depending on the ticket type booking by the passenger, the airline helps out in understanding the baggage allowance and in-flight services that they can enjoy. With such rich facilities and upgrades, Air New Zealand has welcomed more passengers and loyal customers.
