Help! Best route to SOQ from YUL

[Melisande Leduc]

I had not thought about the individual ticketing challenge... I do want to limit that as much as possible. I'd never heard about ITA Matrix, so thank you. I will check that out.

 

[Melisande Leduc]

Me again... so sorry for all the questions!

Is there a reason why there is a huge difference in price between Nusatrip and Garuda for the same flight?
Shanghai - Sorong, oneway, November 19
Nusatrip: 481 $CAD
Garuda: 7301 CNY (which is about 1300 $CAD)

 

[chillyinCanada]

FWIW, knowing a travel agent who you think of as a friend can be worth their weight in gold. You already have a relationship in which you trust each other. I think if I were in your shoes, I would go sit down with this friend and let them see what they can come up with.

Good luck and whatever you do, do not forget about crossing the International Dateline. The day you get there is perhaps more important than the day you leave YUL.

Also check the length of time each flight leg is, how long layovers are and where and of course, ultimately, how long the whole of the trip will take you from Montreal to Singapore (or whichever SE Asian main stop point you ultimately choose).

I don't like any trip from YYC to SIN that takes more than 24 hours. I will stretch to 28 if absolute must but that's it. Anything else is just brutal for me.

I suggested Finn Air because I ended up with them once on the way to SIN because it was such a great deal (booked through British Air, I think, or perhaps the other way around). In any event, I neglected to pay attention to my own rules and was stuck with a 6 or was it 8 hour layover at Heathrow. There's lots to do at Heathrow to help the time pass but that's not for me.

For you flying out of Montreal, it should be a much easier trip going through Europe to first stops in Se Asia. I'm confused why fly to Shanghai bypassing and then flying back.

Perhaps I should look more closely at a map. lol

 

[Melisande Leduc]

Direct flights from Montreal to Shanghai are SUPER cheap right now. 750 $CAD...

 

[Melisande Leduc]

And yeah, I'm like you @chillyinCanada - I often see crazy flight deals with 28 hours layover... I'm too old for that ****.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Direct flights from Montreal to Shanghai are SUPER cheap right now. 750 $CAD...

Have you looked into how much it will be from Shanghai to Singapore, Jakarta, Bali, etc. or even onwards to Sorong? You might be able to get 1 ticket all the way from Shanghai to Sorong through Garuda or something but if not you may need 2 additional ones. My guess is the pricing to Sorong that way is going to be less competitive in pricing because there are fewer carriers (or no others) going to Sorong from Shanghai. If it’s a ticket to Sorong from Indonesia, there are so many small local carriers that keeps pricing pretty competitive. Whether they are great airlines to take is another matter.

I would add everything up to see what it ends up being and if the savings, if any, are worth the extra hassle of more tickets and unnecessary stops which can also lead to misrouted or lost baggage.

I’ve been heading out to Indonesia about 2X a year lately and Sorong 1X a year. Even from California, it is a long journey over there; 28 hours with layovers and arriving at airports early, etc., is par for the course. Even more with Sorong added in.

 

[Melisande Leduc]

I booked a ticket Shanghai to Jakarta via KL/Bangkok on Air Asia for 250 USD.
Flight leaves Shanghai on the 19th at 1am, arrives in Jakarta on the 19th at 1pm.

The only mistake I made was that I forgot that the flight I was planning on taking to Shanghai from Montreal arrives at 4:35pm on the 19th. I stupidly didn't think of the time! So now, my Montreal-Shanghai flight will cost me more, and will not be direct because there are not direct fights on Sundays.

I just now need to figure out the Jakarta to Sorong side. I'm considering spending a few days in Manado first. So I just have to se what will be best:
- Roundtrip Jakarta-Manado OR Jakarta-Sorong + roundtrip Manado-Sorong
- Oneway Jakarta-Manado + oneway Manado-Sorong + oneway Sorong Jakarta

I'm still kicking myself for the newb mistake with my Shanghai flight... that'll teach me to book flights before having finished my coffee.

 

[outofofficebrb]

I booked a ticket Shanghai to Jakarta via KL/Bangkok on Air Asia for 250 USD.
Flight leaves Shanghai on the 19th at 1am, arrives in Jakarta on the 19th at 1pm.

The only mistake I made was that I forgot that the flight I was planning on taking to Shanghai from Montreal arrives at 4:35pm on the 19th. I stupidly didn't think of the time! So now, my Montreal-Shanghai flight will cost me more, and will not be direct because there are not direct fights on Sundays.

I just now need to figure out the Jakarta to Sorong side. I'm considering spending a few days in Manado first. So I just have to se what will be best:
- Roundtrip Jakarta-Manado OR Jakarta-Sorong + roundtrip Manado-Sorong
- Oneway Jakarta-Manado + oneway Manado-Sorong + oneway Sorong Jakarta

I'm still kicking myself for the newb mistake with my Shanghai flight... that'll teach me to book flights before having finished my coffee.

I don't think you messed up that badly on times. Arriving at 4:30 PM and next flight out at 1AM will allow for significant delays in flight arrival/departure times and minimize the likelihood that you miss your Shanghai to Jakarta flight. You can also head to a hotel and freshen up and rest before your next flight. Remember, you'll have to come out of customs and grab your checked baggage then re-check it. As it's an international flight, you'll need a few hours cushion before the flight departure. Get a stopover package at FM7 Hotel with a massage. You can use their shower/sauna/whirlpool/fitness center facilities.

Simplify your Jakarta/Manado/Sorong flights. Don't do so many separate tickets and legs. Look into the fare rules for "stopovers" which are sometimes free or for very little money which can also be done as a multi-city all in one ticket. If you are catching a liveaboard, I usually suggest doing your "extra time somewhere" after the liveaboard and not before. If you have extra time to kill, I would cushion more time in Sorong so that in case you have any baggage or flight delays at any point in your journey, you can account for that so you don't miss the liveaboard or risk having to go without your bags if they get misdirected or lost. There's nothing to do in Sorong which makes it boring, but I like to eliminate as many possible things going wrong as possible on the way out and do the stopovers and such after the liveaboard. Think of the worst things that can happen during travel and try to account for that.

Since your tickets are already booked and you are committed, I would now look into Jakarta to Sorong round trip. I would suggest stopping in Manado on the return journey after the liveaboard and would look at a stopover rule then or do a multi city all in one ticket going Jakarta to Sorong, Sorong to Manado, Manado to Jakarta. That should be cheaper than doing 3 1-way tickets.

When looking at your tickets don't forget to factor in your checked baggage inclusions. A lot of the airlines (Air Asia included) don't usually include any baggage and you have to pay for every kg. Don't forget airlines in Asia limit carry on to 7kg and they usually do weigh and check. Account for that when you compare some airfares. Garuda usually includes free checked baggage of around 20kg and then they also have 23kg of free scuba allowance whereas other carriers do not usually include anything although Batik does include 20kg with economy.

 

[Melisande Leduc]

"Get a stopover package at FM7 Hotel with a massage. You can use their shower/sauna/whirlpool/fitness center facilities."

Ohhhh, I like th sound of that!!!

I'm curious - why Manado on the way back?

 

[outofofficebrb]

I'm curious - why Manado on the way back?

I like to eliminate complexity and make travel to the liveaboard port of departure as streamlined and quickly as possible. If you have the luxury of extra time before a liveaboard, I like adding cushioned time at the port of departure so you don't miss a liveaboard due to flight issues, weather, baggage issues, etc. More stops and more things happening before a liveaboard tends to make things possibly more complicated or less forgiving when issues arise. Less stops mean less opportunities for weather to affect airport departures and arrivals or even cancellations. I prefer to spend time "elsewhere" after a liveaboard when it is more forgiving if there are delays and issues. You may arrive at your land based resort a day or so later, but you won't be missing the boat for the entire trip. I average quite a few liveaboards a year lately and these are the travel habits I like to make for myself. I regularly go out for long periods of time and often do more than 1 liveaboard on a trip or will do a liveaboard and then go somewhere else land based to dive as well. I usually do the "something else" after the liveaboard, not usually before for these reasons. Flight travel in Southeast Asia is not always as reliable or on time as they are in other parts of the world.