Australia is near the top of many travelers’ bucket lists, but those long, 14-hour flights aren’t always budget-friendly.
When most travelers search for flights to Australia, they plug in Sydney (SYD) or Melbourne (MEL) as their destination – and they pay for it. Roundtrip flight prices to those cities often run into the quadruple digits. But that’s not the case everywhere.
If you’re looking to book an affordable trip to Australia right now, flying into Brisbane (BNE) is the key.
Brisbane has been the epicenter of cheap flights to the Land Down Under lately, after American, Delta, and United all launched nonstop service to the coastal city about 550 miles north of Sydney. Since those routes were announced, we’ve seen stellar flight deals to Brisbane, including fares from just $764 roundtrip, award flights from 34,000 Delta SkyMiles roundtrip, and even Delta One Suites business class flights from 102,000 SkyMiles each way.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Brisbane and the nearby Gold Coast – not the least of which is how cheap it is to fly there. But even if your sights are set on Sydney, Melbourne, or another Australian city, you’d be wise to start and end your trip in Brisbane next year. Here’s why.
Why Brisbane?
The reason airlines are targeting Brisbane is simple: The Queensland government is offering major incentives to get them there.
Thanks to those incentives, American, Delta, and United can offer significantly discounted fares while still making enough money to keep the routes profitable.
According to the Government of Queensland, more than $200 million in incentives has been added to the Attracting Aviation Investment Fund for Brisbane. The goal is to add more seat capacity flying in and out of the city – and to fill those planes with freight and cargo as well.
So who wins? Everybody.
Travelers benefit from cheaper airfare and more accessible points and miles pricing thanks to all the new seats flying to Brisbane. Airlines can operate new routes without relying on sky-high fares or risking failure. And the Queensland government gets a boost in tourism and a chance to establish nonstop connectivity to the U.S. ahead of Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympics.
That win-win-win scenario has helped attract the following Brisbane routes since the program launched in 2022:
- Vancouver (YVR) on Air Canada
- San Francisco (SFO) on United
- Los Angeles (LAX) on Delta
- Dallas (DFW) on American
And those are just the North American routes. The fund has also prompted airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, Qantas, Air New Zealand, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific to launch new or expanded service.
The end result is a massive increase in capacity into Brisbane. According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, 107 nonstop flights will operate between the U.S. and Brisbane in January 2026 – peak season in Australia – accounting for more than 205 million available seat miles, the most commonly used measure of airline capacity. In 2022, both figures were zero.
And when airports are flooded with capacity, flight prices tend to drop.
How Much Can You Save?
Brisbane doesn’t have to be your final destination, but it’s still smart to book roundtrip flights in and out of Brisbane for a 2026 trip to Australia.
Take a spring break trip next year, for example. Flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Sydney (SYD) come with some steep price tags.
Search for flights to Melbourne (MEL), and the story is much the same.
Now let's try Brisbane.
That’s more like it. At $859 roundtrip, you’re saving nearly $300 – if not more – by flying into Brisbane. Once you’re in Australia, you’ll also find far more affordable options to reach cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
Just look at this Google Flights Explore search for roundtrip flights from Brisbane to the rest of the country. (Note: This search was filtered to include a carry-on bag and nonstop flights only.)
Even when you add the cost of these domestic flights to your roundtrip Brisbane airfare, the total is still significantly cheaper than flying directly into other Australian cities. As always, be sure to do the math from your home airport to confirm you’re getting the best deal.
This approach not only saves money – it also gives you the chance to add a stopover in Brisbane on the way to or from your final destination.
Cheap Flights to Brisbane (in Economy or Biz Class)
Just how good have flight deals to Brisbane been lately? Very good.
I said the fare was “fun,” not “exceptional,” because Denver (DEN) isn't alone with these steeply discounted fares down under.
This Brisbane deal we sent to Thrifty Traveler Premium members recently targeted major hub cities across the country.
Anything under $900 roundtrip to Australia is a steal. But there’s an even better way to book cheap flights to Brisbane: using points and miles.
We sent this deal to Premium members using Delta SkyMiles, giving them first crack at incredibly cheap Delta flights to Brisbane next year.
Sixty thousand SkyMiles for a roundtrip flight to Australia is a steal. Travelers departing from Los Angeles could book for 40,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – or just 34,000 SkyMiles with a Delta SkyMiles credit card and its TakeOff 15 benefit.
Things got even better when Delta slashed prices on its Delta One business class cabin.
Delta typically charges closer to 400,000 SkyMiles each way for these flights, making these rates a phenomenal deal for Thrifty Traveler Premium members who booked. The discounts were also part of a broader trend of SkyMiles business class deals we’ve seen recently.
With all that added capacity, Delta wasn’t going to have all the fun. No U.S. airline is flying to Brisbane more than American Airlines this year – and no one is taking it more seriously.
American is deploying its new Flagship Business Class on flights to Brisbane, and it’s hard to find a better-looking seat on the route.
Award prices run 94,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles each way – a strong value for peak Australian summer availability in December, January, and February.
If you’re open to flying a foreign carrier, Cathay Pacific First Class to Brisbane is also worth serious consideration.
Cathay Pacific First Class is one of the most luxurious ways to fly. You’ll connect through Hong Kong (HKG), enjoy access to Cathay’s renowned The Pier First Class Lounge, then continue to Brisbane in lie-flat business class.
The price is higher – 143,000 miles each way – but it’s worth every point.
Bottom Line
If you want to fly to Australia next year, look for flights to Brisbane – even if it’s not your final destination.
Thanks to a massive surge in capacity driven by government incentives, flights to Brisbane are currently much cheaper than those to other Australian cities. But these deals may not last forever, so don’t wait to take advantage.
