Fly to 6 Continents in Style

by laumac • 14 years ago

240 81 14 years ago

rjsamson3• 14 years ago

So this is pretty cool and everything, but the frustrating thing for me is I would love to see the itineraries that won, but I keep getting greeted with a "only the contest owner can view flight details." I'd love to see this opened up - I think it would build a lot more trust in their platform.

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi rj,

Here are the details for the economy itinerary, which was $1730 for 6 Continents. We're working with the expert of the business class itinerary to see what details he's happy for us to post.

   JFK 18-Oct-2012 GEO 18-Oct-2012 Delta (New York, US to Georgetown, Guyana)
   GEO 25-Oct-2012 JFK 25-Oct-2012 Delta (Georgetown, Guyana to New York, US)
   JFK 14-Nov-2012 TXL 15-Nov-2012 Air Berlin (New York, US to Berlin, Germany)
   SXF 29-Jan-2013 AGA 29-Jan-2013 EasyJet (Berlin, Germany to Agadir, Morocco)
   AGA 05-Feb-2013 LGW 05-Feb-2013 EasyJet (Agadir, Morocco to London, UK)
   LTN 26-Feb-2013 SAW 26-Feb-2013 EasyJet (London, UK to Istanbul, Turkey)
   SAW 18-Mar-2013 IKA 19-Mar-2013 Pegasus (Istanbul, Turkey to Tehran, Iran)
   IKA 29-Mar-2013 KUL 30-Mar-2013 AirAsia (Tehran, Iran to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
   KUL 02-Apr-2013 PER 02-Apr-2013 AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Perth, Australia - YAY!)
   PER 07-Apr-2013 KUL 07-Apr-2013 AirAsia (Perth, Australia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
   KUL 09-Apr-2013 BKK 09-Apr-2013 AirAsia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Bangkok, Thailand)
   BKK 18-Apr-2013 KBP 18-Apr-2013 Aerosvit (Bangkok, Thailand to Kiev, Ukraine)
   KBP 18-Apr-2013 JFK 18-Apr-2013 Aerosvit (Kiev, Ukraine to New York, US)

corin_4• 14 years ago

Would it not make sense to enable public viewing for it on the site - at least in instances like above where you are happy to let people know?

I feel the rough cost should be promoted up front, I remember the last time you did one of these promo contests (or at least the last time one was on HN) I found it interesting, then was put off by the fact that you didn't allow viewing of the winning itinerary, and the fact that information on the service didn't seem to be as accessible as it could have been... I then completely forgot about you.

This time I clicked around, entered some information and saw the prices - and signed up to pay for a search. If the results are good, or even suggest promise for the future, I'll be sure to remember you. But I'm not sure I would have done any of this if a.) I wasn't sat here watching a football (soccer) match that's boring the hell out of me and b.) Next week I need to go on a trip to two cities in hopefully a single day, i.e. good timing

Edit: More feedback, would be nice to have more flexibility in requesting flight details. For example my trip next week, I don't care what day it's on (any of Mon-Fri would be fine), but I don't want to put +/- 3 days because I don't want one flight Monday and the next on Friday. Additionally I want to go to two cities, I don't care in which order. Maybe you could take a look at my notes on http://flightfox.com/contest/23238 and tell me a.) If it's OK that I specified them there and b.) If it might be possible to be able to specify them somewhere more efficient rather than just writing prose

rjsamson3• 14 years ago

Thanks! In my personal opinion I think that seeing that actual itinerary really boosts the 'WOW' factor.

brk6• 14 years ago

So, this requires essentially being gone for 4 continuous months in order to get these prices?

I'm not sure how amazing that is really. That's also 4 months of living on the road, hotels, meals, etc.

If you wanted to visit all 6 continents, it seems like you could do it for a cheaper overall rate by just book 6 individual flights over time taking advantage of various promotions.

rm999• 14 years ago

Very cool, but I'm not clear who your site targets. That price is amazing but the itinerary involves a lot of flying around on terrible airlines. I usually have a lot of restrictions: I want to fly on these dates, with the fewest travel hours possible, on good, dependable airlines. How much leeway is in there to save money?

paulgb• 14 years ago

I was curious to see how the prices broke down and made a spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0ArqFVqywuf39dEZ...

My total was $2617. I know flight prices change over time, but I'm guessing that whoever found this took advantage of some promotions or booking methods other than buying directly from the airline?

todsul14• 14 years ago

And here are some of the details of the business class itinerary for $3,630. Keep in mind that a similar itinerary from the same expert came in at $2569. That itinerary didn't win because we couldn't verify it online. The expert suggested it required a quick phone call.

   Los Angeles LAX to Sydney SYD
   Sydney SYD to Bangkok BKK
   Bangkok BKK to XXX
   XXX to XXX
   XXX to Cairo CAI
   Cairo CAI to London LHR
   London LHR to XXX
   XXX to Bogota BOG
   Bogota BOG to XXX
   XXX to Los Angeles LAX

Apologies for the missing details, but these details are the experts' secret sauce. If you actually want to take a trip like this, let us know and we can hold a content for you and make sure the best experts know about it.

corin_4• 14 years ago

Not personally interested in that deal, but wondering: what would it take to get that trip. Could create a contest, but would it need paying more than the minimum fee to get that same deal? Do some experts not get out of bed for less than $x?

brk6• 14 years ago

So who are these "experts"? Travel agents? What is the motivation to them to keep certain details secret?

joshAg• 14 years ago

how long is the trip from LA to LA, how much would the finder's fee be, on each continent and could it be made to include at least a stop of 48 contiguous hours?

patdennis• 14 years ago

Six continents for what I spend per month on rent? Pretty amazing. Even at three grand it would be a great deal...

This seems like a useful service. I wonder how often it produces results this good.

greyboy• 14 years ago

Well, unless you are living, eating and travelling on each continent for free over the 6 months, it's going to cost much more than the stated price.

grecy4• 14 years ago

I drove from Alaska to Argentina in 22 months, and my expenses on the road were identical to what they had been for the previous two years going to work every day.

It's very common to go traveling the world for basically the same amount of money you spend just going to work.

http://theroadchoseme.com/the-price-of-adventure

drgath• 14 years ago

Damn, that really has me thinking about doing something similar. One advantage of being in Web development is I (and many others here) can work from anywhere as long as there is an an occasional Internet connection. Certainly nothing full-time (defeats the purpose of traveling), but a few hundred dollars here and there probably goes a long ways.

mosburger2• 14 years ago

How'd you cross the Darién Gap?

tayl0r4• 14 years ago

I really want to submit my upcoming trip to FlightFox but I'm not sure of the best time to do it and there also isn't a date range that is wide enough for what I want.

I want to travel anytime in late October or November (5 week window vs the 6 day window the site allows). I have 2 adults and 1 lap infant. I am going one-way from Berlin, Germany to Orlando, Florida.

When would be the best time to submit this trip? Is it even worth it given the best price I can find online is about 1200 EUR total?

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi tayl0r, yes, you can mention your extra flexibility in the description section of your contest. We're working on better handling flexibility, such as in your case around dates/times.

The best time to submit is sooner rather than later since, for the most part, fares go up, not down. 1200E is a fairly good price. However, if you want absolute rock bottom prices, make sure you say that in your contest and our experts will really go to work.

As you can imagine, not everyone wants the lowest price, especially traveling with an infant. But I highly recommend you give Flightfox a go and see how our experts can help you.

The great thing is it's often just $20 or $30, which is not a lot compared to the price of your trip. At worst, we can refund your fee, but more likely, you'll see how the experts work and may save a couple of hundred dollars.

tayl0r4• 14 years ago

Awesome, just submitted the contest.

tayl0r4• 14 years ago

I just booked it from Flightfox. Only 1080 USD and the flight is shorter with less stopovers than the one I found for 1200 EUR. I'm pretty impressed and will definitely be using Flightfox again.

I really like how you can talk back and forth with the experts via the comment system.

brk6• 14 years ago

OK, I don't get it (granted I didn't spend a ton of time reading through all the details).

What I was hoping for is some way I could book the "winning" itinerary through some means. I was ready to buy 2 of the business-class trips instantly, but it seems this is more of a "bragging" site (in a good way), showing how cheaply you've managed to book a given itinerary?

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi brk, This was an in-house contest to test the skills of our experts. You can absolutely put up a similar contest to receive similar results. Love the idea about being able to book other flyers' itineraries. We're in a heavy product dev phase, so I'll share it with the team. Yes, in one sense we are bragging what real travel experts can do. The premise of Flightfox is, especially for high-value trips, you should leverage the skills and local knowledge of experts. Best.

brk6• 14 years ago

OK, thanks for the explanation.

So, how exactly would I use the site for my benefit (honest question from someone who books about 50-70K flight miles per year)?

yefim323• 14 years ago

Why not use http://www.orbitz.com/ ?

nachteilig• 14 years ago

This site supposedly lets one do complicated trips for less than one might spend on orbitz and the like. It's essentially 21st century travel agent mixed with a competition.

ashbrahma• 14 years ago

If I am interested in the business class itinerary - do I have to recreate the entire contest or is there a chance I can jump on this deal by paying the same finders fee?

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi ashbrahma, please email us at team at flightfox.com if you're interested in this specific itinerary and we can help you get booked. Alternatively, if you're after something similar, but equally adventurous, also get in contact and we can work with you to post a new contest.

volandovengo• 14 years ago

Great stuff Todd! Is there any way to ensure that the best experts bid on the flights submitted. Seems like a few people really are crafty with their details!

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi there, really it comes down to the size of the finder's fee. For a trip that will cost a lot regardless, it's worth submitting a large fee to attract the best experts. We have almost 1000 experts, and the ones who win these RTW contests aren't necessarily the ones that can help you. Some people know certains countries or airlines better that others.

samstave• 14 years ago

In October of 2000 I took a 5 month sebattical trip to backpack through SE Asia. The ticket was called a pan pacific ticket, it allowed for up to (I think 7) stops. You just called and scheduled the flight you wanted when you wanted it. It had no set itinerary, and the ticket cost $2,300.

I went from SFO to HK, and then hopped all around Tom Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and was planned to go to Sydney for the last stop, but had to come back early.

I spent five months total, most of the trip was in hostels and beach bungalows, I stayed in a hotel in hong long and spent nearly $3,000 there over two weeks.

I spent over a month on Koh Phangan in Thailand, at Haad Yao beach - all my meals, drinks and bungalow for that month, as well as all the meals and drinks for a girlfriend from germany who stayed with me a week: $250.

I'd love to do this again, but now I have kids and it will be until they are in their teens before I can take them on a similar trip.

todsul14• 14 years ago

Hi Sam, we met a few couples traveling the world with young children. One of our friends even gave birth in Thailand and after a short break, just kept traveling. When you speak to their children, even though they're young, you sense a real difference. Anyway, just wanted to say that people do still do this. Here's a blog of the aforementioned friend: http://almostfearless.com/ (update: she's expecting a second and is currently in Lebanon).

b_emery• 14 years ago

But what about that elusive 7th continent? Here's one possible way to check that off your list. Find a research lab that is doing Antarctic Research and apply to join them as a volunteer. There are often positions for volunteers. As you can imagine, these are quite popular so it may be a difficult route, but it seems like there is always a need for people with electronics and computer skills. There are also job openings, eg http://www.usap.gov/jobsAndOpportunities/.

It may cost you your time, but possibly not much else. I went to Palmer Station as a volunteer on an oceanographic research cruise and was able to use my travel stipend to stay in Chile for a few weeks afterward. For all my hard work I also received the Antarctic Service Medal [1]. (Not exactly sure why since I was not affiliated with the Military!). Definitely one of the best deals of my life.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica_Service_Medal

zheng• 14 years ago

Would love to read a bit more about your experiences, that sounds like a ton of fun! Consider this a request for a blog post.

peterhajas• 14 years ago

Seconded, this sounds like a fascinating read.

iamdave• 14 years ago

Agreed, I would absolutely love to read this and share it with my mother. She's a huge nerd for expeditionary travel and research.

rdl6• 14 years ago

I was looking at the winterover Raytheon satellite engineer job for a while, too, at McMurdo. Unfortunately I can't justify taking a year off of my life now, but it would be really fun to do someday. (winterover would be more attractive than being part of a huge manned outpost in the austral summer, to me).

DavidAdams• 14 years ago

My friend Phil Jacobsen has worked for several years in Antarctica at McMurdo, starting as a dishwasher, and moving up to better jobs in subsequent years. He wrote a very interesting account of a side-trip to the South Pole here: http://www.salon.com/2003/01/23/bigchill/

kqr2• 14 years ago

For those interested in working at Antarctica, check out the Big Dead Place:

http://www.bigdeadplace.com/welcome.html

From the old Antarctica FAQ on working there:

  First time is for the adventure, 
  Second time for the money, 
  And third because you can't work anywhere else

http://antarctica.kulgun.net/Jobs/

Samuel_Michon• 14 years ago

How many continents are there, really. The answer isn't necessarily 7.

“Remove the ice sheet that covers Antarctica and you reveal it for the archipelago it really is, not the single land mass it pretends to be. And, to complicate matters, the largest of these Antarctic Islands is smaller than Australia. So if you want to keep calling Antarctica a continent, then there’s a bunch of other islands that might want to be continents too. Islands like New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar, Baffin Island, Sumatra, and Honshu.”

http://blog.cgpgrey.com/what-are-continents/

rdl6• 14 years ago

Wow, this makes me want to book a flight in the near future just to get flightfox to find me an awesome routing.

What I'd really like is if they could take into account FF status, and also hotel pricing (at the particular chain I like, Starwood).

Book me a 3-8 week trip visiting as many places as possible from a set of N cities (plus transits anywhere) staying at Starwood properties (as nice as possible), using CX preferentially, with at least 20k miles on Star Alliance carriers, and avoiding UAE transit or stops, and willing to pay certain multiples for business class flights or upgraded hotels (St. Regis vs. Aloft).

Combining hotel and airfare bookings would make the whole thing a lot more valuable for multi-stop itineraries. E.g. spending $500 more for a BKK transit (and 3-5 day stop) vs. a SIN transit, since BKK has 5 star hotels for $120/night vs. $300/night.

3JPLW• 14 years ago

FlightFox allows you to specify frequent flyer miles and apparently some experts do take that into account.

accountoftheday• 14 years ago

i am curious about what you find wrong with UAE transit or stops. was fun to me.

rdl6• 14 years ago

Several people I know have gotten arrested on BS charges (related to being journalists/grad students and investigating the slave-labor-of-subcontinentals thing).

rdl6• 14 years ago

The deal with official RTW fares, at least in 2000-2008 when I was checking them, was to buy them ex-interesting country vs. ex-USA. They have a price set in local currency, so when a currency drops vs. the USD, it takes them 6-12 months to adjust prices. ex-CAI, ex-BKK, ex-KUL were all excellent places to buy for a long time.

A guy on flyertalk would maintain a list of ex-various *A RTW prices. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuTBktAWbGhwdHd...

saryant2• 14 years ago

sbm13 (Another Flyertalker) maintains a version on that mashed up on Google Maps: http://www.wandr.me/RTW_Fares.aspx/

rdl6• 14 years ago

Wow, I remember when FRTWSTAR3 were <$7k, now they're about $20k. (post-9/11)

Irishsteve• 14 years ago

Is the price of the business trip in anyway linked to certain political 'disagreements' in Cairo which happens to be one of the locations.

Geekette• 14 years ago

This post confused me in terms of itinerary options available. If you decide to setup a trip "contest", is there any way to specify whether you want economy or business class?

Also, in terms of experts guarding their tips, what's to stop users sharing/comparing/aggregating their contest and tips/tricks behind them elsewhere? Eg if someone asks on quora and several customers answer with details of their bookings...

michael991• 14 years ago

Here's a 25% affiliate discount: http://flightfox.com/referral/16686

natekapi• 14 years ago

Did the trip span the entire month of October? This seems like a pretty awesome itinerary. I wish you could post the dates too, so people could see how many days they got in each city.

Fly to 6 Continents in Style

Related Stories