Crikey, flights to Australia can be expensive … but they don't have to be. With the right credit card points and sending them to the best airline transfer partners, you can book those pricey fares with points and miles and fly down under without breaking the bank.
Take it from me: I've been to Australia four times in the past year to see my fiancée. And I've done it in some crazy ways, like first booking positioning flights to Honolulu (HNL) to break up the journey or making a stopover in Asia on the way to Sydney (SYD) and beyond. But you don't have to be like this bloke: There are easier (and more comfortable) ways to travel to Australia on points.
Whether it's a direct flight from the West Coast in economy with an airline like Qantas or a nonstop flight in United Polaris business class, there are several routes to get you there using points and miles.
Let's take a look at some of the best ways to fly to Australia using points and miles.
- Fly Qantas Economy from 40K
- United Polaris Business for 75K (Or Less)
- American Business Class from 65K (Or Less)
- Split the Difference with Premium Economy
- Hop on a Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale to Sydney
- Or Fly in Qantas First Class from 70K!
- 75K in Economy or 120K for Biz Class with ANA Mileage Club
- Take the Long Way: Stop in Hong Kong or Hawaii
Fly Qantas Economy from 40K
Qantas Airways is the flagship airline of Australia, and among the best in the world. So even an economy ticket is well worth the points required to book.
West-Coasters looking for the easiest (most widely available) option could hop on a Qantas flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD). But that's not the only option: You could also fly from San Francisco (SFO), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Honolulu, and even Vancouver (YVR).
You can typically book a one-way to Sydney for under 52,000 Avios plus taxes through British Airways Executive Club. British Airways also gives you the novel option to redeem fewer miles in change for paying higher cash surcharges – it goes as low as 18,050 Avios. I often like booking this way because of the flexibility to pay more in fees when I'm low on Avios.
If you're thinking that all sounds great but don't have any Avios, you might be surprised to find out that many credit card points transfer 1:1 to British Airways. This means if you've got American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Bilt Rewards … or soon, Wells Fargo Rewards you can convert them all to Avios to book these flights.
Alternatively, you could transfer your Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points, or Bilt points to book the same flight for 40,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – albeit with slightly higher taxes and fees.
If Sydney isn't your desired destination, you could also fly from Los Angeles to Brisbane (BNE) for same amount of points. Unfortunately, flying to Melbourne (MEL) would cost you extra at 47,000 points – the same rate as booking long flights departing from Dallas. So make sure to shop your points around!
Or if you have American AAdvantage miles sitting around – or Bilt points you can transfer for a little while longer – you could save even more by booking these same routes for just 40,000 AA miles each way.
While I'd always pick Qantas, I'd be remiss if I didn't let you know you might be able to book American Airlines to Sydney (SYD) for a bit less: As low as 35,000 miles each way, though that number always changes thanks to American's dynamic award pricing.
If you're short on AA miles, opening the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® would earn you 75,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $3,500 in the first four months. That's enough for a roundtrip flight to Australia, possibly with miles to spare.
Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (for full disclosure, this not an affiliate link).
United Polaris Business for 75K (Or Less)
Flying Qantas might be as good as it gets for economy, but business class can easily be worth the splurge for a 14-hour flight in a lie-flat seat. And there are plenty of ways to get to Australia in style.
My first time flying United Polaris business class from San Francisco to Sydney was unforgettable. From the Polaris Lounge to the premium in-flight service and enjoying the comfort of being able to lie-flat for such a long flight, it was an absolute treat to fly on a normally $6,000-plus, one-way ticket for my first international premium cabin flight.
One of the best ways to book this United Polaris flight is through Air Canada Aeroplan, which charges 75,000 points and around $80 in taxes and fees for a one-way business class ticket. Not bad, right? If you time it right with a transfer bonus from banks like Chase or Amex, it gets even cheaper.
The trick is finding award availability to actually book these seats with miles – Australia is typically one of the hardest destinations to book business class seats using miles. But that has changed in the last few months: We've found and sent tons of alerts to Thrifty Traveler Premium members to book United business class to Australia recently.
Here's one example.
Get alerts for flying to Australia lie-flat with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
You can also book these United Polaris seats with miles from Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish Miles & Smiles, and – of course – United's own MileagePlus program. But Aeroplan is our go-to for low rates and flexibility.
If you're short on Aeroplan or credit card points, you could instead pay as little as 45,000 points in favor of forking over higher cash surcharges.
Amex, Chase, Capital One, and Bilt are all transfer partners of Air Canada's loyalty program so it's relatively easy to get the points needed.
American Business Class from 65K (Or Less)
Alternatively, you can also fly directly with American Airlines in business class using your AAdvantage miles.
You won't always see rates this low – you're more likely to see 100,000 AAdvantage miles or more when searching for business class award tickets to Australia with American. So when you see a one-way flight for the price of 65,000 AAdvantage miles each way, you know you've found a deal.
But we've occasionally found even better deals for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members with AAdvantage miles.
Split the Difference with Premium Economy
Want to fly comfortably but business class seems out of reach? Premium economy is the perfect middle-ground for the 15 hour-plus trek down to Australia. What you get is practically the same seat as a domestic U.S. first class flight, just for a long-haul, international flight.
Just last year, I was able to snag a Qantas premium economy flight for 50,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles from Los Angeles to Sydney. After Cathay Pacific made changes to its Asia Miles program last fall, you'll now find this same route for 55,000 miles each way instead.
The problem is, finding the award availability to even book Qantas premium economy between the U.S. mainland to Australia can be tricky. But that's not the case with American Airlines: Here, you can often find flights flying AA's own premium economy for just 45,000 AAdvantage miles each way – a small premium to what you'd pay for a seat in economy.
Regardless of the airline you're flying, premium economy is a big step up from the back (or bottom) of the bus. While the seats won't be 180 degree lie-flat seats like you'd find in business and first class, they do give you extra legroom and recline. And that's luxurious enough for me.
Beyond the personal space, you can also expect better food and service than flying in economy. Not having to fight for the armrests and enjoying the optimal 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 seat layout of a premium economy cabin is a good way to ensure a more enjoyable long haul flight.
Hop on a Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale to Sydney
Delta SkyMiles can truly be a mixed bag, with rates that are constantly changing – and often exorbitant. Case in point: Flights to Australia regularly top 200,000 SkyMiles roundtrip … in economy.
Enter Delta SkyMiles flash sales. The airline regularly slashes award rates down to lows you won't find on any other airline on this list. We've sent Thrifty Traveler Premium members a slew of deals over the years, including this gem as low as 51,000 SkyMiles – and yes, that's roundtrip!
You can add to your stash of SkyMiles right now with record-tying welcome offers on the entire suite of Delta Amex card – though not for much longer. Plus, those cards will get you the lowest rate on these Delta redemptions thanks to the automatic 15% discount with TakeOff 15.
Better yet, you can top off your balance of SkyMiles with other, non-Delta Amex cards like the *amex gold* or *amex platinum*, as Delta is an Amex transfer partner. That means you can wait for a great Delta deal like this one, then transfer 51,000 points and book!
Delta is also adding nonstop service to Brisbane (BNE) in late 2024. Here's hoping a great SkyMiles deal to Brisbane is around the corner, too!
Or Fly in Qantas First Class from 70K!
What's better than flying business class to Australia? Just one thing: Flying all the way up in First Class.
Qantas First Class is what bucket lists are made of – it's one of the hardest first class seats in the world to book using miles. But every once in a while, we unearth a real unicorn deal.
We recently sent Thrifty Traveler Premium members an alert for extremely rare availability to fly Qantas First Class nonstop from Los Angeles to Sydney … for just 70,000 Alaska miles! This is typically a $10,000-plus flight and ups the level of luxury beyond what you'll find in business class cabins.
These first class seats to Sydney got gobbled up within hours! Get the next rare award alert with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
Although it's fairly difficult to find Qantas business and first class flight availability, it can be done.
75K in Economy or 120K for Biz Class with ANA Mileage Club
ANA Mileage Club is the loyalty program of Japan's flag carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA). Whether you're heading to Japan, Europe, and, yes, Australia, it's a stellar option.
While you might be able to hop on an ANA flight to Tokyo and then connect down to Australia, your best bet is probably booking some airline partners with the most direct flights: Air Canada and United.
Whether you're flying with either United or Air Canada, it's just 75,000 ANA miles roundtrip in economy and 120,000 miles roundtrip in business class. At least for now: With a looming devaluation, economy rates will remain unchanged while a business class redemption will increase to 145,000 miles roundtrip.
ANA is one of the few programs that require a roundtrip booking when redeeming miles, so that's something you need to be aware of. If you need to book a one-way flight in one direction or the other, you'll need to look at other options. But these roundtrip rates are a steal.
ANA Mileage Club is a transfer partner with American Express Membership Rewards. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio (one Amex point equals one ANA mile). But be warned: those transfers won't be instant. Generally speaking, it will take 24 to 48 hours to process, which means you may need to plan ahead.
Take the Long Way: Stop in Hong Kong or Hawaii
Due to Australia's (relatively) close proximity to Asia – OK, maybe that's a stretch – it's generally much easier to travel between the two continents. So have you ever thought about taking the long way to Australia?
I have repeatedly flown to Vietnam, then caught a flight from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to Sydney – or vice versa. It's a great way to make the most out of my trip and experience more along the way.
Another great way to split up your flights to Australia is by flying Cathay Pacific from the West Coast, with a stop in Hong Kong (HKG). This could be a great opportunity for you to make a quick stop in Asia before going down under. Doing so would cost you less in miles – as low as 38,000 miles each way. – but more in taxes and fees.
As long as you have a valid U.S. passport, you can enter Hong Kong visa-free for up to 90 days.
Of course, Hong Kong isn't the only place you could make a stopover on your way to Australia. Hawaii is my go-to “halfway” point to break my flights up, have a nice day or two at the beach, and have a better chance of booking flights using fewer points and miles to Australia.
In fact, this could be the cheapest way to book using British Airways Avios. For less than 26,000 Avios and a reasonable $71 in taxes and fees, you can fly nonstop from Honolulu (HNL) to Sydney (SYD) each way. You just have to be willing to hop on a cheap flight to the Hawaiian islands, first.
Bottom Line
Australia is a beautiful country … but getting there can be a pain and expensive. It doesn't have to be.
Whether you're content at the back of the plane for the long flight or hoping to score a lie-flat seat for all 14 hours, there are a handful of ways you can put your credit card points or airline miles to use and save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars to get down under.
Unfortunately, between December 10th and January 10th, all of the airlines, per my own investigation, have blocked people from using a combination of points or miles to and from Australia. I have spoken with numerous airlines, and they want revenue only fares during this time frame.