Australia, we don’t know you, but we love you, say our American friends

You flew Coach.

God bless you, but I would die in Coach for 17 hours.

Yeah, but it's no cheaper in the opposite direction.

Bullshit.

It is time and money.

But that isn't a problem for other countries?

Only 12% percent of US citizens per year go overseas at all !!
(and that includes Canada and Mexico as "overseas")

And only 2% of those come here.

And we pile ourselves into cattle class all the time. You can wear stockings and wander the cabin and do exercises to help re clots....Mind you, I have learned to do stopovers. Even a night in a hotel helps. More fun when you spend a couple of days at least exploring.

12%? For real? I have always felt they don't travel much but hadn't bothered to look it up.

Mind you, they generally get only 2 weeks leave per year.

Sure it is.

Americans who don't want to throw a clot in Coach to Oz are no better than anyone else in the world.

If you can manage almost 20 hours in the air...and in Coach...God Bless you.

Chances are you are a lot younger than me.

I have enough money to fly Business Class to Oz, and that is why I fly to Oz.

If I had to fly Cattle Car Coach, I would not be visiting your wonderful country.

Sorry if that pisses you off, but my comfort is worth more than your Aussie culture.

How did you extract that stat Eorl? - I don't believe it I'd be amazed if that many went overseas at all in a calendar year

My reading of that table about short term departures is that there were
634,600 to the US in that year (including business travel) which would be 3% of Oz population. It looks like about 30% of Australians went overseas (we can't tell repeat travellers though, I'm just allotting one journey per person)

Try 24, now I understand "Coach" Three plane changes and a 7hr wait at one airport with that swine flu or it felt like it

I'm with you, if I can afford it:) 2013.........

To my Aussie friends, we all want to visit America but there are definately, alot that would not travel those hours, and choose Bali, or the likes for a 5hr trip of a different Culture, me as one who did that as well for those reasons.

Next time I go to America, I'll do what I did when I went to Greece, take a sleeping pill... There before you know it...

There are always options.

oh, you are right! My maths is ****!
It did seem a bit high I must admit.

It's funny but neither Mrs Hinge or I have any desire to visit the US (except we both agree that New Orleans seemed appealing) but I've never known a visitor who hasn't enjoyed it - particularly NY.

We have a two year cycle where we don't take any leave in odd years then take two months off in even years to 'do a country' because
a) 19 countries in 14 days type tours seem like they must be hell on earth
b) We like slow travel (hikes, canal boats) to get a sense of place and renting a self catered apartment for a week somewhere cool (like Lake Lugano, on La Rambla a block from La Boqueria in Barcelona, a fourth floor walk up in Montmartre, or a rooftop apartment in Trasteverre with a short walk over the Tiber into Rome central)
c) We like a month with a hire car and no plans to see what we can find
d) We fly coach - and for that pain you don't want just a fortnight away (PS we wait for the early bird deals (about 6 months before departure)
e) We like showing off and making all our friends jealous

So far it's been Spain, Italy, France (I can honestly say we missed large swathes of all three that we'd like to go back to visit) - next May/June it's Portugal.

Having a diabetic dog sucks as far as travel goes. CD and I would otherwise, nick off for a month every year...

I used to do stop overs, when I travelled overseas, 5hrs is a long enough time on a plane... And, seeing different cultures, somewhere outside of Australia, or your own Country is worth paying another plane ticket for.

We will have to bide our time, for taking that time out... Our husky is beautiful, so 6am wakeups is worth it... But I swear, no more animals.. Because we do want to travel for a month or two every year and see as much as we possibly can.

I personally loved Greece, although I probably would not go there right now lols.

There is also so much more to explore in Australia. Especially Queensland..

But, going back to America and meeting up with several friends as well over there, is a dream for me, that will be a reality... So, like I said, sleeping tablets if I have to lols

Pets are our big stress too - right now we're vetting house sitters. We've never lost a pet - but we did lose house sitter once

You've got to wonder about some of them and their real credentials:)

My Vet, takes Kia and boards her with CD's dog, they have to be together, well he does, CD's dog.. Last time we left him here overnight and her in boarding, with neighbours feeding him and a door left open, he stressed so bad, the destroyed everything in sight.. But alas, the most we can do is 2 days, so Melbourne here we come again lols.

CHeck out his new album - just now out - available online - title: GON' BOOGALOO