Fly your family to Australia and get one free flight to NZ using Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

I realized yesterday that if I transfer my kids points and my husbands points to my Qantas frequesnt flyer points after one trip to Australia, I get around 80,000 extra points, which entitles me to one free return flight between L.A. and New Zealand.
I still have to make my own way from Salt Lake city to LAX but I can accept that. Apparently there is $300 in fees and taxes that i must pay with that "free flight."

Please see my earlier post from 2009 for some good advice and suggestions on the cheapest and best ways to get to Australia.
I went to Australia for two months this year and flew Qantas from LAX via New Zealand. It was a long flight but I enjoyed the free stopover in New Zealand for three days on the way back.
Also, for no extra cost, we flew into Brisbane and made our own way to Cairns where we flew out. We did the entire trip with all these changes and stopovers for under $1000 each.
I still don't like Qantas but end up using them almost every time now due to the flexibility they offer with the cheap fares. The service isn't the best. In fact I would say it is actually quite bad. I would choose Air New Zealand any day, except they just can't offer me all the options I need.

Book the Cheapest Flights to Australia

The best and cheapest flights to Australia

By Pepita Ridgeway,

This is my brother on a paddle board in Noosa, QLD, Australia

Ever considered a trip to Australia? Well now is the time! Some airlines are charging $600 return from LA or San Francisco! I fly there every year from the U.S. and I know where all the good deals are. Here are some of my tips when booking your trip to Australia. All the pics here are of me and my family in Australia November 2008.

Step 1

There are several ways to get to Australia from the U.S. The cheapest "Hubs" to fly from are LA, San Francisco, Vancouver and Hawaii. It is nearly ALWAYS cheaper to find your way to LAX and SFO on a domestic carrier.

Step 2

By far my favorite airline is Air New Zealand from LAX or SFO. Airfares are very competitive and you have many choices when flying, such as stopping over in NZ for a few days each way or one way. I also like the option to fly into Sydney and out of Brisbane, or into Cairns in far north Queensland and out of Brisbane or Sydney. You need to make your own way from point to point at your own expense, but it's a good way to see some of Australia's best attractions. Air New Zealand planes are very luxurious, even for coach, the service is good, and the food is TO DIE FOR!

Step 3

Fly with Qantas. Qantas planes are less comfortable and the service is nowhere as nice as Air New Zealand, but it's a big company and maybe I've just had a bunch of bad experiences with them. Still, they offer really cheap return fares out of LAX and SFO as low as about $700 return.

Step 4

Another option we use regularly is to get ourselves to Oahu, Hawaii on a domestic carrier, such as Delta. Then use Australia's cheapest airline, Jetstar (owned by Qantas). You can only book them online at Jetstar.com. This is a fun option because Waikiki Beach in Oahu is an excellent stopover on such a long haul.

Step 5

Fly from Canada. Sometimes you will see on the booking sites that flights are cheaper from Canada, so it's worth checking out.

Step 6

Some other options are Air Tahiti Nui via Tahiti - giving you a fun stopover, or our absolute favorite - Japan Airlines JAL. They were wonderful and we got a FREE stayover in Japan in a 5 star hotel. But this was a long time ago and we have never been able to find those cheap fares again. But if you do happen to see them - just do it. Japan is exciting and fun, even if it's only overnight.