Need Help Please Booking Flights to Washington DC (IAD)

parallelparadox on 09/08/2023 - 16:59

Hi All,

I am looking to travel from Sydney to US (Washington IAD) to visit family in October for around 3 weeks (as long as in October, not fussed about dates) and wanted to also take the family (3 kids below age of 12 and 2 adults so total of 5) and wanted to spend roughly $2k per leg for tickets for adults (including checked in baggage). We will also be taking a young toddler so wanted to avoid extended transit times and majority of the tickets have really long transits.

Unsure where to start, have checked a few websites like Skyscanner and IWTF and tickets are very expensive.

Any help and guidance will be really appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Travel Airfare North America United States Washington DC

Comments

  • pharkurnell on 09/08/2023 - 17:05
    +1

    … have checked a few websites like Skyscanner and IWTF and tickets are very expensive.

    Welcome to the real world….Sadly.

  • Benoffie on 09/08/2023 - 17:07
    +3

    Prices seem fairly consistent, $18-1900.

    Air Canada via Vancouver.
    American via LAX and Dallas

    Kayak is helpful for spotting cheap days. They also show Air Canada being the cheapest at $1826 return

  • Hybroid on 09/08/2023 - 17:08
    +1

    You may find it cheaper to fly direct to LAX and then get domestic flights from LAX to IAD. But consider luggage and transfer times. Maybe 1-2 night stopover. Disneyland?

    Start with the major airlines websites directly and check the "flexible with dates" option to see alternatives. Left it a bit late for October flights, won't be anything cheap those close.

    • djkelly69 on 09/08/2023 - 17:41
      +1

      Personally I would be trying everything I can to avoid transiting LAX.

      • jv on 09/08/2023 - 20:05
        -1

        Easier said than done if you have constipation…

    • parallelparadox on 10/08/2023 - 11:09

      Yeah, with the price of flights, had to wait on my tax refund lol

  • djkelly69 on 09/08/2023 - 17:18
    +3

    Google flights says just over $8k total for 5 pax (2A, 3C<12) on Air Canada, SYD-IAD via YVR, leaving Mon 2/10 and returning Mon 23/10.

    1 free checked bag and 1 free carry on per person.

    Seems a pretty decent price to me? Not quite sure what you were expecting/hoping to pay, but I doubt you are going to get anything significantly cheaper than that.

    • parallelparadox on 10/08/2023 - 11:10

      This is actually pretty good. When I look at Google flights, I get $2600 for Air Canada. Not sure why.

      • djkelly69 on 10/08/2023 - 11:20

        I only looked for the 5 pax as you specified. I think it is slightly cheaper for the taxes on a child's seat in international, so maybe that is why it is different?

  • sumyungguy on 09/08/2023 - 17:21
    +2

    I'm a Rome2Rio user but have also been getting into Google Flights. Do you have any QFF points? Domestic flight redemptions in the USA are quite good value. Alaska flies LAX/DCA so you could purchase SYD/LAX return with American then use an alternative domestic carrier to get to IAD or DCA (Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest). A$302 for LAX/IAD DCA/LAX in October with Alaska.

    • parallelparadox on 10/08/2023 - 11:11

      Yeah this would have been great except I am not a frequent flyer. So unfortunately I looked into this and it came out quiet expensive for me.

      • sumyungguy on 10/08/2023 - 13:14
        +1

        Everyone I know who has recently flown Air Canada says it's pretty ordinary. As others have suggested, fly SYD/LAX return (say, American), have a recovery layover at a LAX hotel then do the domestic sectors with another carrier (e.g. Alaska). The another layover in LAX on the way home. Pre-COVID you could have broken up your trip by flying with Hawaiian but their prices are quite high at the moment.

  • Protractor on 09/08/2023 - 17:25
    -1

    Can you get me a Trump autographed MAGA cap please?

    • jv on 09/08/2023 - 20:04

      He's in Florida

  • jv on 09/08/2023 - 20:04

    Just leave the kids at home.

    Will save money and also have a more relaxing holiday there.

  • MELso on 09/08/2023 - 20:24
    +1

    Don't limit yourself to IAD - think about flying into BWI or DCA.

    Anyway flights.google.com is useful. Just don't book through an OTA because they're pains to deal with if any issues arise. Just go straight to the airline to book…

    EDIT AC will get you to IAD and back with quick connections for $9.15k for 5 (with seat selection - which you'll want with kids), out on 4/10, back on 25/10…

    • parallelparadox on 10/08/2023 - 11:12

      Thank you, will look into this.

      Edit: Found some decent prices and travel times with Air Canada, when I go to the Air Canada website, the prices are vastly different to the third party.

      Any tips or ideas to get same prices?

      • MELso on 11/08/2023 - 09:08
        +1

        Check what the OTA is actually offering.

        As their business model is about flogging the cheapest price on Skyscanner/Kayak searches, the tickets are often non-refundable and/or lack checked baggage and/or don't come with seat selection etc. And as already stated, they're an absolute pain to deal with if anything needs to change.

  • Karlotta - Margarita on 09/08/2023 - 21:59

    I've done this with one child over the pacific to US and Canada several times. It looks like all current flights out of SYD leave morning here and get into either LAX or YVR early in the morning. I would be trying to do a 1 night stopover if possible on the way there, spend a night and a flight the next day/overnight into WAS. On the way back I would possibly push it all the way home but only if your kids are good travellers.

    I'll send you a message with a Kayak search for a multi leg flight which came up at $1745 which might be helpful.I

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