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I am 100% blind and am considering traveling to Auckland by myself to visit a friend this February. Since being almost 24 hours on a plane non-stop directly from Vancouver to Auckland does not do it for me, I’m going to try to pick a cost-effective flight route, so I can make some stops and get off the plane. I’d like to do something like going from Winnipeg to Toronto, Toronto to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Cape Town, then from there either go directly to Auckland or go to Johannesburg, then Johannesburg to Auckland, or something like that where I make a few stops.

My question is, given that I’d be stopping in several cities on a couple continents, how would a trip like this work for a blind person such as myself? Surely a blind person like me should be able to get help. I want to try to avoid having to take Henrietta along with me, since that means I'd have to pay for her ticket as well, as her hotel and food and such, not to mention she likes to stop all the time.

What is your best solution in getting to Auckland while making several stops in terms of accessibility? Also what types of stops would you recommend for me to make on this trip? Is my plan good?

henrietta is my girlfriend, and I'd like a few stops that last anywhere for a few minutes to a few hours, so I can at least get off the plane and stretch. I've done 14 hour buss trips with my GF with no stops and it was hell, so I'd like a couple stops at least, even if it's not the exact route I mention above.

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  • Have you done less ambitious trips solo? – Patricia Shanahan Sep 24 '17 at 16:21
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    I think in a similar situation, I would fly Vancouver to Hawaii, then to NZ or Australia. Flight time from Hawaii to Sydney is around 10 hours, for example. – mkennedy Sep 24 '17 at 16:32
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    The route you suggest is more than twice as far (distance wise) as the most direct route. Johannesburg to Auckland alone is the same distance as Winnipeg to Auckland. It’s probably going to be significantly more than twice as expensive because this isn’t a natural route; there will be little competition. It’s also simply bound to go wrong and require proactive work on your part to repair. This is a completely different type of trip to a quick hop to D.C. I really would consider just taking the most direct route you can. – Calchas Sep 24 '17 at 16:53
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    FYI, Vancouver to Auckland nonstop is 14 hours, hardly "almost 24". Also keep in mind that a widebody airliner is quite different from a bus; it's a lot easier to stand up, stretch and walk around on a large plane than a bus. – Nate Eldredge Sep 24 '17 at 19:26
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    It appears over 24 hours on the calendar because of the International Date Line. – Johns-305 Sep 24 '17 at 20:31
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Rather than beginning by selecting a route, I suggest working on selecting an airline.

Your best chance for good support at each change is to fly on a single ticket. First select airlines that fly between your end-points, including codeshare and partner airline flights. Ask them about their assistance for blind passengers. Search on-line for reviews of their services by other blind passengers.

Almost certainly, once you have picked an airline you will know your route. If not, you can ask for advice about which changes will be easier and better supported.

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