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February 4, 2013

Detroit Free Press “Travel Diva” Recommends Australia 2000 Travel

Dear Travel Diva: I am trying to plan a trip to Australia and need assistance from a travel agent who has expertise in the country. Do you happen to know of an agency in Michigan? My particular interest is to visit the Australian wine-growing regions and to travel by train. –Down Under Wonder

Dear Down: Karen Hardy Hodgson, owner of Australia 2000 Travel in Birmingham, is an Aussie who specializes in Australia/New Zealand, especially in custom itineraries like the one you’re looking for.

She says that in her 20 years of sending tourists to Australia, she finds that Americans now know far more about the faraway nation than they used to. It’s also a lot easier to get there, with nonstops to Sydney from Los Angeles and to Brisbane from Dallas.

“When I started coming here (from Australia) 30 years ago, you had to make five stops. Now you can fly nonstop,” she says. “It’s like taking the bus.” OK, it’s a bus that takes 14 hours, but it flies overnight. Although Delta flies to Sydney, she likes the service on Qantas better; it’s also a Star Alliance partner with American Airlines.

Flights generally cost about $1,600 to $2,000 round-trip. She advises visitors to plan a two-week trip at minimum — three days for traveling and 11 days there.

Most Americans don’t realize that Australia is about the same size as the continental U.S., Hodgson says — so don’t try to do the entire nation at once, mate. Explore that Aussie magic slowly.

“I try to give people four days at any one spot,” says Hodgson.

Read “Diva’s” full article here then contact us to design your own customized adventure to the Lands Down Under that CNN & Lonely Planet have named the Top Destinations of 2013!

Article by Hillary / Blog, Press Releases / American Airlines, Australia, Australia 2000 Travel, Brisbane, Custom Itineraries, Detroit Free Press Travel Diva, Karen Hardy Hodgson, Michigan, New Zealand, Qantas, Star Alliance, Sydney

June 21, 2011

The Safety of Flying with Qantas

Today, this headline on Foreign Airline Safety from USA Today caught my eye:

Millions of Americans board flights on foreign airlines every year with little or no idea of how safe they will be, and the U.S. government provides no help telling them which ones may be risky to fly.

In contrast, the European Union gives passengers a safety yardstick by listing foreign airlines ? more than 270 of them from 20 nations ? it has banned from flying into airports within the EU because it considers the airlines too unsafe.

The U.S. government’s aviation safety regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, lists nations’ civil aviation authorities that do not meet minimum international standards for safe flying and do not provide proper oversight of airlines based within their borders. ?Read More…

Isn?t it a sad time to think that we need to come across an article like this to make us question whether or not it is safe to board an airline flight within another country?? Is it that we believe other countries are beholding to the same air safety standards that we have in the US or are we simply too trusting?? Shouldn?t it be eye opening to learn that 22 of the 103 foreign civil aviation authorities evaluated by the FAA don’t meet minimum international safety standards and don’t sufficiently oversee the airlines in their countries?

While all forms of travel pose potential risk, did you know that Australia?s own Qantas Airways is known to have an unrivalled safety record? Qantas states that its commitment to safety is the number one priority and recently this vow was put to the test as ash from a Chilean volcano eruption filled the air causing Qantas to cancel several flights between Australia & New Zealand.? While the public and certainly delayed passengers have weighed in on the decision Qantas stood behind its policy to put safety first even when other airlines were continuing to fly similar routes.? What do you think?? Should the safety of passengers override political correctness or even ?peer? pressure?

Article by Hillary / Blog / Australia, EU, FAA, Flying, Qantas, Qantas Air Safety, Safety

July 8, 2010

Thank You from Patrick

G?day Karen!

We?ve only been back 2 days and all I can think about is when can we go back? Even with the jetlag, I have to say this was one of the best experiences in my life. I?d like to thank you for all your help in making this a ?Lifer? experience for us! So many wonderful memories we?ve brought back, that it?s tough to know where to begin.

Premium Economy seating ? While the price tag was higher, the seating was definitely worth the extra cost. So much more comfortable than regular economy seating. And the Qantas staff was fabulous.

[Read more…]

Article by Hillary / Blog, Testimonial / Adelaide, Australia, Australian Wine, Barossa Valley, Elderton Winery, Hotel Lindrum, John Baldwin, Kangaroo Island, Kangaroos, Koala, Marble Lodge, Melbourne Tour Guide, Puffing Billy, Qantas, Seals, Seppeltsfield, Touring, Vincenzo Cuccina, Vineyards

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