I Won a $500 Etihad Voucher. Where Should I Go?

Lbargainlurker on 22/05/2016 - 09:51
Last edited 22/05/2016 - 09:52

Hi there Ozbargainers,

Last night I won a $500 etihad flight voucher through one of STA Travel's facebook competitions.
Only thing is I don't really have the time to make it to Europe during the voucher's travel period (Now until 30 Nov). Also Europe is the only place in the world I've ever travelled to so I would love to go somewhere else instead.
I don't have a huge amount of excess money to add so would prefer to go somewhere closer and for a shorter period of time (probably can't go for more than about 2 weeks).

I'm not sure what other options I have when flying with Etihad.
Any suggestions? If it helps I'm a female, 21 year old student :). Oh and departing from Brisbane

Thanks :)

Travel

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Comments

  • scrimshaw on 22/05/2016 - 10:02
    +1

    Congratulations. I'd probably go somewhere cheap. Vietnam or Thailand is a good place to start.

  • retiredfeline on 22/05/2016 - 10:06
    +6

    Have you looked at Etihad's destinations map?

  • gringo on 22/05/2016 - 10:36
    +7

    Dubbo

  • snappy1234 on 22/05/2016 - 10:39

    Gee hope they let you do a codeshare (not seeing much cheap/close)direct with them from Brisbane

    • rambutann on 22/05/2016 - 11:49
      +1

      Yeah if you cant get a codeshare flight with virgin or something you're going to have a bad time.

  • inherentchoice on 22/05/2016 - 13:55
    +1

    Can you just sell the voucher? Can you use the voucher to book a Virgin Australia flight on the Etihad website? They should sell at least some VA flights as they are codeshare partners?

  • zappy32 on 22/05/2016 - 17:17

    If you can, sell it. I don't think you'll be able to book Virgin flights with it and so the cheapest flight you'll get is probably to the UAE(which won't be cheap) or else where in the Middle East.

  • bargainlurker on 22/05/2016 - 18:43

    Yeah I had a look at the route map. I didn't see much closer than UAE. I'm hoping that maybe I can sort some sort of codeshare thing out (wasn't sure if there was an easier way to look at this). I'm not 100% on how I redeem the voucher yet, waiting for STA to get back to me during the week.

    It's non-transferable :(.

    Thanks for your suggestions! :) v

    • zappy32 on 23/05/2016 - 02:09
      +1

      If it's through STA, at least you should be able to get a decent priced ticket and especially if you want to use it one way.

      Honestly, I'd use it to go back to Europe, perhaps somewhere you haven't been for only $500 out of your pocket.

  • PlasticSpaceman on 23/05/2016 - 09:02
    +1

    Can always pay for a cheap return flight to (say) Sydney with the likes of Jetstar to increase the range of possible destinations, like Sri Lanka or Maldives. Maybe make that part of the holiday (ie stay there for a day or two, use the train to get to/from the city and that way no stress about missing connections). The biggest issue though will be getting cheap flights with Etihad, even after taking into account the voucher. Hopefully if you are flexible with the dates, then the agent will be able to find some decent options. Enjoy!

  • goosegog on 23/05/2016 - 12:30

    We won a trip on the Queen Victoria sailing from Southampton, England with flights included by Qatur Airlines from Perth - but no transfers from Heathrow to Southampton, or back.
    We come from Southampton but trying to hire a car after docking on a Sunday was impossible, nothing open.
    Bear in mind that we live in Perth & when anyone decides they want to visit, we pick them up, they have a great bedroom with a walk in robe, & a totally bespoke bathroom. I cook for them , they are given guided tours everywhere in our cars - even lent a car to use. Yet when we go back, we are told " we have to go to work", " we'll get a takeaway tonight - this is the price of your order" , Sorry you will have to hire a car to use & pick yourselves up & drop off "
    The whole episode proved too difficult - also the total formality of the "Queen Victoria " with formal every night + 4 extra formal during a 12 night cruise.Even on disembarkation my husband would have been required to wear a jacket as all suitcases were taken the night before leaving him with an unwanted jacket.
    We have cruised 18 times , mostly with Princess, P&O , Royal Carribean, Celebrity,NCL. Nothing proved as formal as this trip - we cruise to have a holiday, not to dress up formally every evening after 5 p.m.
    So, we gave it a miss & enjoyed our own home with our dogs. Sorry to have missed it but think it was the best choice.
    Going to cruise down the Panama Canal in January on the Island Princess.
    Our having people to stay are now hopefully over. They use our pool & spa - have a wonderful time, so our concsious is clear but to go back to the total doom& gloom of England with no return of hospitality has now proved too much to suffer.

  • PlasticSpaceman on 26/05/2016 - 11:56
    +1

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/249694 - $999 return for Dublin, Athens, Rome or Madrid. Less the voucher would make that $499. Just came back from Madrid myself - good tapas, but suspect that Barcelona might be more fun. I know you say you've been to Europe and would like to try somewhere else, but for less than $500 it's dang cheap. Going to Athens and then hopping on a ferry to one of the islands appeals to me…..

    • bargainlurker on 27/05/2016 - 11:07

      Thanks yeah!! I just saw this. I've gotten in contact with STA to see if this would be discounted for a one way trip — was thinking of doing BNE - Dublin/Madrid and then flying Norwegian Air across to New York for about $450 and then home from LA for $500 also.

      I was already planning on going to the US at the end of the year but this way I will get to go Brisbane - Europe - US - Home for about $1000 which would be fantastic.

      Madrid is wonderful isn't it? Tapas, dinner at 11pm, sangria all round and the 'dulcet' tones of the Castilian people.

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