Amazing Deal Alert: US to Australia from $386 Round-Trip on United

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz's courtesy cancellation if you're unable to travel. Additionally, keep in mind that discounted partner fares may not earn miles with US-based carriers.

Ladies and gentlemen... start your booking engines! As Gary Leff points out, United is offering record low fares between several US cities and its destinations in Australia, including Melbourne and Sydney. Assuming you can begin travel in Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle or Salt Lake City and end in Los Angeles, you can cross the Pacific from just $386 round-trip (Melbourne) or $398 round-trip (Sydney).

This also works with open-jaws, letting you fly into one city and out of the other for $391 round-trip. Note that in order to book this fare you'll need to depart from one of the cities listed above, and end your travel in Los Angeles.

These fares earn 100% Elite Qualifying Miles but very few redeemable miles, since United awards miles based on the fare paid. Consider crediting your flight to Singapore's KrisFlyer program, instead, where you'll earn 100% of the miles flown — roughly 20,000 for the round-trip.

Airlines: United
Routes: ATL, DTW, MSP, SEA and SLC to MEL and SYD
Cost: $386-399 round-trip in economy
Dates: May 2016 through August 2016
Booking Link: Orbitz
Pay With: American Express Premier Rewards Gold, Citi Prestige or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Detroit (DTW) to Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $386 on United:

Atlanta (ATL) to Sydney (SYD) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $398 on United:

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Seattle (SEA) to Melbourne (MEL), Sydney (SYD) to Los Angeles (LAX) for $391 on United:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don't forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

H/T: View from the Wing

If you're able to score one of these tickets, please share the good news in the comments below!