Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane sale prices have returned…really they barely left, but instead seemed to circulate from different US origins. Prices have fluttered back down to solid sale levels from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Houston and more. These fares show lots of availability in May, some in June and August, and again many dates in September – December. While the absolute best fares are from major airports, I tested about a dozen regional airports and most were showing prices ~$950, a savings of $100 – $600. (The Pacific Northwest and Florida seem to be sitting this one out.) Those prices aren’t as good as the insane Australia sale from January, but they’re still potentially cheaper than positioning to an international airport. All 3 eastern Australian cities are pricing within ~ $20 of each other in most cases, and I was even able to get “open-jaw” routes to work, so you can fly into one city and return from another! Best prices include:
- Los Angeles from $608
- San Francisco from $656
- Denver from $681
- Chicago from $681 (limited dates)
- Houston from $694
- Phoenix & Tucson from $717
- Salt Lake City from $721
- Dallas from $747
These are main cabin fares on United and/or Qantas & American, meaning seat selection is included as well as carry-ons and checked bags. I was able to create dummy bookings on Orbitz and United but Qantas was blocking the lowest fares at times, so look for ticketing options if necessary. Make sure to apply for your Australian Electronic Travel Authorization (E-Visa, similar to the coming requirement for travel to Europe) before you go to ensure you’re allowed to board your flight. Australia discounts seem to come and go regularly this year, but that’s no guarantee they’ll keep coming back, so book now if you want to spend the summer Down Under. (SEE ALSO: 3 Reasons to Include a Blue Mountain Day Trip During a Visit to Sydney)
Sample Route
- Departure: LAX
- Stops: None
- Arrival: MEL
How to Book
- Follow link for sample dates or search your favorite OTA / Google Flights for departure and destination
Travel Dates
- May – June, July & August (limited), September – December 2019
- 7-day stay required
Where to Stay in Australia
- Holiday Inn Potts Point-Sydney
- Pier One Sydney Harbour
- Doubletree by Hilton Melbourne
- The Melbourne Marriott Hotel
- Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Central
(SEE ALSO: Holiday Inn Old Sydney Review)
Things to Do in Australia
- Sydney Opera House
- Bondi to Coogee Beach Coastal Walk, Syndey
- Eureka Skydeck in Melbourne
- Melbourne Zoo
- Brisbane’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
- Mount Coot-Tha Lookout in Brisbane (One-Tree-Hill)
Good luck and happy flying!
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Do you have any hard info, or even personal experience with when business class fares to Australia go on sale? Or better yet, miles/points redemption sales to Aus or NZ?
Thank you!
Hi Larry. J fares to Australia on sale would probably be a unicorn; in my years of points/miles collection I have never heard of AUstralia business on sale. As for awards I’m actually booking a business/class trip right now. The short answer from current experience is: AA is 331 days out for Fiji, and supposedly the same for Qantas but currently more like 260ish. Not sure when AA awards themselves are offered. UA is out of my purview at the moment, and given the changes to the award chart I will look at partner awards only later this year. And Delta…if you have the kind of miles to afford Delta SKyMiles redemptions on DL metal to Australia then “sale” is unnecessary and never going to happen under circumstances that most would consider fit the term.